The balm does the heavy lifting, but a lot of people stop there and feel a slight film afterwards. That is fine if you like it. If you do not, a soft second wash finishes the job without stripping anything back.

fresh's Soy Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser is the classic softener, and Kiehl's Ultra Facial Barrier-Hydrating Cleanser is the plainer option. Youth To The People's Superfood Hydrating cleanser is refillable, which makes it a tidy one to keep by the sink. Drunk Elephant's Mello Marula Cream Cleanser has 1.0% colloidal oatmeal and a creamy texture. The INKEY List's Cream-To-Milk Cleanser has hyaluronic acid, and its texture goes from cream to a thin milk as you work it in.

Clarins' One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser is the outlier. It is a softly exfoliating one, so I would use it a couple of nights a week and not every evening, and I would not put it on a night when skin feels tender.

You do not need a second wash every night. On days without makeup or sunscreen, a soft cleanser alone is enough, and on heavy makeup days the balm and the second step make a satisfying pair. Wash your hands first and use lukewarm water, since very hot water tends to leave skin feeling tight and dry.

Eyes deserve their own step. Even the best balm can be awkward around waterproof mascara, and rubbing at lashes with a heavy oil is not something I recommend. A small remover kept next to the sink solves it.

Lancôme's Bi-Facil is a double-action eye makeup remover, a two-layer formula you shake to combine before you use it, and it is meant for stubborn, waterproof eye makeup. Clinique's Take The Day Off Makeup Remover for Lids, Lashes and Lips is the gentler counterpart, made for the whole eye and mouth area. The Ordinary's Squalane Cleanser is a hydrating makeup remover with a balm-like texture that turns oily as you rub it between dry hands. Drunk Elephant's E-Rase Milki Micellar Water is the easiest, a soaked cotton pad and done.

What I would skip: dragging a pad across lashes again and again. Press a soaked pad against the closed eye for ten seconds and let the makeup slide off. Skip tugging at the thin skin around the eye, and skip sleeping in mascara because a remover was too much bother. If your eyes sting after any remover, stop using it and see an eye doctor if it keeps happening.

Keep one remover at the sink and a spare in your travel bag, and it will get used.

Here is the order I follow at night. Remover pad on the eyes first, then the melting balm on dry skin, then a rinse with warm water, and a soft cream cleanser only if I wore a lot.

Pat dry, and follow with your usual serums and moisturizer. Test any new product on one side of your face before committing, and give your skin a week to show what it thinks. If you notice stinging or persistent redness, ask a doctor. On mornings, I skip the melt entirely and just splash water or use a mild wash, because there is no makeup to lift. Keep the balm closed and dry, and scoop with clean fingers. Pick a texture you enjoy and the habit will keep itself going, even on the tired nights when you would rather skip it.