At 59, Sarah Jessica Parker Uses This Cult-Favorite Balm to Melt Away Makeup

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• Sarah Jessica Parker shared the makeup remover that melted away nightly masks of stage makeup during her recent Broadway run.

• She is faithful to Clinique’s Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm.

• The balm-to-oil formula effortlessly dissolves even waterproof makeup.

Last month, Sarah Jessica Parker and her husband Matthew Broderick ended a sold-out run of Plaza Suite in London’s West End. To reflect on the journey and, more importantly, discuss how she cared for her skin amidst the chaos, the 59-year-old sat down with British “queen of skincare” Caroline Hirons on her Glad We Had This Chat podcast. And the standout product that Parker relied on to remove her nightly mask of stage makeup, she revealed, was a timeless classic: Clinique’s Take the Day off Cleansing Balm.

Parker shared that she learned how to apply her character makeup herself. “It’s a lot to take off at night,” she said. “Film makeup doesn’t need to be as durable, and you’re not wearing false eyelashes, or I don’t, anyway.” Upon arriving home, Parker explained, the first to come off was eyelashes. “I still use Take the Day Off, the Clinique,” she said. Hirons nodded. “That’s the best thing for that kind of stage makeup. It’s grease,” she added.

Parker went on to explain that, after using the Clinique product over her eyes, she went in with Boscia’s MakeUp-BreakUp Cool Cleansing Oil, which was introduced to her by her makeup artist. “I do that everywhere,” she said. Then, she used a fragrance-free makeup wipe to remove that layer, for fear of clogging the drain with “the amount of oil” on her face. “And then I’d wash my face proper,” she concluded, with “any soap.”

Clinique’s Take the Day Off is massively popular—in both cleansing balm and liquid remover form—for simple reasons: It works, and it doesn’t cause irritation. The main ingredient in the balm, which melts into an oil with the help of the warmth from skin, is safflower seed oil. Not only does it dissolve makeup on contact, its moisturizing properties also leave skin soft and nourished after it’s rinsed away. It works on all skin types, too—take it from reviewers.

“Best makeup remover I’ve used. The balm gets rid of makeup super easily and it makes my face very smooth. Feels great,” one Sephora shopper wrote. “Nothing hits quite like this balm. It spreads nicely, thoroughly cleanses while being gentle on the delicate eye area, rinses easily and leaves no residue. There’s also no scent,” another added. “This is the most incredible makeup remover. I have used it for almost 7 years and have not found anything nearly as good,” someone else raved.

If it’s good enough for SJP, it’s certainly a win for us. You can shop the other skincare favorites she shared with Hirons below.

MakeUp-BreakUp Cool Cleansing Oil

Multi Correxion Hyaluronic Acid Daily Moisturizer SPF 30

Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Max Hydration Cream

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