Banila Co Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Original for sensitive skin
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Tocopheryl Acetate Vitamin E
Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract
Bambusa Vulgaris Stem Extract Leaf
Angelica Archangelica Root ExtractAverage
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other pre-cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate makeup removal for your normal skin, as Ethylhexyl Palmitate and Cetyl Ethylhexanoate effectively dissolve impurities while Onsen-Sui and Bambusa Vulgaris Stem Extract Leaf provide hydration and soothing benefits for your redness and irritation.
- The humectant and emollient actions of Onsen-Sui and Bambusa Vulgaris Stem Extract Leaf support your skin's hydration and barrier function, contributing to overall skin comfort.
- The product is safe for your normal skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this makeup remover PM as the first step of your evening routine. Start 3x/week before building up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this makeup remover before your regular cleanser and toner. Follow with your usual moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated.
- Gently press a small amount of the makeup remover onto your face using a soft cotton pad. Avoid any harsh rubbing to protect your sensitive skin.
- Apply the makeup remover on dry skin to ensure better tolerance for sensitive areas. This helps reduce any potential irritation or redness.
- Do a patch test before your first use and avoid the direct eye area to ensure safe application.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 4.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this cult-favorite cleansing balm is widely praised for its unique sherbet-like texture that melts into an oil to effortlessly dissolve stubborn waterproof makeup without stripping the skin. While highly effective for most, users with acne-prone or sensitive skin report mixed results, with some experiencing clogged pores or irritation from the fragrance and mineral oil content.
Highlights
Melts makeup Mostly Mentioned
- “Dissolves waterproof mascara instantly”
- “Melts away layers of sunscreen”
- “Removes heavy stage makeup effortlessly”
Non-stripping Often Mentioned
- “Skin feels baby soft”
- “No tight feeling after rinsing”
- “Leaves face feeling hydrated and plump”
Unique texture Often Mentioned
- “Satisfying sherbet texture”
- “Glides on without dripping”
- “Turns into a smooth oil immediately”
Pleasant experience Sometimes Noted
- “Love the included spatula”
- “Smells like light acerola cherry”
- “Hygienic packaging design”
Causes blurry vision Sometimes Noted
- “Gave me cloudy eyes”
- “Vision was blurry for minutes”
- “Leaves a film on my contacts”
Causes breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Caused deep cystic acne”
- “Clogged my pores immediately”
- “Broke me out in whiteheads”
Fragrance sensitivity Rarely Noted
- “Fragrance irritated my skin”
- “Smell is too perfume-y”
- “Stung my sensitive cheeks”
Leaves residue Rarely Noted
- “Leaves a greasy film”
- “Hard to rinse off completely”
- “Must use a foam cleanser after”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, iherb.com, yesstyle.com, sokoglam.com, walmart.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Banila Co Clean It Zero work for sensitive skin?
Banila Co Clean It Zero works for sensitive skin, though other products fit it better because they have deeper hydration and soothing properties. Cleansers for this skin need gentle cleansing agents alongside deep hydration like multiple types of hyaluronic acid and soothing botanicals to keep skin balanced and calm redness without irritation.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for sensitive skin?
Onsen-Sui and Bambusa Vulgaris Stem Extract Leaf help make this cleanser a good fit for sensitive skin by providing hydration and soothing benefits for redness and irritation. To fit sensitive skin even better, a makeup remover of this type needs deep-hydrating ingredients like multiple types of hyaluronic acid, along with nourishing elements and no allergens.
What does Ethylhexyl Palmitate do for sensitive skin?
Ethylhexyl Palmitate helps keep skin soft and smooth, but it may not be a good fit for sensitive or easily clogged skin because it is an isopropyl ester that tends to cause breakouts. Products for sensitive skin need to be lightweight and non-clogging, using calming ingredients that soothe dry or irritated areas without heavy oils.
What does Tocopheryl Acetate do for sensitive skin?
Tocopheryl Acetate helps calm sensitive skin by reducing redness and swelling after sun exposure. It is unlikely to clog pores and works well to keep skin soft and comfortable.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 1992
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this makeup remover in your evening routine before your cleanser and treatment step when using retinol. Sensitive skin of this type needs gentle cleansers that melt away makeup without stripping moisture, along with soothing ingredients like thermal spring water or bamboo extract to keep skin calm.
How often should I use this cleanser?
This makeup remover works well in the evening routine for sensitive skin to gently take off makeup and impurities. A cleanser of this type for sensitive skin needs calming plant extracts and hydrating ingredients to keep the skin comfortable without causing irritation.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for sensitive skin, as complaints about breakouts are low and it lacks harsh ingredients. However, because it is an average fit for this skin type, a cleanser for sensitive skin needs soothing plant extracts and gentle hydrating ingredients to keep the skin calm and clear.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Malaysian thermal spring water as an adjunct to standard acne therapy improved skin hydration, reduced dryness and stinging, enhanced overall tolerability, and improved the acne disability index in patients with mild to moderate acne.
The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2024Coptis, shikonin, or curcumin at a 5% concentration in cosmetics can be applied safely without inducing contact allergic and photosensitive reactions in human subjects.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2021Topical application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Lithospermum erythrorhizon root extract emulsions increase skin humidity up to 11.77% and decrease transepidermal water loss up to 7.68% in 30 healthy Asian females in a time- and dose-dependent manner.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2008Exosome-like vesicles derived from Lithospermum erythrorhizon callus enhanced wound closure and cell viability in normal human dermal fibroblasts in vitro, and accelerated re-epithelialization and reduced inflammation in LPS-induced wounds in mice over 14 days.
Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2024Shikonin and its derivatives inhibit human tumor necrosis factor alpha promoter activation, mRNA expression, and protein production in a gene gun-transfected mouse skin system by interfering with the basal transcription machinery.
The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2004Ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions of Bambusa vulgaris leaves accelerate cutaneous wound healing and inhibit carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats.
Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, 2016An Angelica sinensis extract containing 1% ligustilide demonstrated anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-senescence, matrix-supportive, and antimicrobial effects in human keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts.
Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2026Screening of forty herb extracts using melan-a cells showed that hexane and dichloromethane extracts of Angelica sinensis, alongside compounds 4-ethylresorcinol, 4-ethylphenol, and 1-tetradecanol, exhibited strong hypopigmentary effects by attenuating melanin synthesis.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2010Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin-complexed Angelica sinensis essential oil-loaded microneedles demonstrated antibacterial activity against P. acnes, reduced acne lesion size and IL-1β levels, and suppressed 5α-reductase and FAS expression.
Drug Delivery and Translational Research, 2026
Ingredients
Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Peg-10 Isostearate, Synthetic Wax, Onsen-Sui, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Bambusa Vulgaris Stem Extract Leaf, Aspalathus Linearis Extract, Angelica Archangelica Root Extract, Acerola Fruit Extract, Polydiethyleneglycol Adipate Ipdi Copolymer, Acrylates Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Acrylates Methoxy Peg-15 Methacrylate Copolymer
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
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