Illustration: Ada Tuncer

Skin

Sensitive-Eye-Approved Makeup Removers

The key to finding the right makeup remover for the eyes, dear reader, is in the ingredient list.

Text  Başak Ulubilgen

May 26, 2022

Wouldn’t it be great if we could remove our eye makeup in one swipe? But as we all know, that’s never the case. It’s quite the opposite. Some makeup products -especially waterproof ones- can be pretty stubborn to come off. Plus, if you have sensitive eyes (as most of us do!), it’s truly a challenge to find the right eye makeup remover. But during the last few years, the beauty industry has come up with kinder cleansers that can get that eye makeup off and, in the meantime, not irritate the skin.

The key here is always to be gentle while using them on your eye area, and also choose products that don’t contain essential oils or fragrances. The products we are sharing below are suitable for sensitive skin types, period-induced-sensitized-skin, ones who wear a lot of makeup, or just anyone who wants to treat their eye area a little nicely.

Medical Beauty Research Eye Make-up Remover, €122

Medical Beauty Research’s claim to fame is making effective products while not compromising from quality ingredients. This eye makeup remover is no exception. It promises to take even the most stubborn eye makeup and mascara off with meadowfoam seed, crambe abyssinica seed and argania spinosa kernel oils. It is suitable for contact lens wearers, too.

Sephora Collection Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover, $16

This bi-phase liquid soothes the skin around the eyes with cornflower floral water. %92 of the ingredients in this product are of natural origin and it comes in recyclable packaging. Plus, it’s vegan.

Glossier Milky Oil Waterproof Makeup Remover, $12

If you’re a contact lens wearer, then you are probably always on the lookout for the gentlest eye makeup remover ever. This one has soothing and conditioning qualities via Comfrey Root Extract and Pro-Vitamin B5, and no sting.

Drunk Elephant Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser, $34

You can use this cleanser both ways: On its own, or with the ultra-fine bamboo spheres that come in a separate little bottle. But make sure to use the Bamboo Booster only on your face and not your eyes. The cleanser alone is enough to take off your waterproof cleanser. The best way to use it is to “massage Slaai around the eye area and let it sit for a minute before rinsing it off. No need for scrubbing, tugging, or pulling.”

La Roche-Posay Respectissime Waterproof Eye Make-Up Remover, $16

A gentle eye makeup remover with no fragrance in its list of ingredients, so it’s ideal for those who are sensitive to any skincare product with fragrance. It has poloxamer, a cleaning agent, which is also found in contact lens solutions. This bi-phase formula dissolves the makeup while softening the skin around the eyes.

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