My original review for Banila Co. Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm was written on September 30, 2013. I’ve updated the review to reflect my newer rating system, as well as some additional product details.

I love the way cleansing oils cut through every speck of makeup when I’m washing my face. I also love how luxurious they feel, and the way they emulsify when I add water so that they rinse away clean. But you know what I don’t love? I don’t love the way they often drip out of my hands or down the front of my arms when I’m just trying to get it on my face. I’m also not a fan of how difficult it is to travel with a bottle of cleansing oil – I always seem to arrive at my destination with a bagful of skincare products lightly coated in the slipper cleanser. Enter the cleansing balm. It promises to be everything I love about cleansing oil, but without any of the negatives. Instead of a bottle of liquid, cleansing balm is a soft, sherbet-textured solid that melts into an oil only as it’s spread across skin. But is it as effective for removing makeup as a cleansing oil is? Today I’ll be exploring all of its virtues and imperfections in my review of Banila Co. Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm.

What is it?

Banila Co. Clean It Zero is a “sherbet type cleansing balm” that promises to remove dirt, makeup, and oil without drying the skin or leaving behind a greasy residue.

Ingredients :

Mineral Oil, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, PEG-10 Isostearate, Polyethylene, Butylene Glycol, Water, Rubus Suavissimus (Raspberry) Leaf Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Lead Extract, Viscum Album (Mistletoe) Leaf Extract, Angelica Polymorpha Sinesnsis Root Extract, Papaya Fruit Extract, Acerora Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, BHT, Butylparaben, Acid Red 18, CI 15985, Spice

This cleansing balm formula contains a wide variety of antioxidant rich extracts, but the ingredients most worth noting include:

Mineral Oil

There’s all kinds of trash talk about mineral oil floating around, but the truth is, mineral oil is a safe, fantastic skincare ingredient, and there’s plenty of scientific evidence to support this. Mineral oil is actually an amazing cleansing ingredient, especially for those who are prone to blackheads. Mineral oil molecules are too large to enter pores, so it’s noncomedogenic, and massaging into the skin as a cleansing agent on a daily basis actually helps dislodge stubborn blackheads. Additionally, it provides emollient moisturizing benefits, even when used as a wash-off product. I’m a fan!

If you’re interested in reading more about the efficacy of mineral oil, check out this spectacularly detailed study from the International Journal of Cosmetic Science: A Review on the Extensive Skin Benefits of Mineral Oil (Rawlings, A. V. and Lombard, K. J.)

Papaya Fruit Extract

Papaya contains enzymes that act as exfoliants, helping to remove dead skin cells and providing an overall brightening effect.

Acerora Extract

Better known as cherry extract, this ingredient contains antioxidants such as vitamins C and A, as well as mineral salts, which can help perk up tired, dry skin.

According to COSDNA, Banila Co. Clean It Zero contains no red flags in terms of potential irritants or acne triggers.

Performance

Appearance

Banila Co. Clean It Zero comes packaged in a sturdy little tub container. It’s made of plastic, but looks like frosted glass. The package design is very sleek, and I’m a big fan of the smooth, pink, metallic look of the lid. It’s an exciting tub to have sitting on my sink.

For those who have qualms about the unsanitary potential of tub packaging, this product does come with a plastic spatula. I personally prefer to use clean fingers to dispense this product.

Smell

Banila Co. Clean It Zero doesn’t have any added fragrance, but it does have a very pleasant, vaguely floral-fruity smell. It reminds me a lot of the Bath & Body Works Cherry Blossom fragrance line. It’s not overpowering, and completely disappears as soon as the product is rinsed away.

Application

I use Banila Co. Clean It Zero as the first cleansing step in my double cleanse process, which is the makeup removing step (and the first step in my evening skincare routine). The directions say to massage this product onto the face and then tissue it off. I’m not a big fan of removing cleansers with a tissue, so instead I opt to massage it over my face for a minute or so, and then wet my hands with lukewarm water and massage a little more. The water causes the balm to emulsify into a milky lather, which then rinses away completely clean, leaving behind no trace of makeup or greasy residue.

Results

Banila Co. Clean It Zero consistently removed all my makeup with ease. The first time I used it, I opted not to use my eye makeup remover beforehand to see if this products would remove my stubborn, waterproof eye makeup. It does remove waterproof waterproof eye makeup, however – I got it in my eyes. It doesn’t sting at all, but it did blur my vision for a couple of minutes – things looked the way I’d imagine they would if I wore glasses made of Vaseline. Rather than continue to contend with the temporary blindness, I decided not to use this cleansing balm to remove eye makeup going forward, but I imagine there are many people more graceful than I am that have no problem not getting this in their eyes.

I’ve been using Clean It Zero on and off for nearly a year now, and it has secured a place in my routine as my Holy Grail makeup removing cleanser. Cleansing my makeup with this has been consistently easy, pleasant, and effective. My face is always left completely clean, and feels neither stripped nor greasy. On several occasions, I’ve been too tired to do the second cleanse in my evening double cleansing process, but my skin was clean enough after using Clean It Zero that I didn’t suffer for it. I’ve never experienced any breakouts or irritation as a result of using this product. Additionally, I no longer have to contend with oil dripping down my arms or onto my skin top when I’m washing my face. I’ve also traveled with Banila Co. Clean It Zero at least half a dozen times in the past year and haven’t once had any issues with product seeping into my luggage.

When I first began using Banila Co. Clean It Zero, I did have a problem figuring out how much to use. As a result, my early tubs would only last me a little over a month. I finally figured out that an almond sized amount seems to be just the right amount – since then a tub of Clean It Zero typically lasts my around 6-8 weeks.

I’ve tried to go back to cleansing oils on a couple of occasions. I instantly missed the drip-free experience of the cleansing balm and went back to it. Maybe one day I’ll fall back in love with oils again, but right now, my makeup removing philosophy is, “go balm or go home.”

Pros & Cons

Pros Cons Easy to use

Not Messy

Non-stripping

Non-greasy

Cleanses makeup thoroughly

Gentle Ingredients

Contains No Irritants None

Skin & Tonics Rating

A+ 20 /20 Efficacy 18 /20 Ingredients 20 /20 Application 20 /20 Wear 20 /20 Packaging Total: 98 Rating system details »

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