🇺🇸United States

e.l.f. Skin Holy Hydration! Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm for acne-prone skin

High

  • HighCombination Skin Fit
  • HighEffectiveness
  • 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 high suitability for your combination skin, as cleansing oils like Cetyl Ethylhexanoate and Caprylic Capric Triglyceride effectively dissolve makeup and impurities, while Glycerin and Ceramide NP provide essential hydration and support your skin barrier. The inclusion of peptides and hyaluronic acid further enhances skin health, though it lacks specific ingredients for targeted oil control on your combination skin.
  • The formulation is safe for your combination skin, containing soothing ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid with no harsh or prohibited substances.
  • It provides excellent makeup removal, which is beneficial for supporting acne-prone skin by ensuring a clean canvas.

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

★4.7Overall rating based on 13.0k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, users overwhelmingly find this cleansing balm highly effective at melting away even waterproof makeup, leaving skin feeling hydrated and soft. It is frequently noted as being gentle and suitable for sensitive skin, offering excellent value. A moderate number of users report temporary blurry vision if the product gets into the eyes, while a smaller number experience an oily residue or occasional breakouts.

Highlights

  • Effective makeup removal Mostly Mentioned
    • “melts makeup like butter”
    • “removes lash glue with ease”
    • “takes off waterproof mascara”
    • “dissolves everything instantly”
  • Great value Often Mentioned
    • “budget friendly”
    • “fraction of the price”
    • “better than high end”
    • “unbeatable price point”
  • Hydrating and non-stripping Often Mentioned
    • “skin feels soft and hydrated”
    • “no tightness at all”
    • “leaves skin silky smooth”
    • “moisturizing after rinse”
  • Gentle on sensitive skin Sometimes Noted
    • “didn't break me out”
    • “no strong fragrance”
    • “extremely gentle”
    • “safe for sensitive eyes”
  • Temporary blurry vision Sometimes Noted
    • “cloudy eyes”
    • “blurry vision for minutes”
    • “film on eyes”
    • “fogs up my sight”
  • Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
    • “worst breakout”
    • “gave me cystic acne”
    • “clogged my pores”
    • “caused whiteheads”
  • Oily residue Rarely Noted
    • “leaves a film”
    • “waxy feel”
    • “greasy residue”
    • “hard to rinse off completely”
  • Small quantity Rarely Noted
    • “runs out fast”
    • “wish it was bigger”
    • “small amount for the jar”
    • “finished in two weeks”

Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, target.com, walmart.com, influenster.com, well.ca, and more

Questions and answers

What makes e.l.f. Holy Hydration! Cleansing Balm a great fit for acne-prone skin?

This cleansing balm is a great fit because it effectively melts away makeup to leave acne-prone skin clean, while glycerin and ceramides help keep your skin barrier balanced and hydrated. It has a safe profile with soothing ingredients and no harsh substances to cause irritation.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2022

Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for acne-prone skin?

This cleanser is a great fit because it provides thorough makeup removal to keep your skin clean, while glycerin and ceramides help support your skin barrier. It also includes hyaluronic acid and peptides to enhance overall skin health without harsh ingredients.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2022

What does Hyaluronic Acid do for acne-prone skin?

Hyaluronic acid helps acne-prone skin by soothing irritation, calming redness, and keeping the skin balanced without clogging pores. When combined with targeted ingredients like zinc oxide, it may also help reduce breakouts.

Biomedicines, 2025Drug Delivery, 2017

What do Ceramides do for acne-prone skin?

Ceramides help acne-prone skin by restoring a damaged water barrier, reducing dryness and redness from acne treatments, and lowering inflammation. Because acne-prone skin often lacks these key fats, products for this skin type need ceramides to soothe irritation and keep the barrier strong.

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023Archives of Dermatological Research, 1995

Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?

This makeup remover goes in the evening routine before your cleanser, as a first step to gently wash away makeup and impurities. Using it helps create a clean canvas, which supports acne-prone skin while keeping the skin barrier calm with ceramides and glycerin.

The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2022

Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this makeup remover in the evening before your cleanser and retinol treatment. Using a gentle cleanser and makeup remover helps clear away makeup and impurities while supporting your skin barrier, which is safe to do alongside retinol routines.

Cutis, 2006Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012

How often should I use this cleanser?

This cleansing balm is a great fit for acne-prone skin and is used in the evening routine to thoroughly remove makeup and impurities. It provides excellent suitability with a safe profile, helping to keep your skin clean and supported without harsh ingredients.

Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?

This cleansing balm is a great fit for acne-prone skin because it thoroughly removes makeup to keep your skin clean, though breakouts are a low complaint among reviewers. Ingredients like glycerin and ceramides help support your skin barrier while you cleanse.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2022

Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (geraniol, linalool, and parfum).

What the research says

  • A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.

    Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
  • A lipid mixture enriched by ceramide NP with fatty acids of diverse chain lengths significantly improved skin barrier recovery rate, stratum corneum integrity, and hydration compared to a vehicle cream in healthy adult male volunteers with corticosteroid-impaired skin.

    Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2022
  • Application of Body Lotion for 5 weeks on cosmetic dry skin improved barrier properties, increased levels of cholesterol, ceramides, and long-chain fatty acids, increased beneficial skin bacteria, and enhanced microbiome functional potential compared to baseline.

    Scientific Reports, 2022
  • Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011
  • Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.

    Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022
  • Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.

    BMC Oral Health, 2019
  • The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020
  • Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001
  • Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012

Ingredients

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Polyethylene, Peg-10 Isostearate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Sunflower Seed Oil, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Ceramide Np, Ceramide 6 Ii, Ceramide 1, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Phytosphingosine, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Water, Polysorbate 20, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Cholesterol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Geraniol, Linalool, Parfum

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.

How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.