Is CeraVe Makeup Removing Cleanser Balm worth it?

The gurus are split. 2 of the 5 gurus give it their stamp of approval while 2 would skip it, which lands it in the middle at a Guru Score of 59%.

What is CeraVe Makeup Removing Cleanser Balm's Guru Score?

CeraVe Makeup Removing Cleanser Balm holds a Guru Score of 59%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 5 expert reviewers we have collected.

Who is CeraVe Makeup Removing Cleanser Balm best for?

CeraVe Makeup Removing Cleanser Balm is generally suited to dry skin and sensitive skin.

CeraVe

Makeup Removing Cleanser Balm.

Cleansers

About this product

A fragrance-free cleansing balm designed to dissolve makeup, sunscreen, and debris as a first cleanse step, formulated with ceramides and jojoba oil.

Full ingredients

Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Polyethylene, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Aqua/Water/Eau, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Triethyl Citrate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cholesterol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil/Jojoba Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 20, Benzoic Acid, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Guru Score

59%

Mixed

5 experts · Moderate agreement

5Gurus

2Yay

1Mixed

2Nay

What they liked

Dissolves makeup and sunscreen effectively
Rinses clean without leaving residue
Accessible drugstore price point

What they flagged

Thick texture requires effort to spread on skin
Leaves a slight filmy feeling
Small jar size for the price

What the gurus are saying

The gurus split on this one. Those who liked it praised how well it breaks down makeup and sunscreen, plus the nourishing ceramides and jojoba oil, and noted it works best as a first step followed by a gentle cleanser to clear any film left behind. However, several found it thick and effortful to work into skin, slow to melt completely, and prone to leaving a slight residue or filmy feeling that takes extra effort to rinse away cleanly. A few felt it does the job for everyday makeup but doesn't measure up to other balms for stubborn or waterproof products.

Synthesized from 5 expert reviews · most recent take March 2024

Best for

Dry skin Sensitive skin

Type

CleansersBalm & ointment

Key actives

Vitamin ECeramides

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Amazon → Google →

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What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Dr. Jenny Liu

322k subs

~Yay

"CeraVe makes really great gentle fragrance-free products. This balm works really well at dissolving makeup, sunscreen, sebum, and debris. It also contains ceramides and jojoba oil that are nourishing for the skin. You can use this as the first step to remove everything and then as the second step go in again with a gentle facial cleanser to remove any residue as needed."

No BS Beauty

89k subs

~Nay

"The CeraVe cleansing balm for $14 was disappointing. I found it was too thick, it took a lot of effort to smooth it into skin to get it to really work, and when it rinsed off it left [...] a kind of residue so I didn't love it. The jar is super tiny for what you'd think it would be for CeraVe, typically they're a little more affordable. [...] I didn't love how it took a long time and a lot of effort to break down and melt on skin."

Kelly Driscoll

90k subs

~Mixed

"This is the CeraVe Makeup Removing Cleanser Balm. What's inside here is fine, it's fine and that's how I feel about it. It's not super duper impressive, it's not the best cleansing balm that I've used. [...] Does it remove makeup? Yes. Does it remove stubborn sunscreen? Yes. Does it take down stubborn eye makeup really well? It's fine, it does the job eventually. I think it needs a little bit [...] of help for really stubborn, waterproof, and hard to remove eye makeup, but it gets there. I've had products that get there a lot faster though. But for my general everyday makeup and stuff, it does really well. I find it kind of filmy though. I find it slightly hard to wash off cleanly. I just don't find it very elegant. There's nothing really enjoyable or pleasurable about the product. It's just straightforward and it does the job and it's accessible and it's at the drugstore."

Doctorly

3.58M subs

~Nay

"I tried the CeraVe Cleansing Balm and for me cleansing balms come down to efficacy, do they do the job of removing things well, and I thought it fell short compared to the Pharmacy Green Clean cleansing balm."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

~Yay

"I also finished the CeraVe Makeup Removing Cleanser Balm. I like it, it's a little expensive actually, pretty expensive for what it is, but it's effective, it works well, there's no fragrance. It kind of smells like buttered toast as you're smearing it over your face, which I rather enjoy but you may not care for. It rinses off, it works, it's got ceramides. The jar is TSA friendly so I used this a fair amount traveling this year. One thing about this is I wish it came with something to get the product out because it's actually kind of hard to scoop out a small amount and not get too much, and I think that's part of why I went through it so quickly. They did a good job with it, I just wish it were a little less expensive."

All 8 takes from Dr Dray

Skincare Dupes At CVS Drugstore

"The CeraVe Makeup Removing Cleanser Balm is a good product. I really like it. It kind of smells like butter in a good way, kind of like you're massaging a croissant on your face. My one complaint is the label starts to come off and it annoys me."

2022 SKIN CARE EMPTIES 🗑 PRODUCTS I USED UP! @DrDrayzday

CERAVE VS NEUTROGENA | Which cleansing balm is better? @DrDrayzday

"The CeraVe Makeup Removing Cleanser Balm is nine dollars and seventy four cents for one point three ounces, about seven dollars and twenty eight cents an ounce. It has beeswax, jojoba seed oil, cedar oil alcohol, and polysorbate eighty as an emulsifier, and the jojoba seed oil makes it a lot easier to spread on the skin than the Neutrogena, a more sophisticated experience, though it's still a bit stiff, not as silky as I like in a cleansing balm. It melts easily onto the skin, performs like a dream, and rinses off completely with no raccoon eyes left behind. It smells like buttered toast, which I think is a pleasant experience, though you may not care for that. Ranking all three cleansing balms, I'd put CeraVe as number two."

Vlog: GETTING GLAM, LATE NIGHT SKINCARE, & FUN IN DALLAS @DrDrayzday

"I use the CeraVe makeup remover cleansing balm on my face, and I actually bought two jars of it by accident on Amazon. I like it, it's a great travel companion, but I don't know what they were thinking making the jar this tiny."

Traveling to Palm Springs for Youtube Creator Summit 2022 😎 @DrDrayzday

"I brought the CeraVe makeup removing cleansing balm because I always have a hard time finding a cleansing balm or cleansing oil that is travel friendly. The CeraVe cleansing balm smells like butter, so it's kind of pleasant to use."

Vlog: PACKING UP MY SKIN CARE & TRAVELING TO LA ✈ @DrDrayzday

"I used the CeraVe Makeup Removing Cleanser Balm and all of my eyeshadow, mascara and sunscreen came off with no issue."

NEW CERAVE MAKEUP REMOVING CLEANSER BALM & EYE MAKEUP REMOVER REVIEW 😮 @DrDrayzday

"This cleansing balm has very good spread on the skin, it melts nicely, and it's very silky and smooth, moisturizing but doesn't leave the skin greasy. It rinses off just fine and it does a really good job removing makeup, including my eye makeup. It's fragrance free, though it does smell a bit like butter. It's not inexpensive, it's $13.29 for 1.3 ounces, which is smaller than most cleansing balms I've tried, but I appreciate that for travel purposes. My only gripe is the packaging, I really wish they'd included a spatula since the opening is narrow and you have to dig in to break into the balm. I will definitely repurchase the cleanser balm, especially for travel purposes."

VLOG: RANTING ABOUT FRAUDS & USING THE NEW CERAVE CLEANSING BALM 😍 @DrDrayzday

"I really like this cleansing balm, but I wish the jar had more product in it, especially for the price. Everything is so expensive right now."