Can You Use Face Wash to Remove Eye Makeup? We Asked the Experts. (2025)

The skin around the eyes is much different from the skin on the rest of the face. In fact, dermatologist Lauren Moy said, the skin around the eyes is the “thinnest skin on the face and body” and has fewer oil glands, so it’s more prone to dryness, sensitivity, and damage. That’s why using certain face cleansers on the skin around the eyes may be less than ideal.

The most obvious cleansers to avoid using around your eyes are those with active ingredients, such as cleansers containing AHAs and BHAs (glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and the like) that are meant to exfoliate skin. Other physical exfoliating cleansers contain beads to buff the skin, and those can get into the eye and potentially scratch the cornea, said dermatologist Brendan Camp. Some face cleansers made for acne-prone skin also contain benzoyl peroxide, which can irritate the eyes and the skin around the eyes. Even vitamin C can irritate the eyes, said Moy.

One telltale sign that you’re using the wrong cleanser is any tingling or burning sensation. While sometimes a little tingling in skin care is normal — as with vitamin C serums or topical exfoliants — with cleansers, any tingling could be a red flag. “If stinging happens regularly — even without direct eye contact — that’s a sign the formula may be too harsh for the area,” said dermatologist Fatima Fahs.

But even cleansers without active ingredients can contain potential irritants, such as fragrance and preservatives, ophthalmologist Yuna Rapoport said. (And remember that there is a difference between unscented and fragrance-free formulas.) That is why some cleansers state on the bottle to avoid use around the eyes.

Wirecutter writer Rory Evans, who recently wrote our guide to the best face cleansers, found that even gentle cleansers could do a number on the eyes: “CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser is one of our picks for oily skin — we really loved it — but some of the gentle froth got in my eyes, and I experienced pretty intense stinging,” she says. Admittedly, she said, this was likely user error.

Concerns about irritating your eyes only multiply when you’re trying to remove makeup. Many face cleansers are designed to cut through oil and grime on the skin but are not formulated to melt off makeup, which means you may have to rub harder to remove the makeup — something that Rapoport strongly advises against. When you’re pressing on your eyes, even gently, you can put pressure on the optic nerve and cause inflammation around the eye.

So if a cleanser requires elbow grease to remove eye makeup, it’s simply not right for the job, and you shouldn’t employ it for that task.

What should you use to remove eye makeup instead? You have many choices, from micellar water on a cotton pad to oil cleansers and balms. In researching for our guide to the best facial cleansers, we came across some oil and balm cleansers that effectively removed makeup and were worth considering, mostly for “double cleansing,” which means using an oil or micellar water first to remove makeup, and following that with a face cleanser.

“The Bubble First Class Oil Cleanser reminded me of old-school makeup remover in the best way, and a splurgier standout is Tatcha The Camellia Cleansing Oil,” Rory said. “Both made short work of the heavy-handed waterproof black eyeliner I can’t live without.” For balms, she loved the Heimish All Clean Balm (a pick in our guide to Korean skin care) and the luxe True Botanicals Ginger Turmeric Cleansing Balm. “That stuff smells great, melts away makeup and schmutz, and leaves skin juicy.”

Micellar water and oil cleanser can also remove complexion products such as foundation and blush, but if you find yourself left with cosmetics residue on your face, you can use a second cleanser to get your skin squeaky clean.

Fahs recommends avoiding makeup wipes if you can, as they often contain irritating preservatives and drying alcohols and require some tugging on the skin, all of which can cause irritation. However, if you must use makeup-remover wipes in a pinch, she suggests looking for fragrance-free wipes.

Any product you use should check a few boxes: It should sweep away makeup without requiring aggressive rubbing, it shouldn’t sting your eyes, and it shouldn’t cause irritation for the sensitive surrounding skin on the eyelids and under your eyes. And if you wear contact lenses, it’s best to remove your contacts before you take off your makeup, no matter which makeup-removal option you choose.

Even though a makeup remover might require an extra step, it isn’t a frivolous one. Eye health is easy to ignore until you can’t, and Rapoport stresses that even if you don’t have obvious symptoms of irritation now, repeated irritation could cause problems in the long run. So give your eyes the gift of dedicated care that they deserve.

This article was edited by Hannah Rimm and Maxine Builder.