If your skin tends to feel dry after you wash your face, you may want to try switching to a cleansing balm. Cleansing balms feature creamy formulas that utilize oils and emollients to effectively remove makeup, impurities and sunscreen; penetrate pores for a deeper clean, as well as hydrate and nourish skin.

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Whenever my skin feels extra dry (especially during the winter months and in dry climates), I’ll add a cleansing balm into my routine to boost my skin’s hydration levels. I love how luxurious cleansing balm feels when I massage the buttery texture into my skin, as well as how soft and moisturized my skin feels afterwards!

Typically, it is recommended to do a double cleanse of skin—first with the cleansing balm to remove dirt, oil, sweat and other impurities, followed by another facial cleanser of your choice to ensure clean skin so that you can apply your serums, creams or other skincare products.

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Cleansing balms tend to be gentler on skin and can often be used to remove stubborn makeup from around the eye area as well. Because oil attracts oil, they’re great for oily skin types and will help remove excess oil from skin. There are a wide variety of cleansing balms available to choose from and each product is formulated with different nourishing and soothing oils, antioxidants, vitamins, and more.

Here, we’ve rounded up our favorite luxurious cleansing balms that will cleanse, hydrate and nourish skin. Read on to discover and shop:

Amie Soft + Smooth Cleansing Balm ($7.89)

Melt away makeup and impurities with this cleansing balm, which is enriched with natural ingredients including creamy shea butter to deliver effective results. It creates a soft lather upon contact with water to gently cleanse skin without stripping or drying. Almond milk and safflower help promote softer, conditioned skin. Formulated for normal/dry/sensitive skin.

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Aurelia London Miracle Cleanser ($33-$93)

This award-winning, creamy cleanser glides onto skin, removing all impurities and makeup. It supports the skin’s natural barrier with concentrated nourishing botanicals including omega-rich baobab, firming kigelia africana, mongongo oil, and antioxidant-rich hibiscus to fight oxidative stress and leave skin bright, clean, and glowing. Aurelia’s probiotic ingredients continuously protect, restore, and balance skin from within. They help reduce the damage caused by pollution and stress, activating the skin’s ability to repair itself and maintain equilibrium. Features an uplifting blend of chamomile, eucalyptus, rosemary, and bergamot for a truly luxurious experience. Comes with a soft bamboo muslin cloth.

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Beekman 1802 Buttermilk Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm ($38)

On contact with water, this balm transforms into a deep cleansing milk that gently melts all traces of dirt, makeup and sunscreen, then rinses away to leave behind healthy, radiant skin. Ingredients included sunflower butter (a natural plant wax that gently cleanses skin), and a proprietary blend of goat milk and probiotics to balance and nourish skin.

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Dermalogica Precleanse Balm ($45)

This water-activated, balm-to-oil version of Dermalogica’s top-selling oil cleanser deconstructs layers of excess sebum, waterproof makeup, environmental pollutants, and residual product buildup on skin. The Botanical Biolipid Complex locks in hydration and reinforces the skin barrier while apricot kernel oil helps nourish skin. Includes a cleansing mitt to thoroughly cleanse debris from the skin’s surface, allowing your cleanser of choice to deliver more effective cleansing results. Ideal for normal to dry skin.

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Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm ($64)

Infused with English Rose Oleo extract, this nourishing cleansing balm melts into a rich cleansing oil to dissolve makeup and impurities. Upon contact with water, it emulsifies to a hydrating milk that easily rinses off. The mineral oil-free formula also infuses rose and mimosa waxes with elderberry, starflower, and optimega oils to nourish the skin's lipid barrier, hydrating skin and leaving it smoother and more radiant.

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Eminence Organic Skin Care Wildflower Cleansing Balm ($52)

This transformative gel balm transitions to an oil cleanser when massaged into skin and a purifying milk when emulsified with water. Ideal for all skin types, the natural botanical oils attract excess oil and debris, melting away impurities and makeup, including eye makeup. Key ingredients include elderflower to protect skin from visible signs of aging, poppy seed oil to remove excess oils, cornflower to soothe dry skin, and linden flower to nourish, hydrate, and rejuvenate. Perfect alone or as a first step in a double cleanse, this gel balm rinses clean, leaving skin soft and supple with no residue.

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ESPA Yuzu & Ginger Cleansing Sorbet ($55)

Enriched with ginger and yuzu oil, this soothing balm helps melt away impurities and leaves skin with a radiant, healthy-looking glow. The softening effects of yuzu and the reinvigorating properties of ginger are blended with a mango-derived cleansing agent to remove dirt from skin and provide a deeply purifying action. Together with ESPA’s nourishing Vital Nutrients Omega + Essential Vitamin Complex and an uplifting burst of nourishing pomegranate, almond, and seabuckthorn oils—skin will be left feeling comfortable and replenished.

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Farmtrue Ayurvedic Cleansing Balm ($60)

This illuminating cleansing balm is made with organic ghee and Manuka honey to nourish and clarify skin. Together, they gently break down build-up and dissolve makeup to revive complexions with a deep healthy glow. In addition, this cleansing balm also removes impurities, rebalances skin’s natural oils to eliminate blemishes, and hydrates all skin types.

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glowoasis Makeupmelt Cleansing Balm ($34)

This sorbet-like balm transforms into a milk lather and easily removes eye and face makeup without stripping its natural moisture, relieving dry skin so it is hydrated, replenished, and clean. The oil-based formula is powered by proprietary vegan probiotics derived from napa cabbage grown on the highest mountains in Korea, which are known to naturally strengthen and regenerate the skin barrier. Liposome technology (microscopic bubbles that dissolve from the outside in) deliver the vegan probiotics deep below the skin’s surface for maximum absorption.

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Glow Recipe Papaya Sorbet Enzyme Cleansing Balm ($32)

Reveal smooth, glowing skin with this balm-to-milky oil that harnesses naturally-enzymatic, actively smoothing papaya to gently resurface skin and effortlessly dissolves makeup, dirty, and oil. The combination of exfoliating and calming papaya seed oil, papaya enzymes, papaya extract, and antioxidant-packed blueberry leaves skin clean, fresh, and glowing!

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ITEM Slick Type Cleansing Balm ($20)

Enriched with natural emollients, like olive fruit oil, grape seed oil, and rosehip oil, this cleansing balm melts away makeup and dirt without stripping skin. Great for all skin types, especially dry skin (and safe for sensitive skin), this cleaning balm is free from synthetic fragrance, sulfates, parabens, phthalates, and mineral oil.

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John Masters Organics Cleansing Balm ($36)

This cleansing balm features kokum butter and sea buckthorn to remove water-resistant makeup and impurities without stripping skin of essential moisture. It transforms from a solid balm into a gentle oil and rinses off with a milky finish, leaving skin feeling cleansed and non-greasy. Also contains rice bran oil, which helps skin appear younger and fresher. Great for all skin types, especially dry skin.

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Luzern Nuit Cleaning Emulsion Balm ($160)

This ultra-rich cleansing balm features nutrient-rich AlpPure Swiss extracts, which are blended with 6 nourishing oils to cleanse and decongest skin without disrupting its delicate protective barrier. It also contains organic jojoba oil and organic castor oil, organic sweet almond oil, and organic green tea oil. The cleansing balm melts on contact with the warmth of skin, purifying and pulling impurities, washing away makeup, dirt, and pollution.

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Naturopathica Manuka Honey Cleansing Balm ($64)

This best-selling cleansing balm gently cleanses skin and melts away makeup and impurities with moisturizing Manuka honey that is sourced from New Zealand and is prized for its superior humectant properties and has a UMF of 16+. It also contains sweet almond oil, which is packed with vitamins A and E, as well as lactobacillus ferment, a powerful probiotic that helps rejuvenate skin with moisture.

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NUDESKIN by NUDESTIX Citrus Clean Balm & Make-Up Melt ($34)

This vegan, citrus-infused, aromatherapy cleansing balm eliminates all traces of makeup with vegan-powered emollients such as olive oil and rosehip fruit oil. It freshly cleanses skin with may chang oil, orange peel oil, rosemary leaf oil, and eucalyptus leaf oil. Chia seed oil, lavender oil, and neroli oil soften skin, while apple fruit extract protects skin from free radicals and contains natural malic acid (AHA) to exfoliate and brighten.

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Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm ($180)

This award-winning cleansing balm harnesses the power of transformative Hungarian Moor mud, which is rich in calcium and magnesium, to draw out impurities. The gentle black balm cleanses without stripping, removing all makeup, even waterproof mascara, to leave skin feeling soft and hydrated.

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Paula’s Choice Omega+ Complex Cleansing Balm ($28)

This triple-action cleansing balm is made with omegas 3, 6 and 9 to cleanse, soften, and soothe while rinsing completely clean without disturbing skin’s barrier. Jojoba and meadowfoam seed oils, along with a concentrated blend of coconut-derived fatty acids, nourish skin and remove every trace of makeup, sunscreen, and impurities. Fragrance-free.

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Peace Out Cleansing Blemish Balm ($22)

This daily exfoliating cleanser was designed with oily and blemish-prone skin in mind to effortlessly wash away excess oil and impurities without stripping away skin’s natural moisture barrier. It combines physical (biodegradable cellulose) and chemical (salicylic acid) exfoliation to help refine skin texture and minimize the appearance of pores while ceramides help ensure skin is never left feeling stripped.

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Versed Day Dissolve Cleansing Balm ($17.99)

This cleansing balm melts away makeup and impurities without stripping moisture from skin. The oil-based formula softens to create a light, gentle milk that rinses clean without oily residue. You’ll also enjoy the pleasant spa-like fragrance of eucalyptus and clove leaf oil that instantly transports you to a place of relaxation!

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Wondergloss Blossom Balm ($26)

This creamy oil cleansing balm is designed to gently and thoroughly remove all traces of makeup and impurities, even waterproof mascara. The rich formula nourishes and conditions eyelashes and brows, and is fragranced with Neroli extract and a natural orange blossom scent. It emulsifies into a milk to leave behind an emollient layer of sweet almond oil to further hydrate skin. Also works great as a deep conditioner or pre-shampoo for dry hair!

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[Images courtesy of brands]

Cleanse, Hydrate and Nourish Skin With These Luxurious Cleansing Balms