Find The Make-Up Remover Formulas For Your Skin Types

Removing make-up properly is a vital step in any skincare routine. Find the formula to suit your skin – plus 12 products to try.

Whether you wear the full gamut of maquillage or just a hint of coverage, taking the day off (including sweat, SPF, pollution and dirt) is a crucial first step in your evening beauty routine. It allows skin to breathe, unclogs pores and enables your subsequent skincare steps to effectively penetrate the skin and get to work as your skin renews overnight.

By now we all know make-up wipes are neither good for the environment nor skin, doing nothing to truly breakdown our make-up and remove it cleanly from the skin. If traces of make-up are left, it can lead to acne, blocked pores, dullness and irritation, especially around the eyes.

Read on for tips on how to find the right make-up remover for your skin’s needs to effectively erase the day without stripping the skin.

What To Look Out For In A Make-Up Remover

Always make sure that you scan packaging for the term ‘non-comedogenic’, meaning it won’t clog pores. This is crucial given that the idea of a make-up remover is to clear and cleanse pores of the day’s make-up and grime.

Again, do your research and avoid ingredients lists containing alcohol, fragrance and sodium lauryl sulphate to prevent irritating and stripping the skin of its natural oils and upsetting its natural microbiome.

Find the right formula for your skin – whether you need a water-free option, a blemish-busting treatment or a cleanser that will nourish whilst it cleanses. We outline four textures to try depending on your needs, plus nine products we rate, starting at £5.

Milks & Creams

A popular texture for sensitive skins, milks and creams are calming and gentle, without disturbing the skin’s natural moisture barrier. Ideal for soothing complexions that don’t react well to water-based cleansers.

TRY:

ROC

Multi-Action Milk Make-Up Remover, £13.49

La Roche Posay

Toleriane, £20

The Ordinary

Squalane Cleanser, £5.50

Micellar Waters

Micelles – or oil droplets, suspended in water – can draw out impurities, breakdown make-up and often contain hydrating ingredients for a moisture boost too. A good first cleanse, especially on stubborn eye-make-up, before going in with a nourishing or treatment step with skincare benefits.

TRY:

Garnier

Vitamin C Micellar Water, £6.99

CeraVe

Micellar Cleansing Water, £11

Bioderma

Sensibio H20 Eye, £12

Gel & Treatment Washes

These are great for skin that needs a lightweight, hydrating or treatment cleanser. A formula popular with blemish-prone skins, it’s also a good fit for those looking for exfoliation in their cleanse step for brighter, clearer skin. When opting for a foaming formula, make sure that it is non-drying. A gel-formula doesn’t have to equal squeaky, stripped skin.

TRY:

Antipodes

Gospel Vitamin C Gel Cleanser, £25

Glow Recipe

Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser, £31

Kate Somerville

ExfoliKate Cleanser Daily Foaming Wash, £38

Balms & Oils

Perfect for mature or drier skins that need some added TLC along with a cleanse, balms and oils are packed with skin-softening and nourishing plant oils and butters to add much-needed vitamins and moisture-boosting plant glycerins. These help to strengthen and repair the skin’s natural barrier.