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Then I Met You

Living Cleansing Balm.

Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm
Cleansers

About this product

A luxurious oil-based cleansing balm formulated with sea buckthorn, olive oil, and grapeseed oil, designed to remove makeup and sunscreen while nourishing the skin.

Full ingredients

Guru Score

88%

Yay

12 experts · Strong agreement
Guru Certified
Broad expert consensus
12Gurus
10Yay
1Mixed
1Nay
#7 in CleansersSee the ranking →

What they liked

  • Removes makeup and sunscreen without stripping
  • Soft, melts smoothly into oil
  • Leaves skin nourished and soft

What they flagged

  • Pricey for a cleansing balm
  • Waxy residue and hard to rinse
  • Essential oil and fragrance content

What the gurus are saying

This balm melts into a soft, sherbet-like texture that dissolves makeup and sunscreen effortlessly without leaving a waxy residue or film on the skin, earning consistent praise for leaving skin feeling supple and nourished rather than stripped. One expert found the essential oils and fragrance unnecessary and felt it left a sticky finish that was hard to rinse, while the broader consensus celebrates the sensorial experience and the rich oil blend's ability to cleanse while moisturizing, making it especially beloved by those with drier or combination skin. The main trade-off: it carries a premium price, though a little goes a long way and the large size lasts several months.
Synthesized from 12 expert reviews · most recent take August 2026

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
Mixed
"This is Then I Met You's Living Cleansing Balm. I liked this product, I did, but I just didn't like it enough for the price tag. I will spend 35 dollars on a cleanser but I have to love it to spend that kind of money, and there are other products in their range that I like way more."
Yay
"I like Then I Met You's cleansing balm, it's more of an oily cleansing balm rather than a stiffer one. It's a really nice experience, really great at removing anything on the skin without overly stripping. It's a phenomenal product."
Yay
"Speaking of cleansing balms, I have yet another empty. I've gone through so many of this product, it's not even funny, but I keep rebuying it. It is the Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm. If you have not tried this cleansing balm, I featured it for years on my channel. It's like a mango smoothie in a cleansing balm formula, so elegant, so nourishing on your face. Your skin feels so soft after using it. However, it is a bit of a luxury cleansing balm. I will forever recommend this and I will forever use it. However, I feel like cleansing balm technology and just product availability has really accelerated a lot in the past few years. We're finding a lot more great options out there than we used to when I first started using this, so for that reason I've been trying out a lot more new cleansing balms and falling in love with so many of them. But this will always be home. I will forever be repurchasing this cleansing balm because I love it, but not for a little while, because I literally have like eight cleansing balms in a queue waiting to be tested. So wait your damn turn."
Top Pick: cleansing balm
All 14 takes from Hyram
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"Speaking of cleansing balms, I have yet another empty. I've gone through so many of this product, it's not even funny, but I keep rebuying it. It is the Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm. If you have not tried this cleansing balm, I featured it for years on my channel. It's like a mango smoothie in a cleansing balm formula, so elegant, so nourishing on your face. Your skin feels so soft after using it. However, it is a bit of a luxury cleansing balm. I will forever recommend this and I will forever use it. However, I feel like cleansing balm technology and just product availability has really accelerated a lot in the past few years. We're finding a lot more great options out there than we used to when I first started using this, so for that reason I've been trying out a lot more new cleansing balms and falling in love with so many of them. But this will always be home. I will forever be repurchasing this cleansing balm because I love it, but not for a little while, because I literally have like eight cleansing balms in a queue waiting to be tested. So wait your damn turn."
My Most Repurchased Korean Skin Care Products 🧴
"This was actually the very first cleansing balm I ever tried, and since then I have used many, many different cleansing balms, many of which are really good. But this one will always take the cake as the best one I have ever used in my life. [...] It is like a mango smoothie on your face. [...] One of the reasons I love it is that it always leaves my skin so soft and supple afterwards. It doesn't leave that slick siliconey feel that so many cleansing balms leave on your skin, even after you've gone in with your water-based cleanser. It's ultra moisturizing. It takes off sunscreen and even a full face of makeup. It has so many incredible ingredients and the big size lasts a really long time. The only downside I will say for this one is that it is pretty expensive. It's not the cheapest cleansing balm out there. But it is a product that I've repurchased more times than I can count and I will continue to purchase even though it's expensive, and you guys know how much of a penny pincher I am when it comes to skincare. This will be worth it every single time."
The BEST Cleansers of 2025 🫧
"I took quite a long time for me to start using other cleansing balms after I was using this for years and years because I just love it so much. It really provides that luxurious cleansing balm experience while having an incredible fragrance that smells like mango sticky rice. [...] It also has a great ingredient list that uses natural oils like olive oil, grape seed oil. I've repurchased this more times than I can count. I literally constantly have it with me wherever I travel to the point that I have not two but three different sizes ready to go. [...] The only downside is that it is a premium price point, definitely not cheap. However, it does last a good amount of time. You really don't need to use much for the face and I would say on average this lasts me about four to five months. [...] If you're wanting that luxurious experience, I could not recommend this cleansing balm enough."
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"The Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm, the cleansing balm that I literally mention in countless videos, is [...] the best cleansing balm I have ever used in my life."
The Best Cleansing Balms & Oils of 2023
"It is by far the most luxurious cleansing balm formula I have ever used. Using this to remove makeup and sunscreen feels like a mango smoothie dream on your face. The ingredient list is really impressive with olive oil which is great for removing makeup and sunscreen, grape seed oil, seabuckthorn oil which is a great antioxidant, and Babas Su oil which is rich in fatty acids that strengthen the skin's microbiome. It does have fragrance, so if you have extremely sensitive skin where you react to even fragrance in a cleansing balm formula then I wouldn't recommend using it, however if you're not, it's only going to be on your face for 60 seconds and you're ready for the most amazing cleansing balm experience ever. This has always been my top recommended cleansing balm. Usually people with drier skin types enjoy this cleansing balm rather than oilier skin types just because it has such a rich formula that does make your skin feel very soft, nourished and moisturized afterwards even after using a water-based cleanser. However I have combination skin that tends to get really oily and I love this product. Over the years I've purchased this product more times than I can count. It's just that good."
The BEST Cleansing Balms of 2022!
"This one will come as absolutely no surprise to anyone because I talk about it every single time I talk about cleansing balms, the Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm. I can't tell you how many people in my life I've gotten hooked on this product, once people start using this cleansing balm they rarely go back to using any other ones because it is just that incredible. I always say it's like a mango smoothie for the face, it feels amazing, it spreads so easily across the skin, it's by far one of the most enjoyable experiences when it comes to a cleansing balm. It leaves the skin super nourished and hydrated but not overly nourished, and even though it's a rich consistency I wouldn't consider it to be more for dry skin, I would consider this to work well for any skin type. I've used this product for years now and I cannot sing enough praises to it, it's just that incredible of a formula. It primarily uses sea buckthorn oil, as well as vitamin E, grapeseed oil, and of course mango."
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"I talk about the Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm in so many videos, pretty much every single time I talk about a cleansing balm I'm always recommending that product."
Specialist Reacts to Billie Eilish's Skin Care Routine
"My top favorite one that I recommend all the time on my channel is the Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm. Such a good one, it's like a mango smoothie for the face, deeply nourishing and hydrating to the skin, and it leaves it all plump afterwards. In my experience it does a thousand times better at actually removing all the makeup versus a makeup wipe."
Blind Girl Gives Me a FACIAL (ft Molly Burke)
"I feel like this is one of the most beautiful products I've used, the Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm. I like the package, I like the smell. I know I don't want fragrance normally, and I'm going to smell every product anyway, but this one only stays on your face for about thirty seconds before you cleanse it off, so I'm personally not bothered by the fragrance in it. The consistency is amazing, it feels so nice."
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"The Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm, I have never in my life found a better cleansing balm than this one. It is so rich and nourishing to the skin, my skin feels so soft and plumped after I use it. I always say it's like a mango smoothie for the face, literally one of my favorite products of all time, and I will never go a day in my life without using this baby."
Reacting to Allure's Best Skin Care of 2021
"I really do like the Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm. If you want a nourishing, soft skin experience without that film left over on your skin, that one's great. I've had a really good experience with it personally."
The BEST Cleansers of 2021!
"My favorite cleansing balm from this year is the Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm. I always call it a mango smoothie for the face because it really is the most beautiful sensorial cleansing balm experience. It does have fragrance, so if you're really sensitive to fragrance maybe this isn't for you, but personally I don't mind fragrance in cleansing balms since it's only on your face for thirty to sixty seconds before you remove it with a cleanser, so the risk of irritation is very minimal. I love it because it's a rich consistency that always makes my skin feel so soft after using it. The downside is that it's a more luxury product, it's almost forty dollars, it's definitely pricey. But if you really like a cleansing balm and want it to properly remove all your makeup and sunscreen in a really nice nourishing way, I highly recommend you try that one out."
Reacting to My 4 YEAR Old Skin Care Routine
"For years my personal favorite cleansing balm has been the Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm. It's nourishing and moisturizing to the skin, it removes everything but it doesn't feel overly abrasive, it just feels like a really nice first cleansing experience. I 1000% would recommend a cleansing balm over using a Clarisonic every single day."
Why Your Cleanser is NOT Working
"My personal favorite is to use a cleansing balm. I love the Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm, it's like a mango smoothie for the face. It does such a good job of breaking up everything on your face but is still really nourishing to the skin as well. That one is a little bit luxury though."
Yay
"You get almost an ounce of the Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm, which truly is incredible."
All 4 takes from AliceintheRabbitHole
SEPHORA Sale Recs (that are not in the Epstein files)
"You get almost an ounce of the Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm, which truly is incredible."
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"This is a mini of the Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm. I feel like it might actually be my favorite cleansing balm, it's definitely up there with the Elemis one. You don't need to spend extra on a cleansing balm, but if you want a bit of a splurge that will last you a while, this is a good one."
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"I have the Then I Met You cleansing balm, I use it when I have a particularly difficult to remove sunscreen. Look at how easily it emulsifies, it's a beautiful cleansing balm. I don't have a lot of bad things to say about this cleansing balm, it lives up to the hype, but that also doesn't mean everybody needs to run out and buy it."
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"I am absolutely impressed with this cleansing balm, the hype was real for me and this really is an incredible cleansing balm. It takes off all my mascara and eyeliner without needing any help, and it emulsifies really well, which is what makes a good cleansing balm in the first place. My favorite high end cleansing balm for 2024 was from Elemis, but this one is going to be a contender for the best cleansing balm of 2025. That said, that doesn't mean you necessarily need to run out and buy it, especially if you don't wear mascara or eyeliner, I think you can use a lot less expensive cleansing balms and be very happy with them."
Nay
"The least recommended from Then I Met You has got to be the Living Cleansing Balm for me personally. [...] This definitely has some essential oil content in it. I'm not the biggest fan of that. [...] For me personally, I just don't think it's a very good cleansing balm. I think it has kind of like a waxy sort of residue that kind of sticks to your skin. It's kind of hard to wash off and I just don't think it's amazing at removing makeup. There are much better cleansing balms, harder working cleansing balms even at Sephora. You don't necessarily need to have the essential oil or fragrant content to it in order to get the job done. But at the end of the day, I just don't really like the texture of this cleansing balm. There's definitely better ones out there."
Yay
"Our Living Cleansing Balm is by far the hero SKU right, everyone loves it, it's been the most viral on social and we have just super fans and loyal fans. The Living Cleansing Balm has won so many awards."
Yay
"This one's got the sea buckthorn ingredient, got grape oil, olive oil. It's a really nice cleanser. [...] I really do like this cleansing balm even though it has a little bit of fragrance in it."
Yay
"This is Then I Met You and I have three Living Cleansing Balms. It's bright orange, it's beautiful, it smells like a dream which is important to me on cleansing. It destroys makeup, it destroys SPF. The reason I've used these the most is because with Then I Met You I can use these to remove makeup and SPF but I can also use them as a skin cleanser, so if I'm traveling I can use these as a one-stop shop if I want to."
Yay
"The Then I Met You cleansing balm is beautiful, it's this beautiful orange color and it reminds me of mango sorbet. It smells amazing with hints of rosemary, peppermint, and grapefruit in its scent notes, and I'm someone that likes fragrance and I enjoy that sensorial experience so I really like smelling it and using it every night to take off my makeup. The composition of this cleansing balm is very, very rich in lipids and oils, it has grapeseed oil, olive oil, and seabuckthorn oil, so this is very rich in linolic acid and other fatty acids. It comes with a scooper, so you scoop out a dime-sized amount, kind of roll it between your fingertips, and then I just go in and smooth it on all over. Then I will wet my hands with warm water, wet my face to emulsify it, and then wash some more, and it does a really great job of removing seabuckthorn or oil makeup and sunscreen, it dissolves right away. The oil-based cleanser takes off all of these more oily substances that we may be putting on our skin."
Yay
"I still love this. It's still my top cleansing balm of all time."
Top Pick: cleansing balm
Yay
"I discovered this one a few years ago and I fell in love with the color because it looks like a beautiful sorbet. It looks like a mango sorbet, it is very very buttery, and it has buckthorn oil that softens and protects and repairs your skin. It also has olive oil and grape seed oil, and it has a slight scent from the rosewood oil and the grapefruit peel oil. It is very buttery, very buttery, very very much so. It doesn't feel waxy like the rest and is somewhat similar to the one by Elemis. This one actually does work pretty well, and for a couple of goes at it, it does have a little bit of a residue still left behind but not much. I think this is more on par with the one by Elemis, it is cheaper, it is beautiful in color, and it feels extremely extremely buttery. Elemis and this one takes off the makeup the best."
Top Pick: cleansing balm
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"This one is Then I Met You it is the Living Cleansing Balm. It's very expensive, it's $38. It's an oil balm and it definitely helps melting makeup off. You might still need to use the bioderma before using this as a cleanser. Like I said, I have found one that is great for a makeup remover and a cleanser a two-in-one, but this one is great if you have dry skin."
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"I discovered this one a few years ago and I fell in love with the color because it looks like a beautiful sorbet. It looks like a mango sorbet, it is very very buttery, and it has buckthorn oil that softens and protects and repairs your skin. It also has olive oil and grape seed oil, and it has a slight scent from the rosewood oil and the grapefruit peel oil. It is very buttery, very buttery, very very much so. It doesn't feel waxy like the rest and is somewhat similar to the one by Elemis. This one actually does work pretty well, and for a couple of goes at it, it does have a little bit of a residue still left behind but not much. I think this is more on par with the one by Elemis, it is cheaper, it is beautiful in color, and it feels extremely extremely buttery. Elemis and this one takes off the makeup the best."
Yay
"The Living Cleansing Balm from Then I Met You. An icon in my bathroom for the last 5 years. I love this. I will forever love this. And this is very much a barrier first kind of formula. Grape seed oil, olive oil, sea berry oil, which gives it that [...] orangey yellow kind of tinge. All keeping your skin moisturized without stripping the skin. And every so often I will use this as a mask. [...] She told me that before she has a bath for example, she will apply the cleansing balm, sit in the bath, use it as a mask, then rinse it away for really well moisturized skin. And now I do that pretty much every time I use this. So if my skin is feeling very dry or extra dehydrated, rub this in, leave it on for 5 minutes, then I'll emulsify and rinse everything away. You've also got the usual kind of fatty acids in here to help dissolve the sunscreen while also helping your barrier for all my skin conditions and types reactive, dehydrated. And you get a dose of antioxidants from that seabberry. [...] Grape seed oil keeps things lightweight and non greasy. Pimmen extract is a nice little touch here [...] for very gentle brightening and helps regulate sebum as well."
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"The Living Cleansing Balm from Then I Met You. An icon in my bathroom for the last 5 years. I love this. I will forever love this. And this is very much a barrier first kind of formula. Grape seed oil, olive oil, sea berry oil, which gives it that [...] orangey yellow kind of tinge. All keeping your skin moisturized without stripping the skin. And every so often I will use this as a mask. [...] She told me that before she has a bath for example, she will apply the cleansing balm, sit in the bath, use it as a mask, then rinse it away for really well moisturized skin. And now I do that pretty much every time I use this. So if my skin is feeling very dry or extra dehydrated, rub this in, leave it on for 5 minutes, then I'll emulsify and rinse everything away. You've also got the usual kind of fatty acids in here to help dissolve the sunscreen while also helping your barrier for all my skin conditions and types reactive, dehydrated. And you get a dose of antioxidants from that seabberry. [...] Grape seed oil keeps things lightweight and non greasy. Pimmen extract is a nice little touch here [...] for very gentle brightening and helps regulate sebum as well."
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"What stuck out most for me was because at the time I was so used to Korean cleansing balms that almost had this plasticky feel to them that you spend ages kind of rubbing into the skin whereas this one is this soft sherbet kind of texture that's kind of already melted down for you. It's like luxurious sort of texture and then it just melts into this luscious oil with very minimal effort. It doesn't leave a film on your skin, doesn't make your eyes blurry, and it wins in so many ways not only in the cleanser category but makeup removal category, so it's just very effective but feels like a treat on your skin. It's made with sea berries which gives the cleansing balm its merry gold color, and it will lighten with time with exposure to oxygen and light because it's natural. It lasts forever like such a long time. You only need a nickel size amount for morning and night and it will last you three months. It's quality, it's made with one of my favorite antioxidant sea berries, and it's just so nice to use."
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"I've been using for as long as I can remember that I take around with me everywhere because I could use it as a double cleanse is Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm. I reviewed this for the first time 5 years ago. This is of course Charlotte Ho's brand. And honestly, it's one of those brands that when you know the brand founder, when you know their story, when you know the brand story, everything that goes into these products, the passion and care that goes into a product like this, all that is combined and is so evident through the effectiveness and user experience of this product. This product in particular, you can just tell so much care and love has gone into this product. It's like this luxurious sorbet soft balm that breaks down so easily into an oil. No messing around with little plasticky bits. It just removes makeup, sunscreen effortlessly without stripping the skin. You actually feel moisturized after. It's formulated with a blend of nourishing oils, including sea buckthorn, which gives it that color, olive oil, grape seed oil, ingredients that are rich in antioxidants and fatty acids to help cleanse the skin whilst also keeping your skin moisturized, keeping that balance right."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and it is often in a formula to keep the other ingredients stable rather than as the active itself. It pairs well with vitamin C, though on its own the evidence for visible change is limited.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Frequently asked.

What is Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm?

A luxurious oil-based cleansing balm formulated with sea buckthorn, olive oil, and grapeseed oil, designed to remove makeup and sunscreen while nourishing the skin.

Is Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm worth it?

Mostly yes. 10 of the 12 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 88%.

What is Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm's Guru Score?

Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm holds a Guru Score of 88%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 12 expert reviewers we have collected. It is also Guru Certified, our mark for products that hold broad approval across many expert reviewers.

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