Unless your name is Charlotte Tilbury or Dolly Rebecca Parton, chances are you’re haunted night after night by the chore of having to remove your makeup before you go to bed. We’ve rounded up the best makeup removers out there to make the task slightly less aggravating, speaking to makeup artists and getting the Cut Shop team’s input.
Whether your removal process takes place above a sink or in the shower, here are 15 makeup removers in various forms (watery, oily, and balm) that get all that stuff off your face without a lot of tugging, scrubbing, skin-stripping, drying, or — most importantly — time.
Size: 6.7 fl oz. | Type: No-rinse formula | Key ingredients: Water, Peg-6 Caprylic/Capric glycerides, cucumis sativus (cucumber)
Micellar waters are an excellent way to gently and effortlessly remove makeup, and this one — which used to be sold exclusively in French pharmacies — has become a cult favorite. It’s capable of correcting flubs backstage at Fashion Week, removing a full face of makeup sans sink, and making sensitive skin feel balanced. For makeup artist Marco Campos, it’s the one he gravitates toward the most often. “Since it’s oil free, once dry, it won’t disturb the rest of the makeup, causing it to travel or break down like some oil-base removers do. Pro tip: Use Bioderma Micellar water on a small Muji Q-tip to help clean up and perfect your wing liner.” This micellar water is also a longtime favorite of the Cut’s deputy style editor, Joanna Nikas. “I have used Bioderma’s micellar water for years and it is the only thing that truly cleans all of my makeup off, not leaving that residue on my eyes.”
Size: 3.4 fl oz. | Type: Gel | Key ingredients: Caprylic/Capric, water, coconut alkanes, limnanthes alba (meadowfoam)
This unique gel formula melts into a smooth oil once it’s applied. It helps everyday impurities, as well as taking off long-wear makeup and waterproof products. “I love this for double-cleansing. It melts off makeup and sunscreen and leaves my skin feeling soft and not oily or irritated. It also rinses off easily,” says Cut shopping writer Chinea Rodriguez.
You can’t go wrong with CeraVe, the affordable, dermatologist-approved brand best known for its Daily Facial Cleanser (which can also act as a makeup remover). This balm alternative is sensitive-skin-friendly, plus it provides hydration while removing makeup. “As a person that deals with skin allergies and allergic reactions, CeraVe is always the go-to,” says the Cut’s former fashion market editor, Cortne Bonilla. “This cleansing balm is gentle and soft, but easily dissolves my makeup after a long day — no matter how much I have on.”
Tatcha’s best-selling cleansing oil is moisturizing enough to use every day without drying out your skin but strong enough to remove all makeup. Even in the form of an oil, it works to melt away excess oil while nourishing your skin at the same time, even if it is hypersensitive. Rachel Bashein, the Cut’s managing editor, loves this cleanser: “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Think no artificial fragrance or dyes, a mixture of skin calming ingredients like tiger balm, and a powerful texture that actually cleans off all traces of makeup. This cleansing balm is hydrating and soothing, making it a perfect remover for those who have sensitive skin like the Cut’s senior shopping editor Bianca Nieves. And unlike other balms, this one comes in a tube for easy use.
Size: 5.0 fl oz. | Type:Balm-to-foam | Key ingredients: Green tea extract, pineapple enzyme, polyglutamic acid
Sometimes a good cleanser can do the trick — especially one that is pineapple-infused. Hailey Bieber’s balm-to-lather daily cleanser is a gentle yet refreshing product that can be used in the morning to brighten the skin or at night to deep-clean and remove makeup. Formulated with green-tea extract and pineapple enzymes, it will leave your skin feeling soft, supple, and clean. “Lately, I’ve actually just been using Rhode’s pineapple cleanser as a makeup remover, and it honestly works. I even put it to the test during New York Fashion Week, where I typically wear more makeup than normal, and it passed,” says Nikas.
Size: 10.1 fl oz. | Type:Liquid | Key ingredients: Shikakai extract, desert date trees, gypsophilia, pro-Vvtamin B5
If you want the first step of your nighttime routine to be on the same luxurious level as the rest of your precious skin-care routine, consider investing in this stuff. Though it’s just as liquid-y and French-sounding as the aforementioned cleansing waters, this is a cleansing lotion. Once you sweep it across your face, you’ll get it — it leaves your skin feeling complete, like you cleansed, toned and did a whole serum situation. Other perks include a light, luxurious scent that makes you feel fancy and a very convenient press-down dispenser top so you never have to lift the bottle.
Looking for a no-frills makeup remover that gets the job done for a fraction of the cost? Enter the Maybelline Expert Eyes Remover. The fragrance-free product instantly removes the thickest of mascara coats, bold shadow hues, and more with just a few swipes and is a favorite of Cut Shop market editor Morgan Evans. “As someone who loves eye makeup — I wear everything from brow pencil and shadow to liner, concealer, and mascara almost daily — this is the product that best removes every ounce of what I’m wearing without leaving residue. It even dissolves those stubborn mascara clots that build up near the lid.”
Size: 13.5 fl oz. | Type:No-rinse formula | Key ingredients: Water, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA
If you’re looking for another cleansing water with a pink cap at a single-digit price point, Garnier’s formula has found a similar place in the spotlight. Its gentle yet effective formula is so nice, you’ll think of this product rather than those lime-green shampoo-and-conditioner commercials with the Transplants song playing in the background whenever you read “Garnier” now, which is truly saying something.
If you’re no stranger to eye primers and extensively drawing on and decorating your eyes (who among us isn’t these days), this dual-phase remover will be your new best friend, just like it is for makeup artist Jaleesa Jaikaran. It’s basically like double-cleansing your sensitive eye area in one fell swoop. The oil phase cuts through all that waterproof mascara and liner with minimal effort, while the water phase gently wipes everything away, leaving the eye area feeling silky and smooth.
Whether you have expensive taste or just like the idea of a skin-care product containing caviar, this jelly makeup remover from Strip Makeup is worth the hype according to junior beauty writer, Asia Milia Ware. “This remover deeply cleanses the day’s dirt, debris, and makeup off my skin while leaving me with a more hydrating and plump complexion, and it’s only $49, which is a steal compared to my other caviar-infused skin-care products.”
If you hate double cleansing, consider using a gentle oil cleanser to both remove your makeup and wash your face for the day. “It melts all my makeup off without leaving my skin oily or greasy, and it rinses off quickly and easily,” explains Cut shopping writer Chinea Rodriguez.
When it comes to beauty classics, you can never go wrong with Clinique. This balm-to-oil cleanser gently dissolves all your makeup or any excess oils from the day while leaving the skin hydrated and nourished. “I have adapted a Clinique beauty routine in the last few years,” says Evans. “In addition to the cleansing balm I use for makeup remover and cleansing, I also use the brand’s Lids, Lashes & Lips remover to get rid of stubborn eye makeup and lipstick, and the Moisture Surge gel-cream that replenishes the complexion by locking in 100 hours of hydration.”
If you have extremely sensitive skin, fear not: This tried-and-true facial cleanser from CeraVe can work as makeup remover on top of being a classic cleanser. “After I turned 25, my skin became incredibly acne-prone, and this line is one of the only ones that doesn’t make me breakout,” explains Cut fashion news writer Danya Issawi. “This is my favorite cleanser, and I always double-cleanse when I’m wearing makeup.”
Size: 3.0 fl oz. | Type:Cleansing Oil| Key ingredients: Olive Fruit Oil, Caprylic/Capric
Triglyceride, Glycol, Rosemary Leaf Oil If you’re in the market for an oil cleanser to remove all your makeup without stripping your face and that is light enough to follow up with another cleanser, this is it. It’s also another favorite of Nieves — it’s her go-to when it comes to traveling. She always stocks up on the travel-size bottles to have them ready whenever a trip arises.
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