Cleansing balm that removes makeup

e.l.f. Holy Hydration Cleansing Balm has the best record for melting makeup off: 32 of 37 reviewers said it did, and more reviewers weighed in on it than on any other balm here. Banila Co Clean It Zero Original Cleansing Balm follows at 12 of 14, while Byoma Melting Cleansing Balm has the weakest record here at 12 of 27. This page counts cleansing balms, not oils.

  • 160 store reviews counted
  • Target shoppers
  • Dec 2023 to Oct 2026

Updated . How we count

Did it melt the makeup off? What reviewers said
  1. e.l.f. Holy Hydration Cleansing Balm 37 said either way
  2. Banila Co Clean It Zero Original Cleansing Balm 14 said either way
  3. Garnier Makeup Cleansing Balm with Hyaluronic Acid 20 said either way
  4. Naturium Purple Ginseng Cleansing Balm 30 said either way
  5. Byoma Melting Cleansing Balm 27 said either way

Share of reviewers who stated an outcome for makeup removal. Ranked by the lower bound of a 90% confidence interval, so a product needs both a good share and enough reports to rank high.

e.l.f. Holy Hydration Cleansing Balm Best record e.l.f. Holy Hydration Cleansing Balm 32 of 37 say it melted their makeup off See price & reviews on Amazon
What stands out

A greasy film is a repeat complaint for Garnier and Naturium, in 24% of Garnier reviews and 28% of Naturium reviews. Smell is the main complaint for Byoma, in 62% of its reviews.

The ranking, product by product

Praise and complaints are the points reviewers repeat most, shown as a share of each product's counted store reviews.

1 e.l.f. Holy Hydration Cleansing Balm

e.l.f.

Holy Hydration Cleansing Balm

Best for melting off makeup

32/37 say it melted their makeup off

32 of 37 reviewers said it melted their makeup off, and 22% say it caused no irritation. 8% say it stung their eyes, and reviews copied from the brand's site agree on the makeup removal at 9 of 9, which we show but don't count.

What buyers praise

  • No irritation 23%
  • Leaves skin soft 13%
  • Good value 13%

What buyers complain about

  • Stings eyes 8%
Where buyers said it
  • Target 32 of 37
  • Brand site 9 of 9 shown, not counted
2

Banila Co

Clean It Zero Original Cleansing Balm

Best for soft skin afterward

12/14 say it melted their makeup off

A smaller group weighed in, and 12 of 14 said it melted their makeup off. 40% say it leaves skin soft and 47% praise how easily it melts, while 13% say it left makeup behind.

What buyers praise

  • Leaves skin soft 40%
  • No irritation 20%
  • Good value 13%
  • Rinses clean 13%

What buyers complain about

No repeated complaints yet.

Where buyers said it
  • Target 12 of 14
3 Garnier Makeup Cleansing Balm with Hyaluronic Acid

Garnier

Makeup Cleansing Balm with Hyaluronic Acid

14/20 say it melted their makeup off

The record is mixed: 14 of 20 said it melted their makeup off, but 24% mention a greasy film and 24% mention the smell. 12% call it good value.

What buyers praise

  • Good value 12%
  • No irritation 12%

What buyers complain about

  • Greasy film 24%
  • Smell 24%
  • Irritation or breakouts 8%
  • Stings eyes 8%
Where buyers said it
  • Target 14 of 20
  • Brand site 5 of 5 shown, not counted
4 Naturium Purple Ginseng Cleansing Balm

Naturium

Purple Ginseng Cleansing Balm

19/30 say it melted their makeup off

19 of 30 said it melted their makeup off, and 20% say it caused no irritation. The complaints are makeup left behind, at 30%, and a greasy film, at 28%.

What buyers praise

  • No irritation 20%
  • Leaves skin soft 15%
  • Good value 8%

What buyers complain about

  • Greasy film 28%
  • Stings eyes 13%
  • Irritation or breakouts 5%
  • Too expensive 5%
Where buyers said it
  • Target 19 of 30
  • Brand site 5 of 7 shown, not counted
5

Byoma

Melting Cleansing Balm

12/27 say it melted their makeup off

12 of 27 said it melted their makeup off, the weakest record here. Smell is the main complaint, in 62% of its reviews, though 15% say it caused no irritation.

What buyers praise

  • No irritation 15%
  • Leaves skin soft 5%

What buyers complain about

  • Smell 63%
  • Irritation or breakouts 10%
  • Greasy film 5%
  • Too expensive 5%
Where buyers said it
  • Target 12 of 27

Share of 40 store reviews that mention each point. A full bar is 50%.

Where these numbers come from

The 5 products ranked here carry 14,713 reviews at Target. We read the newest reviews of each product (up to a thousand per listing), kept the ones that talk about makeup removal, and counted up to 40 per product, posted between Dec 2023 and Oct 2026.

A review counts only when the reviewer used the product themselves. We drop reviews written in exchange for a free product or a sweepstakes entry (25 on this page), and products that are no longer sold.

Target also shows reviews first posted on brands' own websites. We show them on product cards but never count them, because brand-site reviews run more positive than store reviews of the same products.

Because we searched for the problem, people who had it are overrepresented. Compare products with each other rather than reading a share as your own odds.

Skin type, skin tone and age splits use what reviewers chose on Sephora's review form (and age on Ulta's when given). We only show a split when enough reviewers fall on each side.

Amazon buttons appear only on products that most reviewers here say fix the problem (at least 60%, with enough reviews to trust it). Everything else gets no buy link.

An AI model labels each review against a fixed list of points, and we spot-check the labels before publishing. We publish counts, never the reviews themselves.

Read the full method

Product pages we read

  1. e.l.f. Holy Hydration Cleansing Balm Target (40 reviews counted)
  2. Banila Co Clean It Zero Original Cleansing Balm Target (15 reviews counted)
  3. Garnier Makeup Cleansing Balm with Hyaluronic Acid Target (25 reviews counted)
  4. Naturium Purple Ginseng Cleansing Balm Target (40 reviews counted)
  5. Byoma Melting Cleansing Balm Target (40 reviews counted)

Questions buyers ask

Which cleansing balm removes makeup?

e.l.f. Holy Hydration Cleansing Balm has the best record (32 of 37), followed by Banila Co Clean It Zero Original Cleansing Balm (12 of 14) and Garnier Makeup Cleansing Balm with Hyaluronic Acid (14 of 20).

Will a cleansing balm get all my makeup off?

Often, but not always. Reviewers here said whether the balm melted their makeup off, including mascara or sunscreen. Makeup left behind is a complaint in 30% of Naturium reviews and 40% of Byoma reviews, so check each record before you buy.

How does Byoma Melting Cleansing Balm do at removing makeup?

It has the weakest record here at 12 of 27. Smell comes up in 62% of its reviews, so a strong scent is worth knowing about before you buy.

What is the difference between a cleansing balm and a cleansing oil?

A balm is a solid scoop that melts as you work it in, and an oil is a liquid. This page counts cleansing balms, and cleansing oils are ranked on their own page.

Related problems

Cleansing oil Cleansing oil that removes makeup Top pick: DHC Deep Cleansing Oil 116 buyer reports Micellar water Micellar water that removes makeup Top pick: Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water 232 buyer reports Makeup remover wipes Makeup wipes that remove makeup Top pick: Olay Daily Facials Hydrating Cleansing Cloths 358 buyer reports Makeup remover Makeup remover that removes waterproof mascara Top pick: Lancôme Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover 187 buyer reports

HiveTried earns a commission when you buy through the "See price & reviews on Amazon" buttons. It never changes the ranking: the order comes from buyer reports only, and a product gets an Amazon button only when buyers here say it works.