Cleansing balms promise to melt makeup and sunscreen without stripping. A small residue trial supports part of that, while pore-clogging scores deserve far less trust than their numbers suggest.
· 6 min read
Cleansing balms are everywhere in November: holiday party makeup, heavier moisturizers, and a wave of best-of lists promising that a balm will melt away a full face without stripping anything. The pitch is appealing, but it mixes together three separate questions. Does an oil-based balm remove makeup and sunscreen better than other methods? Does it leave skin feeling dry or tight? And does it add to the look of congestion? Published research answers the first reasonably well, the second only partly, and the third mostly through a rating system with real weaknesses. This guide separates them.
The most useful hard numbers come from a small trial in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. Twenty volunteers had photos taken before and after sunscreen application, then washed with plain water, a foaming cleanser, or a cleansing oil. Residue was estimated from the images.
For a non-water-resistant sunscreen, residue averaged about 54% after water alone, 15.6% after the foaming cleanser, and 13.4% after the cleansing oil. The cleanser and oil results were statistically similar to each other, and neither differed significantly from the unsunscreened control.
For a water-resistant sunscreen the gap widened. Residue was about 59% after water, 36.8% after the foaming cleanser, and 5.8% after the oil, and the oil result did not differ significantly from the control.
Two cautions apply. The study is small, tested one product of each type, and measured residue by photo analysis, so read the percentages as directional rather than as a guarantee for any specific balm. It also tested a cleansing oil, not a solid balm, though the two rely on the same principle of oil-soluble ingredients loosening oil-soluble film.
Sunscreen filters, long-wear foundation, and waterproof mascara are built to resist water. A rinse alone will not shift them, which is why the water-only group above kept more than half of the product on the skin. An oil or balm gives those water-resistant films something they dissolve into. The balm is massaged onto dry skin first, and water is added afterward so the formula turns milky and rinses away. Some formulas need water to activate, so the product directions matter.
The same study recorded adverse events. Eight participants in the foaming-cleanser group reported dry skin afterward, compared with one in the cleansing-oil group, and the authors concluded the oil may cause less irritation and dryness. That supports the idea that a balm can be gentler than a strong foaming wash, but it is a signal from 20 people, not proof that balms protect the skin barrier.
The American Academy of Dermatology's basic advice still frames everything: use a gentle, non-abrasive, alcohol-free cleanser, wash with lukewarm water, use fingertips rather than washcloths or sponges, wash no more than twice a day plus after heavy sweating, and avoid scrubbing. A balm does not change those rules. Massaging hard to melt a stubborn eye look is a way to undo the benefit.
Shoppers with oily or blemish-prone skin often ask whether an oil-based cleanser will make things look worse. The usual tool is a comedogenicity rating, a 0 to 5 score for ingredients. Those scores have a shaky origin. Many came from a 1970s test that applied substances to the inner ear of rabbits and waited weeks for enlarged pores. Rabbit ears are hypersensitive and have naturally large pores, which produced false positives, and a 2007 critique concluded the model is mainly useful for identifying clear negatives.
Dilution also matters. A 2006 re-evaluation in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that an ingredient rated 4 to 5 at full strength dropped to a 1 at 2.5%, and products containing some high-rated ingredients did not increase microcomedone formation. In practice, a score on a single raw ingredient does not predict what a finished, rinsed-off formula does on your face. The scores also disagree with one another across lists.
That means two honest conclusions. A high-rated oil in a balm is not proof the balm will add to congestion, and a non-comedogenic label is not proof it will not. The most reliable test is your own skin over several weeks.
Not everyone needs a double cleanse. Dermatology comments in a 2025 NBC guide point out that dry, sensitive skin may do fine with the balm alone, while a gel or foaming cleanser is a common second step for oilier skin and a cream cleanser for drier skin. The logic is simple. If you wore water-resistant sunscreen, long-wear makeup, or a thick layer of either, the balm step is useful. If your face is bare apart from a light moisturizer, a single gentle wash is enough, and adding a balm is optional.
Use this sequence on nights you have makeup or water-resistant sunscreen on:
Several 2025 balm picks are flagged for strong scent or added fragrance, which matters if your skin is reactive. Look for fragrance-free formulas, and read the ingredient list for plant oils that behave differently on your own skin. Introduce one new balm at a time, use it for three to four weeks, and note whether your skin looks more congested, shinier, or drier than before. If irritation, stinging, or persistent redness shows up, stop and talk to a dermatologist or other clinician.
Based on the one small trial available, an oil-based cleanser removes water-resistant sunscreen far better than a foaming wash or water alone, and it was linked to fewer reports of dryness. Comedogenicity ratings are a poor guide to a finished product, so judge a balm by how your skin looks after a few weeks. Use it on nights you actually wear water-resistant products, rinse it fully, keep the massage light, and add a second cleanse only when your skin and your makeup call for it.
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