How to Remove Makeup Properly

To remove makeup properly, work in order: eyes and lips first, then the rest of your face, then a gentle cleanser on the nights you wore real makeup or sunscreen. Hold a soaked cotton pad on closed eyes for a few seconds so mascara loosens before you wipe, and use the same press-and-hold on long-wear lip color. Take off your base with a balm, an oil or micellar water, wash once with a mild cleanser, and moisturize. The two products that cover the most ground are Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm, which Clinique says dissolves long-wearing face makeup, waterproof eye makeup and sunscreen, and Bioderma Sensibio H2O, a micellar water the brand makes for sensitive skin. Rubbing is the thing to avoid at every step.

The best makeup removers at a glance

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Step by step: how to remove makeup in the right order

1. Start with your eyes. Wash your hands, then soak a cotton pad with eye makeup remover or micellar water, close your eye, and hold the pad against your lashes. Bioderma’s directions say to let the pad sit on the eyelids for a few seconds for long-wear or heavy makeup.
2. Wipe down and out, once. Sweep the pad downward along the lashes, fold it to a clean side and repeat. No back-and-forth. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) suggests running a clean cotton swab along the base of the lashes to pick up what’s left.
3. Do your lips next. Press a fresh soaked pad on your lips, wait, then wipe from the corners toward the center.
4. Take off your base. With dry hands on a dry face, massage in a cleansing balm or oil. DHC’s directions call for dry hands and a dry face, and Clinique’s say to massage its balm over dry skin. Add a little water, keep massaging until it turns milky, and rinse. On a light day, micellar water on a pad does this job instead.
5. Second cleanse, when it’s useful. After full makeup, water-resistant sunscreen or an oil or balm, wash once with a gentle cleanser. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) describes this order in its advice for acne-prone skin: remove your makeup, eye makeup included, then wash your face with a gentle cleanser. After a tinted moisturizer and little else, one wash is plenty; our double cleansing guide has the details.
6. Rinse lukewarm and pat dry. Use lukewarm water and your fingertips, don’t scrub, and pat your skin with a soft towel.

How to take off waterproof mascara and long-wear lip without rubbing

Waterproof formulas are built to resist water, so give the remover time. A dual-phase eye makeup remover has two layers that separate in the bottle; Neutrogena’s directions for its version are to shake well, apply with a cotton pad on closed eyelids, and gently rinse with warm water. Hold the pad still for a slow count of ten before you move it (our rule of thumb). If mascara is still there, soak a new pad and hold again.

Long-wear lip color responds to the same patience. For a stain that won’t budge, a balm or plain petroleum jelly worked in with a fingertip helps it slide. Vaseline works well as a makeup remover because it lubricates and lets makeup slide off without pulling at the skin. Finish with lip balm.

Balm, oil, micellar water or wipes: which one suits you

Cleansing balm. A solid that melts into oil as you massage. It suits dry skin and anyone in full-coverage or long-wear base. It takes a thorough rinse. Our cleansing balm guide covers how to emulsify one properly.

Cleansing oil. The same idea in a pump. It’s faster, a little messier, and good for sunscreen-heavy days. If you’re acne-prone, the AAD’s makeup advice for acne-prone skin says to use an oil-free makeup remover. If you still want an oil or balm, follow it with a cleanser every time and ask your dermatologist if you break out.

Micellar water. Cleansing ingredients suspended in water, used on a cotton pad. It suits sensitive skin, light makeup and eye makeup. Bioderma labels Sensibio H2O a no-rinse formula. The general advice for eyelids is to thoroughly rinse any remover off them, so on makeup days we rinse or follow with a cleanser anyway.

Wipes. The convenient option, and a fair one when there’s no sink. A wipe works by wiping, so the risk is friction. Use light pressure, a fresh side for each area, and wash your face when you next can. We keep them as a backup, not a nightly routine, for the reasons laid out in our guide to the best way to remove makeup.

1. Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm is the pick for a heavy base. Clinique says the solid balm melts into a silky oil as you massage it over dry skin, and that it dissolves long-wearing face makeup, waterproof eye makeup and sunscreen. The brand describes it as 100% fragrance free, allergy tested and ophthalmologist tested. Clinique names safflower seed oil as a key ingredient. It costs about $44 for 3.8 ounces, the most on this list.

2. DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil is an olive oil-based cleanser in a pump bottle, about $30 for 6.7 ounces. DHC’s directions call for two to three pumps, massaged in dry, then water until it turns milky. The brand says it breaks down waterproof mascara and eyeliner. One thing to know if scent bothers your skin: DHC lists rosemary leaf oil as an ingredient and mentions a delicate rosemary aroma, while also calling the formula fragrance-free. Read the ingredient list before you buy.

3. Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water is the gentle option. Bioderma describes it as an unfragranced micellar water for sensitive skin that removes makeup from the face and eyes, and the ingredient list is short, starting with water. It’s about $20. With any micellar water, a full face of long-wear foundation takes several cotton pads, so we reach for a balm or oil on those nights.

4. Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover

Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover is a dual-phase liquid that Neutrogena says removes eye makeup, waterproof mascara included, without greasy residue. The brand describes it as oil-free and ophthalmologist tested, and says it’s safe for contact lens wearers. The 8-ounce bottle is about $10. The ingredient list includes benzyl alcohol and benzalkonium chloride, so if your eyes are reactive, check it against anything you know bothers you, and rinse afterward as the directions say.

5. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser is our pick for the second step, after a remover has done the heavy lifting. La Roche-Posay describes a cream face wash for normal to dry, sensitive skin with niacinamide and ceramide-3, and calls it soap free, oil free and fragrance free. About $20 for the 13.52-ounce bottle. If you want other options, our cleanser dupes list has ten.

6. Neutrogena Fragrance-Free Makeup Remover Wipes

Neutrogena Fragrance-Free Makeup Remover Wipes are for flights, camping and the nights you can’t face the sink. Neutrogena describes them as fragrance free, hypoallergenic and ophthalmologist tested. A pack of 25 is about $6. We keep wipes of any kind for the nights a sink isn’t an option and wash as usual when we next can.

Lash extensions and sensitive eyes

Lash extensions. Rubbing, tugging or pulling at extensions can break your natural lashes. So press, don’t drag, and clean around the lash line with a swab. Ask your lash technician which removers are fine with the glue they used, and follow their aftercare sheet. If you have an allergic reaction to extensions, the AAO says not to remove them yourself and to see an ophthalmologist.

Sensitive eyes and contact lenses. Whatever remover you use, avoid getting it in your eyes, and rinse it off your eyelids thoroughly. If you wear contacts, ask your eye doctor whether to take them out before you remove eye makeup. Keep exfoliating scrubs away from the eye area; they can scratch and irritate.

If your eyes stay red, sore, itchy or watery, or your vision changes, stop using the product and see an eye doctor.

Common makeup removal mistakes

• Scrubbing. Scrubbing irritates the skin. Give the remover more time, not more pressure.
• Washing your face before your eyes. Mascara runs into clean skin and you end up washing twice anyway.
• Scrubbing with a rough washcloth. Anything other than fingertips can irritate skin. DHC and Banila Co both allow a damp cloth to take off their cleansers; if you use one, make it soft and clean, and don’t drag it.
• Sleeping in mascara. The AAO says to remove all eye makeup before sleeping, and that eye makeup that isn’t removed properly can cause irritation.
• Stopping at the jaw. Foundation and sunscreen reach your hairline and neck. Your cleanser should too.

What to do after you take your makeup off

Apply moisturizer if your skin is dry or itchy, and be gentle around the eyes so you don’t pull on that skin. The rest of your routine goes on now, on clean skin, in the order you already use. Put balm on your lips if they feel dry.

If I Were You

If you wear full-coverage or long-wear foundation, start with the Clinique balm and follow with the La Roche-Posay cleanser.

If you wear waterproof mascara every day, keep the Neutrogena eye makeup remover by the sink and use the hold-then-wipe method.

If your skin is sensitive or you wear very little makeup, Bioderma on a cotton pad, then a rinse, is a complete routine.

If you’re acne-prone, choose a makeup remover labeled oil-free and follow it with a gentle cleanser. Check the label on the remover you choose; the Toleriane wash is listed as oil free.

Bottom line

Eyes and lips first, then your face, then a gentle wash on the nights you wore real makeup. Let the remover sit before you wipe, keep the water lukewarm, and moisturize after. A balm or oil covers heavy days, micellar water covers light ones, and a mild cleanser finishes both. For persistent redness, stinging or eye irritation, see a doctor before you change products again.