I bought this on a whim at CVS because my $50 cleansing balm ran out and I’m petty. It’s been sitting on shelves since 1907—and honestly, it’s humbling.
The texture is basically cold cream—like, your grandma’s cold cream—but it melts off a full face of waterproof mascara in 30 seconds flat. My expensive balm needed a separate eye makeup remover. This doesn’t.
It’s a classic cold cream: mineral oil, beeswax, and cerates. A 3.5oz tub runs about $8, and it’s been around since your great-grandma’s vanity. The claim is simple—dissolve everything, rinse clean.
Zero-Tug Removal
One swipe takes off liquid lipstick like it’s scared of it.
No Fragrance Overload
It smells faintly like a vintage drugstore—not like a perfume counter threw up.
Double-Cleanses Properly
Leaves a light film that your foaming wash actually needs to work against.
Photo: yunona uritsky / Unsplash
This isn’t skincare science—it’s chemistry from a century ago. And it still wins because oil dissolves oil, period.
- Mineral Oil: The ultimate solvent for stubborn sebum and SPF
- Beeswax: Creates that thick, cushiony slip so you don’t tug
- Cerates: Emulsifies so water actually rinses it off
- Glycerin: Keeps skin from feeling like a drumhead
Photo: kimia kazemi / Unsplash
It’s thick. Like, scoop-it-with-your-fingers thick. It warms up on contact and turns into this silky, almost oily glide that feels *actually* luxurious—until you rinse and realize your sink is now a Jackson Pollock of mascara.
By week two, I stopped reaching for my fancy stuff. The film it leaves is weirdly hydrating, and my redness calmed down. Who knew 1907 had better skin solutions than 2026?
Photo: Dominik Vanyi / Unsplash
My pores are less congested, and my skin isn’t tight after cleansing. It didn’t cure my acne or reverse aging—but it didn’t need to. It just removed makeup without being a diva about it.
It’s not sexy, but it’s *right*. This is the old reliable that makes everything else look like marketing fluff.