The Best Korean Cleansers for Every Skin Type: Oils, Balms and Foams

The best Korean cleanser for you depends on two things: your skin type, and what you need to wash off. Oily skin does well with a light cleansing oil and then a foam with a touch of BHA. Dry and sensitive skin wants a mild oil and a low-pH gel. Heavy makeup and long-wear sunscreen call for a balm. This guide covers the eight Korean cleansers we stock, sorted by who each one suits. There is a table to compare them and a simple way to pair two for a double cleanse.

Why Korean cleansing comes in two steps

Most Korean routines wash the face twice in the evening, and it is less fussy than it sounds. The first step is an oil or a balm, which melts sunscreen, makeup and the oil your skin makes during the day. The second step is a foam or a gel, which washes the leftover oil away and leaves skin clean. Water alone does not shift sunscreen, and a foam alone has to work hard to do it, so the two steps share the job.

In the morning you only need the second step, or just water if your skin is dry. So a full set is one first cleanser and one second cleanser, and the picks below are sorted that way. If you are stuck between an oil and a balm for step one, our cleansing oil vs cleansing balm guide goes deeper on that choice.

Best all-round first cleanse: SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil

This is the Korean cleansing oil we point most people to first. The SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil is thin and watery, so it spreads over a dry face with almost no rubbing. It carries centella asiatica in a light oil base, with jojoba, olive and sunflower oils to keep skin feeling soft once you rinse.

Add water and it turns milky, then it rinses off with no greasy film. That milky rinse is what sets a good cleansing oil apart from cooking oil. The 200ml bottle is $23, and at one pump a night it lasts about three months. Normal, dry and sensitive skin all get on with it. It is not the pick for very oily skin, because there is a stronger option next. It is also not the pick if you wear heavy makeup every day.

Best first cleanse for oily and combination skin: Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil

Is your nose oily by lunchtime? Then the Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil is the first cleanser to try. It is a light oil built around heartleaf extract, the calming plant that runs through the whole Anua range. Rosemary leaf oil and sunflower seed oil sit behind it. It clears sunscreen and the day's oil, and it rinses clean with water so nothing is left to sit in the pores.

Massage it over a dry face for about a minute, with a little extra time on the nose and chin. This is the oil Anua is best known for. Our guide to the Anua range explains where it sits next to the toner and the foam. It is $26 for 200ml. Skip it if your skin is very reactive, because the mild version below was made for you.

Best first cleanse for sensitive skin: Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil Mild

The Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil Mild is the same idea in a gentler blend. It still uses heartleaf extract and the same rosemary and sunflower oils, but the formula is built for skin that stings easily. It melts makeup and sunscreen in one step and rinses without a heavy feel.

Pick this one if your cheeks go red after cleansing, or if you are new to oil cleansing and want the safest start. It is $26 for 200ml, the same as the original. The limit is the flip side of that softness. On a very oily T-zone it does a little less than the original, so oily skin should stay with that one.

Best for heavy makeup and sunscreen: Banila Co Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Original

Some days need more than a light oil. Full foundation, waterproof mascara and a thick layer of sunscreen all come off faster with the Banila Co Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Original. It starts as a soft sherbet in the tub, then melts into a silky oil the moment it touches warm skin. Hot spring water and vitamin E help skin feel soft after, and acerola and bamboo extracts round out the blend.

Scoop a small amount with the spatula and massage it over a dry face, then add water and rinse. It is $33 for 180ml, and because you use so little, the tub lasts longer than a bottle of oil. It is not for people who never wear makeup, because the lighter oils above do that job for less. It also softens in summer heat, so keep it out of a hot car.

Best second cleanse for oily, congested skin: Anua Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam

Now for step two. The Anua Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam is the foam we suggest for skin that gets clogged. It has 33.4% heartleaf extract for comfort and a gentle dose of salicylic acid, the BHA that helps pores look clear. The cleansing agents are amino acid based, so it does not leave that tight, squeaky feeling.

The foam is dense and cushiony, and a pea-sized amount is plenty. Use it after your oil at night and on its own in the morning. It is $20 for 150ml. Dry or sensitive skin should leave it, because a daily BHA foam is more than that skin needs. The two gentler options below suit it better.

Best low-pH gel for combination skin: Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser

The Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser is a low-pH gel, which matters more than it sounds. Skin sits naturally on the slightly acid side. A cleanser that matches it leaves skin feeling calm rather than stripped. This one is 73% green plum fruit water with 3% mung bean extract, and it foams lightly rather than piling up suds.

It suits combination and oily skin in the morning and as the second step at night, and the 100ml tube is $19. It also fits neatly with the rest of the range, which our Beauty of Joseon guide walks through. Very dry skin may find a gel a little too brisk in winter. The foam below is the softer choice then.

Best daily foam for every skin type: Medicube Zero Foam Cleanser

Want one foam the whole household can share? The Medicube Zero Foam Cleanser is it. The lather is thick and mochi-like, it rinses clean, and the cleansing agents are the mild kind, so skin feels soft rather than tight. Lemon balm, camellia and quince extracts sit in the base for a little softness.

It comes from the same Zero line as the Zero Pore Pad, so it is a natural fit if that pad is already in your routine. It is $18 for 120g and works morning and night. The one limit is that it does nothing extra for clogged pores on its own. Oily skin that wants a BHA should look back at the Anua foam.

Best starter set: SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Double Cleansing Duo

New to double cleansing and want both steps in one box? The SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Double Cleansing Duo pairs the Light Cleansing Oil from the top of this list with a 125ml Ampoule Foam. The foam is low-pH and built on 84% Madagascan centella extract, so both steps calm as they clean.

The set is $34, which is less than buying the oil and a foam from two brands. It suits combination, oily and sensitive skin. Already own a cleansing oil you like? Then buy the foam you need on its own rather than doubling up.

Korean cleansers at a glance

Cleanser	Step	Best for	Not for	Price
SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil 200ml	First	Normal, dry, sensitive	Very oily skin, heavy foundation	$23
Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil 200ml	First	Oily, combination	Reactive skin	$26
Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil Mild 200ml	First	Sensitive, first-time oil users	Very oily T-zone	$26
Banila Co Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Original 180ml	First	Heavy makeup, waterproof sunscreen	People who wear no makeup	$33
Anua Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam 150ml	Second	Oily, clogged pores	Dry or sensitive skin	$20
Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser 100ml	Second	Combination, oily	Very dry skin in winter	$19
Medicube Zero Foam Cleanser 120g	Second	All skin types, daily use	Oily skin that wants a BHA	$18
SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Double Cleansing Duo	Both	Beginners, combination, sensitive	Anyone who already owns an oil	$34

Shop Korean cleansers

Every cleanser in this guide is in stock and ships from our Sydney warehouse. The full range, foams, oils and the peeling gel together, is on our Korean cleansers page.

How to choose between them

Start with your skin type, then check what you put on it during the day. Oily or combination skin with clogged pores: the Anua oil at night, then the Anua Quercetinol foam. Use the foam alone in the morning. Normal skin that wears sunscreen and light makeup: the SKIN1004 oil, then the Medicube foam or the Green Plum gel.

Dry or sensitive skin: the SKIN1004 oil or the Anua Mild oil, then the Medicube foam. In the morning, just water or the foam. Heavy makeup most days: the Banila Co balm first, then the second cleanser that matches your skin type.

Not sure what your skin type is? Wash your face with plain water, wait an hour, and look. Shiny all over is oily. Shiny on the nose and forehead only is combination. Tight or flaky is dry. If it goes red from the water alone, count it as sensitive. Most people land on combination, which is why the Anua oil and the Green Plum gel are the pair we suggest most often.

Would you rather choose by ingredient than by brand? Both SKIN1004 cleansers lean on centella asiatica. Our centella explainer covers what it does and why it turns up in so much Korean skincare.

How to double cleanse without stripping your skin

1. Start with dry hands and a dry face. Water on the skin stops an oil or a balm from gripping sunscreen.
2. Massage one pump of oil, or a pea of balm, over the whole face for about a minute. Spend a little longer on the nose and chin, where sunscreen sits.
3. Wet your hands and keep massaging until the oil turns milky, then rinse with lukewarm water. Hot water leaves skin tight.
4. Follow with a small amount of your foam or gel, work it over the face for 20 to 30 seconds, and rinse.
5. Pat dry with a clean towel and go straight to your toner while the skin is still slightly damp.

Two mistakes cause most of the tight, squeaky feeling people blame on cleansers. The first is using far too much foam, and the second is rinsing with water that is too hot. Fix those two and even oily skin needs a foam with no more than a light BHA.

Does your skin still feel tight after all that? Then drop the morning foam and rinse with water instead, and move your second cleanser to the mildest one on the list. A cleanser should leave skin feeling clean and soft at the same time. If it does not, it is the wrong cleanser rather than the wrong routine.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to double cleanse every night?
Only on days you wear sunscreen or makeup, which for most people is every day. On a day with neither, one wash with your foam or gel is enough. In the morning one cleanse is all you need.

Which Korean cleanser is best for oily skin?
The Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil as the first step and the Anua Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam as the second. The oil clears sunscreen and sebum, and the foam's gentle salicylic acid helps pores look clear.

Which Korean cleanser is best for sensitive skin?
The SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil or the Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil Mild for the first step. Then the Medicube Zero Foam Cleanser as the second. All three are built to clean without leaving skin tight or red.

Can I use a cleansing oil if I have oily skin?
Yes. A cleansing oil dissolves the oil already on your face and then rinses away with it, so it does not add oil to the skin. Choose one that emulsifies cleanly, like the Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil, and follow it with a foam.

What is a low-pH cleanser and does it matter?
Skin sits naturally on the slightly acid side. A low-pH cleanser is one made to match that rather than push it towards alkaline. It matters because a cleanser that matches your skin leaves it feeling calm instead of tight. The Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser and the SKIN1004 Ampoule Foam are both low-pH.

Is a cleansing balm better than a cleansing oil?
Neither is better, they suit different days. A balm like Banila Co Clean It Zero is stronger on heavy makeup and waterproof sunscreen. A light oil like the SKIN1004 Light Cleansing Oil is quicker for a normal day of sunscreen and is easier to rinse.

Still not sure which cleanser suits your skin? Email us at contact@dlux-essentials.com and we will help you choose.