The Best Cleansing Balms for Melting off Waterproof Makeup

If you’re a fan of stay-all-day, no-smudge makeup, you need the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm. No matter how stubborn your products are, this formula will remove them like they were never there. Even the toughest waterproof mascaras don’t stand a chance.

Key ingredients: Safflower seed oil, linoleic acid, vitamin E

Nordstrom rating: 4.6/5

An ELLE editor says: “As someone who only wears waterproof mascara, cleansing balm is an absolutely staple in my skin care routine. After hearing nothing but love for the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm, I decided to give it a chance. Needless to say, I was impressed. It wiped my makeup clean with very little product and didn’t leave behind a greasy film. Plus, it felt great on my dry, sensitive skin.”—Emma Aerin Becker, associate beauty e-commerce writer