Makeup Remover, Ranked by How I Actually Take My Face Off at Night

For years my makeup remover was a pack of wipes and a vague sense of guilt. I would drag one across my face at midnight, leave half my mascara on the pillow, and wake up looking like I had been in a minor fight. The switch to balms and oils is the single most useful change I have made to my routine, and I am clearly not alone. Long-wear foundations, waterproof mascaras and setting sprays all got better at staying on, which means the thing that takes them off had to get better too. Double cleansing, the idea of melting makeup with an oil-based step and then washing with a regular cleanser, moved from a skincare-nerd habit to something most people I know do without thinking about it. The first grid is the balms. They are solid in the jar, turn to oil on dry skin and rinse milky with water, and Elemis, Clinique, goop and Augustinus Bader all make versions I would happily use every night.

Oils do the same job as balms, only faster and with less mess on a crowded sink. Tatcha's Camellia Oil is the gentlest of the group and doubles as a first cleanse on no-makeup days. Dermalogica's PreCleanse is the most no-nonsense of the four, and Caudalie's Vinoclean oil feels light enough for oilier skin. The Ordinary's Squalane Cleanser sits somewhere between a balm and an oil and is the simplest option here. Massage any of them into dry skin for a full minute, then add water and wait for it to turn milky before you rinse.

Some nights call for less. Lancôme's Mascara Melter is designed specifically for the eyes, which matters most if you wear waterproof formulas. Sisley's Eau Efficace and Dr. Barbara Sturm's remover are liquids for people who prefer a cotton pad, and Mimetique's Skin Cloud balm is the softest texture in the edit. What I would skip is scrubbing at your eyes with a wipe, especially over lash extensions or a lash lift. Hold a soaked pad against the lid for ten seconds and let the product do the work. Your lashes will thank you, and so will whoever does the laundry.

Taking makeup off properly is not glamorous, but it is the step that decides how your skin looks tomorrow morning. A balm or oil for full-face days, a gentle liquid for the eyes, and a regular cleanser after if you like that fresh feeling. Keep the remover where you will see it, by the sink rather than in a drawer. The easier it is to reach, the less likely you are to fall asleep in your mascara. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Dior Makeup Began With a Refillable Red Lipstick and Impressions Vanity and the Case for Good Light Before Good Makeup.