I Ditched Makeup Remover Wipes for This $23 Cleansing Balm — and My Bath Towels Are Thanking Me (2025)

While I dedicate a considerable chunk of my work day to figuring out which bronzers, concealers, and blushes are the best to put on my face as a senior shopping writer, it took me an embarrassing amount of time to nail down exactly how to take them all off.

After ditching harsh, stripping makeup remover wipes for good a few years back, I struggled to find a gentler alternative that fully removed makeup without leaving my bath towels covered in residual foundation and mascara. That is, until I was introduced to the Dr. Althea Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm, which has single-handedly changed the way I get unready each day (and saved my towels from further destruction).

Dr. Althea Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm

The secret to this fragrance-free cleansing balm’s impressive results is its ultra-buttery formula. It’s packed with powerful ingredients like Madecassoside and plant-based oils that melt away makeup and leave my complexion feeling cleaner, softer, and more hydrated, and it doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin.

Gone are the days of double — or even triple — cleansing to remove stubborn waterproof makeup. Now, I just massage a quarter-sized amount of product into my skin, wash it away with water in the shower or sink, and walk away feeling good as new.

In addition to the magical formula, I also love the cleansing balm’s compact, hygienic, and aesthetically pleasing packaging. Simply twist the top of the container as directed, depending on if you need to remove light makeup, heavy makeup, or SPF, and the perfect amount of cleansing balm is dispensed at the palm of your hand — no need to repeatedly dig your fingers into a pot of product.

Amazon shoppers are equally impressed with the luxurious cleansing balm, and more than 2,000 users have added it to their carts in the past month alone. One five-star reviewer shared that it made their “face [feel] like silk,” while another appreciated that it “doesn’t leave a greasy residue.”

Head to Amazon now to snap up the Dr. Althea Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm, then keep scrolling to shop more hydrating beauty products below.

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