Banila Co Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Nourishing for acne-prone skin
Panax Ginseng Extract
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Royal Jelly Extract
Squalane
Oenothera Biennis Oil
High
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for acne-prone skin; a few pre-cleansers fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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
- This cleansing balm offers excellent makeup removal for your combination skin, with ethylhexyl palmitate and cetyl ethylhexanoate effectively dissolving impurities, while Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil and Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil provide emollient action. Squalane and tocopheryl acetate offer general hydration, but lack targeted benefits for your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The formula is safe for your acne-prone skin, as it contains soothing ingredients like Panax Ginseng Extract and Royal Jelly Extract, and avoids harsh or prohibited substances that could cause irritation.
How to apply
- Use this makeup remover PM as the first step of your evening routine to clear away dirt and oil. Start 3x/week and work up to daily use if your combination skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this makeup remover before cleansing and using the rest of your skin products. This ensures all makeup and impurities are fully washed away.
- Gently press a small amount of the makeup remover onto your face using a soft cotton pad. Avoid rubbing the skin too harshly to prevent irritation.
- Apply the makeup remover on dry skin to easily dissolve makeup and clear out blemishes. There is no need to dampen your face beforehand.
- Do a patch test before first use to ensure your skin reacts well. Avoid the delicate eye area while applying.
People Say
★4.8Overall rating based on 100+ reviewsBased on limited data, this cleansing balm is highly regarded for dry and mature skin, effectively removing waterproof makeup without stripping the skin. Users frequently note its deeply moisturizing properties, luxurious texture, and pleasant scent, leaving the skin feeling soft and hydrated. Some users experience temporary blurry vision, and a few mention fragrance sensitivity or potential breakouts.
Highlights
Effective makeup remover Mostly Mentioned
- “melts waterproof mascara”
- “dissolves heavy makeup”
- “cleanses sunscreen”
Deeply moisturizing Often Mentioned
- “leaves skin soft”
- “plump”
- “hydrated”
- “non-stripping”
Luxurious texture Often Mentioned
- “sherbet-like consistency”
- “melts quickly”
- “glides smoothly”
Gentle on skin Sometimes Noted
- “no irritation”
- “soothing for sensitive skin”
- “good for redness”
Pleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “sweet honey smell”
- “mild berry fragrance”
- “divine scent”
Temporary blurry vision Sometimes Noted
- “cloudy eyes”
- “film on contact lenses”
- “temporary blurriness”
Can cause breakouts Rarely Noted
- “clogged pores”
- “caused acne”
- “not for oily skin”
Leaves residue Rarely Noted
- “oily film left”
- “requires second cleanse”
- “feels heavy”
Small quantity Rarely Noted
- “jar finishes quickly”
- “expensive for amount”
- “small quantity”
Strong fragrance Rarely Noted
- “scent too strong”
- “prefer fragrance-free”
- “sweet smell overpowering”
Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, sokoglam.com, yesstyle.com, skinsort.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Banila Co Nourishing Cleansing Balm a great fit for acne-prone skin?
This cleansing balm is a great fit because it effectively melts away makeup and impurities while keeping your skin calm with soothing ingredients like panax ginseng extract and royal jelly extract. It is safe for acne-prone skin and avoids harsh substances that could cause irritation.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is a great fit for acne-prone skin because it contains soothing Panax Ginseng Extract and Royal Jelly Extract to help keep your skin calm. It also includes squalane and tocopheryl acetate to help keep your skin soft and hydrated without causing irritation.
What does Panax Ginseng Extract do for acne-prone skin?
Panax ginseng extract helps calm acne-prone skin by reducing redness, fighting blemish-causing bacteria, and keeping oil from oxidizing in pores. This ingredient may also improve breakouts and soothe irritation while supporting your skin barrier without causing harsh side effects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Phytotherapy Research, 2019
What does Safflower Seed Oil do for acne-prone skin?
Safflower seed oil is unlikely to be a good fit for acne-prone skin because it can lack the specific balancing and soothing properties needed by oily or breakout-prone skin. Skin of this type generally needs ingredients like linoleic acid or autophagy-activating peptides to help reduce clogged pores and surface oil.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 1998Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This makeup remover goes in the evening routine before your cleanser, and as part of your weekly routine. It is safe for your acne-prone skin, as it contains soothing ingredients like Panax Ginseng Extract and Royal Jelly Extract.
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. Using a gentle formula like this helps keep your skin calm while managing breakouts.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this makeup remover in your evening routine and during your weekly routine as a first step before your cleanser. It is a great fit for your acne-prone skin because it safely removes makeup while including soothing ingredients like Panax Ginseng Extract and Royal Jelly Extract to help keep your skin calm.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for your acne-prone skin, as it has a very low complaint rate for causing blemishes and features soothing ingredients like ginseng and royal jelly. However, because it contains rich oils that may not target breakouts directly, individual reactions can vary.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Enzyme-modified ginseng extract cream significantly reduced the global photo-damage score and various roughness measures including total roughness, smoothness depth, and arithmetic roughness average compared to placebo in 23 human subjects.
Rejuvenation Research, 2015A red ginseng hydrogel formulation with 1,2-hexanediol promoted selective growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis and decreased Cutibacterium acnes in 20 female subjects.
Journal of Ginseng Research, 2022A 1% fermented black ginseng cream significantly reduced eye wrinkles and brightened skin color in twenty-three human subjects compared to control cream and baseline.
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. Part A, 2020Safflower 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, 2022Applying an essence containing royal jelly extract significantly increased the stratum corneum water content of the cheeks compared to placebo in healthy Japanese adults over 4 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022A prototype body cream containing bee venom, propolis, honey, beeswax, and royal jelly demonstrated stability for 90 days, high antioxidant capacity of 85.45%, lack of cytotoxicity with over 70% cell viability, and no irritation or allergic reaction in dermatological analysis, while improving skin parameters in a panel test.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Royal jelly protects against epidermal stress caused by UVB and menadione through the upregulation of NQO1 expression by its active compound 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025Electrospun poly (vinyl butyral-co-vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl acetate) patches loaded with evening primrose oil applied to the forearm of volunteers for 6 hours increased skin moisture, with pore size, shape, and fiber diameter influencing oil transport.
Biomaterials Advances, 2022A topical preparation containing urea, sunflower oil, evening primrose oil, wheat germ oil, and sodium pyruvate led to clinical improvement after a month in diverse hyperkeratotic skin conditions except pityriasis lichenoides.
Medicina Cutanea Ibero-latino-americana, 1986Topical application of linseed, evening primrose, and olive oil emulsions accelerated wound closure in rats with excision wounds compared to untreated controls, though via different mechanisms.
Drug Delivery and Translational Research, 2019
Ingredients
Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Peg-10 Isostearate, Synthetic Wax, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Panax Ginseng Extract Berry, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Squalane, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Bambusa Vulgaris Stem Extract Leaf, Aspalathus Linearis Extract, Angelica Archangelica Root Extract, Acerola Fruit Extract, Zea Mays Oil, Beta-Carotene, Polydiethyleneglycol Adipate Ipdi Copolymer, Tocopherol, 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
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