DUO The Cleansing Balm (Oct 3, 2019)

This review was originally posted as a comment on Reddit (now deleted) on October 3, 2019. I’ve replaced links with archive links if necessary (and available) and made minor formatting changes and corrections, but otherwise haven’t done any editing or updating. I don’t know whether the product has been reformulated by now or not.

Mini review (first impressions):

Premier Anti-Aging DUO The Cleansing Balm

Skin type and concerns: Dry/combination, dehydrated, sometimes sensitive, sun allergy, mild hormonal acne, PIH, large pores, redness.

Climate: Humid, transitioning from summer to fall. (I live in Japan.)

I’ve been curious about the DUO cleansing balms for a while now, but it’s kind of expensive (3600 JPY + tax for 90 g at drugstores in Japan) and I’d never used any cleansing balms in general, so I’d been hesitating to take the leap.

(Note that this means I don’t know how this compares with other cleansing balms, and that the whole review should be read with that in mind.)

They changed their logo and packaging recently, and along with the new packaging, they also started selling small, 800 JPY + tax mini versions (20 g) of the red balm. (I see that there’s now a mini version of the yellow one too, but they only had it for the red when I bought it.) I figured this is a good opportunity to try it out and bought one.

There are three types in the line, which are usually referred to by the color on the packaging (the tiny text underneath the logo on the new packaging). The red one, The Cleansing Balm, is for so-called anti-aging and is supposed to be the least drying. The yellow one, The Cleansing Balm Clear, targets pores, and the blue, The Cleansing Balm White, is brightening. (I can add more information about their claims if anyone’s interested, since I know there isn’t much in English. If you can read Japanese or are willing to deal with automated translation, the links above are on the official website, and there are a bunch of reviews on @cosme: red, yellow, blue.)

Additional note in 2026: Keep in mind that there are A LOT of incentivized reviews out there in Japanese, too, and that this was from before undisclosed ads were even regulated at all in Japan.

The balm stays solid enough when I dab it on my face to stay put without sliding off, but also melts easily on contact with my hands, making it very easy to manage. It seems to also remove makeup easily, though I don’t wear anything that’s particularly hard to get off.

If I apply a generous amount, I can rub my clogged areas to my heart’s content without feeling like I’m damaging my skin, and it seems to get some of those “grits” out. I don’t feel entirely comfortable doing this every time (like I’m probably supposed to) at this price point, though.

All three balms supposedly do not require a second cleanser (which could potentially help me justify the cost). I find this is only true if you rinse it off very very thoroughly. I found a blog entry saying you should be splashing your face with clean water 20–30 times, which seems about right. I’ve seen reviews by people who got a bunch of closed comedones from the product, and I suspect they may not be rinsing enough (though it is of course also possible that their skin is simply responding differently). I got a few myself after one night when I was really tired and very likely didn’t rinse enough.

The thing that struck me the very first time I used it is that it actually feels more drying than double cleansing with my usual cleansers (Fancl Mild Cleansing Oil followed by Muji Facial Wash Gel [mild/moist]; review for the latter here), in spite of being the supposedly least drying of the series. Granted, I wouldn’t say that it’s super drying or anything, just more drying in comparison with that particular pair. I was especially interested in the yellow version, but now I’m not sure it would be good for my skin type.

Another problem I have with it is that the rose fragrance (not artificial but from essential oils) feels slightly too strong, not to mention unnecessary. I’m not as strongly against fragrances and essential oils as a lot of people here, but it’s a bit much even for me. I haven’t had any allergic reactions or anything, but I would be happier without it. —It’s not seriously overpowering or anything, I just feel like it’s out of place. I’m kind of being a hypocrite here, though, since the Muji face wash I mentioned above also contains an essential oil probably mostly for fragrancing purposes.

I’m only halfway through the mini size and haven’t used it for long enough to say anything definitively, hence this comment instead of a standalone post, but all in all, I don’t think I’m going to buy the full product, mostly because I’m not sure it’s appropriate for my skin type. It might be a good one to try if you don’t have dry/dehydrated skin and don’t mind the scent.

Additional note in 2026: I ended up deciding that I didn’t like this at all, based on the mini size—having to rinse SO MUCH every time was annoying, to say the least—and I have a negative impression of the company as a whole after having seen numerous offers for micro-influencers from DUO that pay them 5000–7500 JPY per sale, if I’m understanding the screenshots correctly (example). They were also caught stealing someone’s tweet for another brand of theirs in 2023 (article in Japanese).

Ingredients for the red version: Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Polyethylene, PEG-5 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Tocopherol, Rosa Canina (Rose Hips) Fruit Oil, Phyllanthus Emblica (Indian Gooseberry) Fruit Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glucosyl Ceramide, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Alpha-Glucan, Lactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Grape Juice Ferment Filtrate, Rosa Multiflora (Japanese Rose) Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Prunus Domestica, Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract, Prunus Yedoensis Leaf Extract, Potentilla Erecta (Tormentil) Root Extract, Soymilk Ferment Filtrate, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Seed Extract, Citrus Unshiu (Satsuma Mandarin) Peel Extract, Thymus Vulgaris (Common Thyme) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis (Baikal Scullcap) Root Extract, Phellodendron Amurense (Amur Cork Tree) Bark Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus (Bilberry) Leaf Extract, Coptis Japonica (Japanese Goldthread) Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Gardenia Jasminoides (Gardenia) Fruit Extract, Hypericum Perforatum (St. John’s Wort) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Calendula Officinalis (Pot Marigold) Flower Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Leaf Extract, Centaurea Cyanus (Cornflower) Flower Extract, Anthemis Nobilis (Roman Chamomile) Flower Extract, Water, Butylene Glycol, PEG-7 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Phenoxyethanol

Disclaimer: I’m just a bilingual skincare enthusiast with no background in science. If you’re allergic to anything, double-check to make sure I didn’t get anything wrong.