Lab Muffin Beauty Science

The science of beauty, skincare, makeup and nails

  • Home
  • Science
  • Browse
    • Archives
    • Reviews by Brand
    • Random Post
  • About
    • About Michelle
    • Site Policies
    • Follow
  • Shop
    • Shop
    • Skincare eBook
  • FREE Exfoliation Guide!

How Do Cleansing Balms Work? The Science!

October 1, 2015 By Michelle 21 Comments

Affiliate Disclosure: I receive a small commission for purchases made via affiliate links.

Cleansing balms like Banila Co Clean It Zero are very popular in Asia, and it’s made its way to Australia in the form of Trilogy Make-Up Be Gone Cleansing Balm. What’s in them, how do they work, and why are they different from cleanser or micellar water? Here’s the science!

What’s in a cleansing balm?

The concept of a cleansing balm is a lot like cleansing oil – the ingredients include a solid oily component, combined with a surfactant or emulsifier.

Emulsifiers or surfactants are double-ended molecules, one end of which likes oily substances (the “tail”), while the other end (or “head”) likes water. They help oily substances dissolve in water.

surfactant-molecule

Interestingly, if you zoom in on the structure of a cleansing balm, it looks like inside out micellar water. The fact that it’s oil-based rather than water-based means that the surfactant tails point out into the bulk rather than in towards the centre of the spherical micelles.

cleansing-balm-micelles

How do cleansing balms work?

First, you rub the oily balm on your face to quickly dissolve your make-up into a melty mess. These balms usually go runnier as they warm up on your skin. Next, you splash water on your face – the dirty balm washes off cleanly thanks to the surfactant.

cleansing-balm-oil-guide-science

This let you do OCM with only one product – you don’t need a separate oil and a cleanser, because the cleansing balm is both in one product! And unlike cleansing oils, the solidness of the balm makes it easier to use and less messy. I like to put cleansing balms on and massage them over my face before stepping into the shower.

Review of Banila and Trilogy Cleansing Balms

cleansing-balms

Banila Co Clean It Zero Classic ($20-35 for 100 mL) and Trilogy Make-Up Be Gone Cleansing Balm ($36.90 for 80 mL) are based on the same idea, but the products actually perform quite differently!

Let’s take a look at their ingredients lists.

Banila Co Clean It Zero:

Mineral Oil, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, PEG-10 Isostearate, Polyethylene, Butylene Glycol, Water, Rubus Suavissimus (Raspberry) Leaf Extract, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract, Viscum Album (Mistletoe) Leaf Extract, Angelica Polymorpha Sinesis Root Extract, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Malpighia Glabra (Acerola) Fruit Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Leaf Extract, BHT, Butylparaben, CI 16255, CI 15985, Fragrance

Trilogy Make-Up Be Gone Cleansing Balm:

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Cera Alba, Polyglyceryl-3 Palmitate, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Seed Oil, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Parfum, Citronellol, Limonene, Linalool

Banila Co Clean It Zero is a mineral oil-based cleansing balm. It contains PEG-20 glyceryl triisostearate and PEG-10 isostearate as surfactants – they’re non-ionic detergents, so they’re low-foaming but still wash off well. Clean It Zero also has a bunch of botanical extracts further down the list (raspberry, bamboo stem, rooibos, mistletoe, dong quai, papaya, acerola, fireweed). I don’t think they do much, since it’s a wash-off product and they’re so far down the list. I’m particularly in love with the texture of this cleansing balm – it’s easy to scoop out and spread, and it washes off cleanly.

Trilogy Make-Up Be Gone Cleansing Balm is based on sunflower seed, olive and coconut oils, and beeswax, with smaller amounts of mango seed butter, rosehip and tea seed oils. It uses polyglyceryl-3 palmitate as the surfactant. I found that this works quite well with the cleansing cloth that comes with it, but not so well without (it’s hard to wash the balm off with just your fingers and water). The texture is a bit solid and hard to spread, but it might be better once the weather warms up a bit.

What’s your favourite cleansing balm? Do you like them more than cleansing oils and facial cleansers?

Trilogy Cleansing Balm was provided for review, which did not affect my opinion. For more information, see Disclosure Policy.


Related Posts

  • Ceramides in Skincare: QV Intensive with Ceramides Range
  • Clean Beauty Is Wrong and Won’t Give Us Safer Products
  • Why I don’t recommend The Ordinary’s Niacinamide and L-Ascorbic Acid powders
  • Ascorbyl Glucoside Vitamin C: AvΓ¨ne A-Oxitive

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Google
  • More
  • Tumblr

Filed Under: Review, Science, Skincare Tagged With: active ingredients, Banila Co, natural, review, science, skincare, Trilogy

« Make Up For Ever Aqua Matic Eyeshadow Review
Remington i-LIGHT Pro+ Face & Body IPL review Pt 1 »

Comments

  1. Recovering Perfectionist says

    October 1, 2015 at 11:47 am

    May I just say, I LOVE everything about your blog — the reviews, the science, and especially the wonderful illustrations. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      October 2, 2015 at 11:41 pm

      Thank you so much! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  2. Cindy B says

    October 1, 2015 at 6:56 pm

    I’ve been meaning to give the Banila Co a try. I have the Body Shop’s Camomile Cleansing Butter but since I’m still working on using up my cleansing oil, I haven’t given TBS a try yet. On the same note, how does Banila Co work against waterproof eye makeup? Do you need to use a separate remover afterwards?
    Cindy B recently posted…FIRST IMPRESSIONS | Innisfree Summer 2015 Limited Edition Auto Pencil LinersMy Profile

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      October 3, 2015 at 12:16 am

      I’ve heard that it works quite well, but I always take my eye make-up off with surfactant-free remover because they’re sensitive.

      Reply
  3. Heli LT says

    October 1, 2015 at 9:49 pm

    I’ve been using Clinique’s Take the Day Off balm for years. I think it’s the same idea and it dissolves everything perfectly. It was the first makeup remover I ever used that didn’t hurt my sensitive eyes. The bad part is it’s expensive ($50-$60) and it’s sometimes hard to find because it’s not a fancy marketing dream sonic-aha-betacarotene-miracle-serum-elderflower product.

    Reply
    • Spring says

      October 2, 2015 at 12:15 pm

      I love the Clinique Balm as well! Will never be without it, even though I’ve got a ton of cleansing oils, cleansing gels etc.

      Reply
    • Michelle says

      October 3, 2015 at 12:16 am

      I’ve heard a lot about it! Yes, same idea πŸ™‚

      Reply
  4. Kat Ness says

    October 2, 2015 at 8:22 am

    I really enjoy using a cleansing oil but do have to cleanse afterwards. I’m interested to see how a balm will compare (I did try a bit from a brand a few months ago).
    Kat Ness recently posted…Curl Them LashesMy Profile

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      October 3, 2015 at 12:17 am

      I’ve found that it really depends on formulation, there’s a lot of variation! Some wash off cleanly, some don’t, and I use both depending on how much make-up I’m wearing and how dry my skin is.

      Reply
  5. Tried and Tested Blog says

    October 2, 2015 at 10:59 pm

    Great to read about the science behind products! I’m currently loving the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm, it’s absolutely amazing! x
    Tried and Tested Blog recently posted…White Glo Diamond Series Advanced Teeth Whitening System – ReviewMy Profile

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      October 3, 2015 at 12:18 am

      Sounds absolutely amazing!

      Reply
  6. Lisa says

    October 11, 2015 at 3:55 am

    Wow! I just found your blog from a link from Cheap As [email protected]&k and I am addicted! I have spent an entire Saturday morning reading your old content and have bookmarked your site for regular visits in the future.

    Thanks for sharing all the scienc-y stuff with us and for all the great DIY, tutorials and reviews!

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      October 13, 2015 at 10:18 pm

      Thanks so much Lisa! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  7. Phuongmai says

    April 27, 2016 at 3:54 am

    Hello! So glad to have found your site. Very informative and fun way to learn what I’m interested in – love the doodles btw πŸ˜€
    So I’ve a question: I want to use my cleansing balm in the mornings, do I need to do a second cleanse with a foam cleanser or can I just wash it off and then set it off with a toner etc. I want to keep the moisturising benefits from the balm without then stripping it off with a foam cleanser but then if I don’t, I’m worried this would build up in oils resulting to clogged pores, especially when I plan to layer up with leave-in treatments, moisturiser and make-up. However in the evenings, I will definitely follow up with a foam cleanser after using an oil cleanser to remove my make-up.
    Sorry if this is rather long but thank you for answering if you get the time to!

    Reply
    • Phuongmai says

      April 27, 2016 at 9:10 am

      Hello again, just found the answer to my own question actually by coming across one of your old posts! I guess I’ll use a foam cleanser afterwards in the morning too after using a face balm so that the treatments can penetrate in my skin better rather than sitting on an oily surface πŸ™‚

      Reply
  8. Ashley says

    January 11, 2017 at 7:13 am

    You should check out Ultrabland from Lush! It’s honey, beeswax, and almond oil, which makes it very gentle & antibacterial. There is also an ingredient in there called Tincture of Benzoin, which helps speed up healing!! πŸ™‚

    Reply
  9. Morgan says

    April 16, 2017 at 12:01 am

    Hi there, firstly, love your blog!
    Second, I love the idea of a cleansing balm but are there organic (or at least natural, plant-based) surfactants that would enable all the rich oils in a formula to emulsify and wash away nicely?

    I’ve been toying with recipes but I’m trying to keep it natural or organic wherever possible and I’m finding no matter what I use the oils don’t rinse off the skin the way I’d like them to.

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      April 16, 2017 at 11:22 pm

      The only properly natural surfactants I know off the top of my head are soap (which is harsh and high pH), and soap nuts and other natural saponins. Natural saponins are generally pretty weak at solubilising oils, but perhaps a formulation with less oil and more surfactant could work? Though at some point it’ll be less of a cleansing balm and more of a cleanser…

      Reply
    • Annie says

      April 30, 2017 at 1:29 pm

      Hi Morgan,

      I think SLSA would work? It’s derived from palm oil. https://www.brambleberry.com/Sodium-Lauryl-Sulfoacetate-SLSA-P5244.aspx

      Reply
      • Morgan says

        May 1, 2017 at 1:54 pm

        Thanks Annie I’ll check it out!

        Reply
  10. Yilla says

    September 3, 2020 at 2:34 pm

    Hi there! Is this still true for the newer cleansing balms coming out?

    I always wondered if the balms were solid, because there were fatty chains like virgin coconut oil versus distilled.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter RSS YouTube

Michelle
Hi! I'm Michelle, chemistry PhD and science educator, and I'm here to help you figure out which beauty products are worth buying, and which ones aren't using science!

New Posts Straight to Your Inbox!

https://labmuffin.com/signup-confirmation/

skincare guide skincare guide

Popular Posts

  • My Current Evening Skincare Routine
  • Purging vs Breakouts: When to Ditch Your Skincare
  • How Does Olaplex Hair Treatment Work?
  • Don't Use Lemon Juice on Your Skin
  • Easy (5 Minute) DIY Vitamin C Serum Recipe
  • My Routine for Starting on Tretinoin (Retin-A) Cream

Copyright © 2021 Lab Muffin
 · Foodie Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · Privacy Policy · WordPress · Log in

All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author, except for brief quotations when accompanied by a citation and link.

Get Lab Muffin updates (comes with a FREE Essential Guide to Exfoliation!)
Your information will be stored to send you emails. For more information see Privacy Policy.