Review: Clinique – Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm (2025)

Review: Clinique – Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm (1)

Where to purchase: Look Fantastic: LINK / Sephora: LINK / Clinique: LINK / Boots: LINK

Price: ~£27

Volume: 125ml

Made in: Japan

What is it?: Face + Eye Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm.

What does it do?: Removes Waterproof, Eye and Face Makeup Gently.

Supposedly Good for: All Skin Types.

What I think: I would agree, it works on Sensitive, Dry and Combo Skins the best however.

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Review: Clinique – Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm (2)

Vegan?: No.

How long does it last after opening?: 6 Months

pH: N/A

Packaging: Plastic Tub with a Screw-top lid. Doesn’t come with a spatula and no Hygiene Tab.

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Directions: Use as you would a regular cleansing balm. Clinique state that this works well with cleansing cloths and muslin cloths.

How I use it: I use this for makeup (and waterproof makeup removal i.e. around the eyes), for regular cleansing or as a lubricant when shaving. If I’m wearing very stubborn eye makeup i.e. Kohl + Waterproof Mascara – I do need to cleanse again, massaging the eyes. Luckily because this doesn’t sting my eyes, I can get in there and do a gentle, thorough massage and get the makeup off. I don’t need to use another cleanser after, and I remove using my fingers and water. I massage the face for 20-30 seconds to get the makeup off.

Key Ingredients: Safflower Seed Oil – from the Safflower Plant. It’s the main oil used in here. It’s high in Linoleic Acid (70%) which can be good for Acneic Skins.

Full Ingredients: Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate, Polyethylene, Peg-5 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Water\Aqua\Eau, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol

NOTE: The Incidecoder have a full ingredient breakdown HERE

What the product looks like untouched:

Review: Clinique – Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm (5)

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As you can see, the texture of this balm is waxy (like a candle) but it does eventually melt into almost an oil (it still retains its sort of wax-like look) – See the Swatch Video below to see what I mean.

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Review: Clinique – Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm (7)

You can see this has a sorbet/wax-like texture to it. It also doesn’t immediately start melting and running down the hand.

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Does this Sting if the Skin has been Irritated / Sensitised by Shaving/Heavy Retinol Use?: No.

Summer or Winter?: Both Seasons (Quite lightweight)

Does this wash off Easily?: This doesn’t emulsify in the same way that other cleansing balms I’ve tried have, but this does wash off pretty well. the only thing is if I rub this around the eyes, I need to thoroughly wash this off in order to remove that sort of blurry-vision you get if you don’t wash cleanser off properly.

Texture: Clinique Describe this as ”Uniquely” Textured Face + Eye Makeup Remover that turns from a balm to an oil to gently remove tough makeup. It leaves the skin soft without a filmy residue due to its unique formula. Dissolves Sunblock and rinses off thoroughly. Non-drying and Non-Greasy. Now, Do I agree?

  • I would say yes, this is unique. It’s not entirely waxy and doesn’t immediately melt or feel extremely soft either. It’s somewhere in between.
  • It doesn’t turn into a complete oil, but is slightly more viscous which means that it’s a bit easier to rub and massage this in. Even if I would prefer an oil texture.
  • This does dissolve Sunblock
  • It doesn’t completely suck out the moisture from the skin and my face doesn’t feel ridiculously tight after washing either.
  • Yes, this is non-greasy (just need to wash this off effectively).
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As you can see, it’s an opaque sorbet-looking ball (It’s easy to take out product by the way).

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Review: Clinique – Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm (10)

It doesn’t take long for this to start gently melting once I rub.

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Hopefully you can see that sort of waxy balm texture that even when rubbing and rubbing, this still looks like melted wax and not completely an oil. It looks like it would solidify back into a wax if I left it. To me, it means that this product isn’t extremely buttery and soft – but it does definitely do the job and it does melt and it is easy to massage this into the skin.

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Video Swatch:

Fragrance?: Fragrance + EO Free

Good at Removing Makeup?: Yes – this is good at melting away makeup and even waterproof eye makeup. It does not sting, itch or burn my eyes. It’s definitely a nicer texture than The Drunk Elephant Cleansing Balm and is more effective.

How long have I been using this?: 3 Months

Will I use until Completion?: Yes

How Long will that take?: ~2 Months (For a Casual Makeup Wearer/Remover like myself).

The Effect?: Cleansed Skin, with Makeup (Including Waterproof Makeup) Removed. It doesn’t leave a greasy or rubbery finish either on the skin. The skin doesn’t feel too tight or dry but I wouldn’t say that the skin feels 1. Very Soft or 2. Hydrated/Moisturised after cleansing. But I’m happy it doesn’t give me that tight feeling.

Makeup Removing Video

  • Makeup Products Used: Eyeshadow Crayon / Kohl / Lip Liner
  • Hopefully you can see from the video that this is very decent at removing makeup! OF course it requires some massaging/rubbing.
  • I will say – this requires extra attention when removing Lipstick i.e. Lip Stain (requires possibly a double cleanse)
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What I like:

  • Fragrance + EO Free
  • Removes Makeup (Effectively)
  • Doesn’t sting my eyes
  • Takes a long time to get through this
  • Doesn’t strip the skin to the point of making it feel painful
  • Gentle (didn’t ruin my skin)

What I don’t like:

  • Doesn’t completely turn into an oil (I would prefer it to personally. It sort of remains like a liquid wax)
  • Can give my eyes a ”blurry” vision if I don’t wash this off properly (i.e. it’s not the easiest to wash off the eyes)
  • Not luxurious, doesn’t feel soft and buttery on the skin
  • Doesn’t leave the skin feeling hydrated or moisturised (but at least it’s not tight)

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Overall Rating and Conclusion: 4/5 – Although this doesn’t have the softest, most luxurious texture (I would recommend Wishful Skin’s Cleansing Balm or Juno Skin’s Balm if you require a sof, buttery texture), this definitely does melt makeup + SPF + Waterproof Eye makeup i.e. it does it’s job decently! It does leave my eyes kind of blurry, so I do have to make sure I wash this off properly however. I am also very happy it’s fragrance + eo free and that it doesn’t sting my eyes.

Would I repurchase?: I would like to try and find other balms that might have a nicer texture. But if I can’t find anything, I can always depend on this one to remove my makeup!

Dupe?: I will admit, this is quite a unique texture. But a close dupe is the I’m From Fig Cleansing Balm (Review HERE) or the Heimish Cleansing Balm (Review HERE).

My Skin Type: I am acne prone and have slightly dehydrated combo skin. My skin is usually tight where the cheeks and eye area is and the outer parts of my face. My T zone is oily. My skin isn’t a fan of thick/heavy formulas so I opt for lightweight formulas to prevent it from clogging up. My skin doesn’t like essential oils either and I try to avoid fragrance when I can.

Disclaimer: I am a skincare enthusiast and not a skin expert. I am not qualified to give out dermatological advice. This type of advice should only be given by a medical practitioner. Upon trying / using any of the reviewed products on the blog, please follow the manufacturer’s instructions and warnings and please seek medical advice if needed.

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Review: Clinique – Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm (2025)
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