I made it through high school without developing a nighttime face-washing routine. College, too, for that matter. If I’m being honest, it wasn’t until I was into my late 20s that I regularly started taking my makeup off at the end of the day. And even then, I hated it.
The whole process was just so… wet. My hair would get wet, my shirt, my sink, the floor. Yuck. (If you’re sitting there thinking, “This girl is washing her face wrong,” you’re probably right. But I truly have never been able to figure out how to do it without getting soggy.)
The turning point in my relationship with face-washing came when I received a sample of the Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm. Because this delightful product is meant to be applied to dry skin, it immediately cut my face-splashing time in half. A miracle!
While I give this balm two thumbs up for its convenience (and efficacy—this stuff really does a number on mascara, but I’ll get to that), dermatologists love it for its skin-friendly ingredients. “This product is similar to the classic, much-loved Pond’s Cold Cream, and the purpose is to gently remove makeup while hydrating skin,” says Rachel Nazarian, MD, a board-certified dermatologist located in New York City. “Most of these [cleansing balm] products use mineral oil, while this one does not. This uses many citric and flower oils to remove makeup and dirt, and also has natural anti-inflammatory ingredients [like turmeric and moringa].”
Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm
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The Need-To-Know
How to use it: Scoop a bit out of the container—the official instructions say to use a tiny spatula that’s provided, but I’ve always just used my fingers—and then massage into your face. (Bonus: Facial massage can stimulate lymphatic drainage, which helps combat acne and puffiness.) The Farmacy cleanser is safe for your eyes, so don’t shy away from your eye makeup. Then, just rinse with water or a damp washcloth. One-and-done cleansing, at its finest.
What to expect: The balm goes on smooth and, frankly, the self-massage needed to work the product in feels great. When you rinse your face, the balm turns into more of a milky texture that easily washes off—taking all of your makeup along with it. Seriously, I wasn’t convinced you could remove mascara and eyeliner without a cotton pad until I tried this product.
Who is this product for? “Although it’s good for many skin types, I’d be careful with sensitive skin, given the essential oil-based ingredients that can occasionally be irritating,” says Dr. Nazarian. Personally, my skin has reacted to some essential oils in the past (looking at you, tea tree oil), but I have not had an issue with Farmacy’s cleanser.
As Dr. Nazarian mentioned, a number of brands make similar makeup-dissolving balms. Not gonna lie, I currently have three different types in my medicine cabinet. But the Farmacy cleanser is the one I’ve used to the last drop—or, scoop.
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