Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm for dry sensitive skin
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Caprylic Capric Triglyceride
Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate
Tocopherol
Average
- HighDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry sensitive skin; other pre-cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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
- Highly suitable for your dry skin as Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil and Caprylic Capric Triglyceride offer emollient action to smooth intercellular lipids and support your skin barrier. This formulation provides moderate makeup removal due to ethylhexyl palmitate and carthamus tinctorius seed oil cleansing pores.
- While offering general cleansing benefits, the formula lacks specialized ingredients like hyaluronic acid or ceramides to effectively address your dry or flaky skin concerns.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your dry, sensitive skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use your makeup remover PM as the first step of your evening routine. Start 3×/week daily use if your dry skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this makeup remover before your regular cleanser, toner, and moisturizer. It prepares your face for a thorough double-cleansing routine.
- Gently press a small amount onto your skin using a soft cotton pad. Avoid rubbing to protect your sensitive and flaky skin.
- Apply the makeup remover on completely dry skin to ensure better tolerance and comfort. This prevents any extra irritation for reactive skin types.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a patch test before your very first use to prevent irritation.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 9.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this cleansing balm is highly effective at removing all types of makeup and sunscreen, leaving skin feeling soft and nourished. It is frequently praised for its gentle, fragrance-free formula, making it suitable for sensitive and dry skin types. Some users report temporary blurry vision after use, and a moderate number find the price point high. A small number of users experienced breakouts or disliked the packaging and scent.
Highlights
Melts makeup Mostly Mentioned
- “Melts waterproof mascara”
- “Dissolves long-wear foundation”
- “Removes glitter easily”
- “Breaks down sunscreen”
Fragrance-free Often Mentioned
- “No strong scent”
- “Good for sensitive noses”
- “No perfume irritation”
- “Clean ingredient list”
Gentle formula Often Mentioned
- “No stinging eyes”
- “Safe for sensitive skin”
- “Doesn't irritate contacts”
Non-drying finish Often Mentioned
- “Leaves skin soft”
- “Face feels nourished”
- “No tight feeling”
- “Hydrating for dry patches”
Luxurious texture Sometimes Noted
- “Silky balm-to-oil”
- “Spreads easily”
- “Little goes a long way”
- “Satisfying melt”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “Expensive for cleanser”
- “Pricey for the amount”
- “Not budget-friendly”
- “Costly daily staple”
Temporary blurry vision Sometimes Noted
- “Blurry vision after use”
- “Cloudy film on eyes”
- “Oily film on contacts”
- “Foggy sight for minutes”
Causes breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Caused cystic acne”
- “Clogged my pores”
- “Triggered breakouts”
- “Too heavy for oily skin”
Jar packaging Rarely Noted
- “Unhygienic tub”
- “Hate dipping fingers”
- “Hard to open lid”
- “Messy to scoop”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “Smells like old oil”
- “Scent like plastic/wax”
- “Smells like dirty socks”
- “Odd chemical smell”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, ulta.com, clinique.com, walmart.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Clinique Take The Day Off work for dry sensitive skin?
Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm works for dry sensitive skin by clearing away makeup while soothing and supporting the skin barrier with plant oils, though other products fit it better. A product of this type needs extra hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid or ceramides to properly address dry or flaky skin.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil and Caprylic Capric Triglyceride make this cleanser a good fit because they smooth skin lipids and support your skin barrier without causing irritation. However, a makeup remover for dry sensitive skin needs extra hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid or ceramides to truly address flaky skin.
What does Ethylhexyl Palmitate do for dry sensitive skin?
Ethylhexyl Palmitate is an isopropyl ester that tends to clog pores and may not suit dry sensitive skin well. This skin type needs gentle ingredients that hydrate and restore the barrier without causing breakouts.
What does Safflower Seed Oil do for dry sensitive skin?
Safflower seed oil is a good fit for dry sensitive skin because it helps calm irritation while supporting the skin barrier. It also helps lock in moisture to keep your skin feeling soft and smooth.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2011American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2018
Where does it go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This makeup remover goes in the evening routine before your cleanser, or as a weekly step before cleansing. It is unlikely to irritate your dry, sensitive skin, but it needs added ingredients like ceramides or hyaluronic acid to properly target dryness and flakiness.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this makeup remover in your evening routine before your cleanser when using retinol, and it is unlikely to irritate dry, sensitive skin. To truly help with dry or flaky skin concerns, this type of product needs added barrier-protecting ingredients like hyaluronic acid or ceramides.
How often should I use it?
You can use this makeup remover in the evening as part of your PM routine, and also for your weekly routine. It is unlikely to irritate your dry, sensitive skin.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to cause breakouts for dry sensitive skin because it has an excellent safety profile with no harsh or prohibited ingredients, though some reviewers do mention breakouts as a rare complaint. To properly care for this skin type, a product needs extra nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid or ceramides.
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Safflower oil body-human epidermal growth factor microgel emulsions mixed with xanthan gum enhance transdermal absorption, regulate inflammation, accelerate angiogenesis, and promote re-epithelialization and remodeling in full-layer skin wounds in rats.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2022Topical application of an emollient emulsion containing 15.0% caprylic/capric triglyceride doubled the amount of urocanic acid isomers and increased skin hydration with reduced transepidermal water loss in healthy subjects, though it did not prevent ultraviolet-induced urocanic acid isomerization.
Life, 2023Topical 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, 2024
Why other pre-cleansers fit dry sensitive skin better
Camellia japonica oil activated the human COL1A2 promoter, induced type I procollagen synthesis, inhibited matrix metalloproteinase-1 activity, and reduced trans-epidermal water loss without inducing adverse reactions in human skin.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2007Topical formulation containing beeswax-based nanoparticles decreased transepidermal water loss and increased stratum corneum water content after 28 days of treatment.
AAPS PharmSciTech, 2017
Ingredients
Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate, Polyethylene, Peg-5 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Water, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol
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
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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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