Banila Co Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Original for oily acne-prone skin
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Tocopheryl Acetate Vitamin E
Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract
Bambusa Vulgaris Stem Extract Leaf
Angelica Archangelica Root ExtractAverage
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other pre-cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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 oily skin, as Ethylhexyl Palmitate and Cetyl Ethylhexanoate effectively dissolve impurities, though it lacks specialized ingredients like salicylic acid to target acne and breakouts.
- Bambusa Vulgaris Stem Extract Leaf provides mild astringent properties suitable for oily skin, but stronger seboregulating ingredients would optimize oil management.
- The product is safe for your 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 to clear away impurities. Start by using it 3×/week before working up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this makeup remover before your regular cleanser and toner. Follow it with your usual cleansing steps to ensure all residue is thoroughly washed away.
- Gently press a small amount of the makeup remover onto your face using soft cotton pads. Avoid harsh rubbing to prevent irritating your blemishes and active breakouts.
- Apply the makeup remover on completely dry skin to effectively break down excess oil and makeup. Clean away thoroughly before moving on to the next skincare steps .
- Do a patch test before your first use to ensure your skin reacts well. Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes .
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 oily acne-prone skin?
Banila Co Clean It Zero works reasonably well to remove makeup from oily skin, but it lacks targeted ingredients like salicylic acid to help clear breakouts. Oily acne-prone skin needs a makeup remover that controls excess oil and includes ingredients like hyaluronic acid or soothing plant extracts to manage blemishes without clogging pores.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Ethylhexyl Palmitate and Cetyl Ethylhexanoate make this cleanser a good fit by effectively dissolving makeup and impurities, while Bambusa Vulgaris Stem Extract Leaf provides mild astringent properties suitable for oily skin. However, this skin type needs specialized ingredients like salicylic acid to target acne and breakouts, along with stronger oil-controlling components for optimal management.
What does Ethylhexyl Palmitate do for oily acne-prone skin?
Ethylhexyl Palmitate is an isopropyl ester that may clog pores and is likely to trigger breakouts on oily, acne-prone skin. Because of this risk, products for this skin type need non-clogging ingredients that keep pores clear without causing irritation.
What does Tocopheryl Acetate do for oily acne-prone skin?
Tocopheryl Acetate is unlikely to clog pores or trigger breakouts on oily, acne-prone skin. Studies show this ingredient is well-tolerated and helps keep skin safe from irritation while supporting hydration.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This makeup remover goes in the evening routine, as the first step before your cleanser. An oily acne-prone skin type of product also needs specialized ingredients like salicylic acid to target breakouts and stronger ingredients to manage oil.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this makeup remover in the evening before your cleanser and your retinol treatment. It safely dissolves makeup on your oily skin without harsh irritation, though an oily acne-prone skin type needs targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and stronger oil-controlling components for best results.
How often should I use this cleanser?
This makeup remover is used in the evening and weekly routines for your oily acne-prone skin. Oily acne-prone skin needs a makeup remover with targeted blemish-fighting acids and stronger oil-controlling ingredients for an ideal fit.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser may cause breakouts for oily acne-prone skin because it lacks specialized blemish-fighting ingredients and contains ethylhexyl palmitate. However, it is unlikely to cause irritation or severe purging since it avoids harsh components and features soothing herbal extracts.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2021
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Coptis, 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, 2021Dermatological 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 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, 2025Topical 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, 2024A topical antioxidant serum significantly reduced air pollution-induced skin pigmentation and proinflammatory gene expression ex vivo, and improved skin aging signs in 40 healthy adult females after 90 days of daily use.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Lithospermum 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
Why other pre-cleansers fit oily acne-prone skin better
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate significantly improved acne in patients compared to the control side during an 8-week clinical trial.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2013
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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