Cleansing Oil vs Cleansing Balm: Which Korean First Cleanse Is Right for You?

A cleansing oil and a cleansing balm do the same job. Both melt sunscreen, makeup and the oil your skin makes through the day, so the water based cleanser you use next can actually work. The difference is texture, not strength. Oil is faster and suits most people, while balm is tidier and gives you more control.

What a first cleanse actually does

Sunscreen and makeup are built to stay put. A foaming cleanser is water based, so it slides over them and lifts very little. That is why Korean routines start with an oil based step and follow it with a foam or a gel. The oil grabs the oily things, and the second wash carries the whole lot away.

Those two steps together are called a double cleanse, and it is the step most people skip. Skip it and your serum sits on a film of leftover sunscreen. Do it and the rest of your routine has clean skin to work on.

You only need it at night. In the morning your skin has nothing on it but sweat and last night's cream, so one gentle wash is plenty.

How a cleansing oil works

A cleansing oil is a blend of light plant oils with an emulsifier mixed in. You pump it onto dry hands and massage it over dry skin, then add a splash of water. The emulsifier turns the oil milky and it rinses away instead of leaving a slick behind.

Oil spreads fast, which makes it the easy choice on a night when you cannot be bothered. It also copes well with heavy sunscreen, and in an Australian summer that matters more than anything else here.

The Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil is the one most people reach for first. It is built around heartleaf extract, it feels light, and it rinses off without a film. There is also a Mild version with a shorter ingredient list, made for skin that flushes easily.

If you like centella, the SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil is the thinnest of the three. Pick it if oil textures usually feel too rich on you. We have written more about that ingredient in our guide to centella asiatica in Korean skincare.

Who is it not for? Anyone who hates the feel of oil on their face. It is awkward on a small shelf too, because pump bottles are the bulkiest thing in this category.

How a cleansing balm works

A balm is the same idea in solid form. It sits in a tub as a soft wax and melts into an oil the moment it touches warm skin. You scoop it with the spatula, warm it between your fingers, and massage it in the same way you would an oil.

Because it starts solid, a balm does not run down your wrists and it cannot leak in a suitcase. That makes it the neater option, and the better one for travel. It also stays where you put it, so it is easier to work slowly over stubborn eye makeup.

The trade is speed, because a balm needs a few seconds to melt before it spreads. You also have to keep the spatula clean, so wet fingers never go back into the tub. It is a small thing, but you do it every night.

Banila Co Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Original is the balm we stock, and it is the one that made the format popular. It melts quickly for a balm, it emulsifies cleanly with water, and the 180ml tub lasts months.

Who is it not for? Anyone in a rush, and anyone who would rather not keep a spatula clean. If that sounds like you, buy the oil.

Cleansing oil vs cleansing balm at a glance

	Cleansing oil	Cleansing balm
Texture in the pack	Liquid, in a pump bottle	Soft solid, in a tub
How you apply it	Pump onto dry hands	Scoop with a spatula, warm it first
Speed	Fastest	A few seconds slower
Mess	Can run down your wrists	Stays put
Travel	Can leak in a bag	Cannot spill
Best for	Daily sunscreen, oily and combination skin	Full makeup, dry skin, travel
Still needs a second cleanse	Yes	Yes
At DLUX	From $23	$33

Shop Korean first cleansers

The full range sits in our Korean cleanser collection, and every one of these is in stock and sent from our Sydney warehouse.

Choose a cleansing oil if this sounds like you

Pick the oil if you wear sunscreen daily and not much makeup. That is most Australians, and it is the case oil handles best. Sunscreen is the hardest thing a first cleanse has to shift, and a liquid oil spreads over your whole face in about two seconds.

Pick it as well if your skin runs oily or combination. There is an old worry that oil cleansers make oily skin worse. The opposite tends to be true, because the alternative is scrubbing with a strong foam and leaving skin tight. A gentle first cleanse means the second one does not have to be harsh.

Oil is also the cheaper way in. The SKIN1004 light oil starts at $23 for 200ml, and at one or two pumps a night a bottle lasts a long time. If you want the second cleanse in the same box, the Madagascar Centella Double Cleansing Duo pairs that oil with the matching foam.

Choose a cleansing balm if this sounds like you

Pick the balm if you wear real makeup, not just sunscreen. Foundation, long wear lipstick and waterproof mascara all need a bit of time and a bit of friction, and a balm gives you both. It stays where you put it, so you can work over one eye without the product sliding down your cheek.

Pick it as well if your skin is dry or tight after washing. A balm feels cushiony going on and it buffers the wash that follows. That is the difference between finishing a cleanse comfortable and finishing it stripped. Dry skin in winter tends to prefer this format, and a lot of people switch back to oil once the weather warms up.

Balm is also the format to travel with. Nothing leaks, nothing counts as a liquid at security, and a tub survives being thrown in a bag. If you are going away for a week and do not want to decant anything, this is the easy answer.

The one we stock is Banila Co Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Original at $33. It is the original of the format and it is still the benchmark for how fast a balm should melt. The tub is large, so treat it as the more expensive option that lasts longer, rather than the pricier one.

The formula itself leans comforting rather than stripping. It uses onsen-sui, which is hot spring water, along with vitamin E and acerola extract. The sherbet texture is the giveaway: it looks firm in the tub, then goes liquid the second it meets warm skin.

It is worth doing the cost sum before you decide. Per millilitre the balm costs more than any of the oils here. But you tend to reach for it only on the nights you wear makeup, so a tub lasts longer. An oil gets used every night and empties faster. Over a year the two land closer together than the shelf price suggests.

How to use either one without irritating your skin

The method is the same for both, and getting it right matters more than which format you bought.

1. Start with dry hands and a dry face, because water gets in the way of the oil doing its job.
2. Massage for about 30 seconds, gently. You are dissolving sunscreen, not scrubbing it off, so light pressure is enough.
3. Add a little warm water and keep massaging until the product turns milky, which is the emulsifier working.
4. Rinse, then follow with a water based cleanser. The Anua Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam is the usual pick.
5. Pat dry and move straight into your toner while your skin is still a bit damp.

Two things to avoid. Do not use a flannel or a scrub on top, because the whole point of this step is that it lifts things off without friction. And do not do it twice a day. A morning double cleanse takes off more than it needs to, and it often leaves skin tight by lunchtime.

If you are new to all of this, start with the oil. It is cheaper, it is quicker, and it will tell you within a week whether you like the format at all. You can always add a balm later for makeup nights, which is what a lot of people end up doing. For more on the heartleaf range, read our guide to the best Anua products in Australia.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need both a cleansing oil and a cleansing balm?
No. They do the same job and one is enough. Some people keep an oil for everyday sunscreen and a balm for makeup nights, but that is a preference, not a need.

Which is better for oily skin, an oil or a balm?
An oil, usually. It is lighter, it rinses faster, and it leaves less behind. Oily skin often does better with a gentle first cleanse than with a strong foam. A harsh wash can leave skin tight and make it feel worse.

Can I use a cleansing oil in the morning?
You can, but most people do not need to. Overnight your skin only picks up sweat and whatever cream you applied before bed, so one gentle water based wash is plenty. Save the first cleanse for the evening.

Will a cleansing oil clog my pores?
A cleansing oil is designed to be rinsed off, so it does not stay on your skin long enough to sit in a pore. What can cause trouble is not rinsing properly. Add enough water to turn it milky, then rinse until your skin no longer feels slippery.

Do I still need a second cleanser after an oil or a balm?
Yes. The first step lifts the oily things and the second one takes away what is left, along with sweat and any residue. Without it you can be left with a faint film, which is the most common complaint about oil cleansers.

Can I use a cleansing balm to take off eye makeup?
Yes, and it is one of the things balm does best, because it stays put instead of running. Keep your eyes closed, work slowly, and rinse well afterwards. If your eyes are sensitive, patch test on one eye first.

Still not sure which one suits you? Email us at contact@dlux-essentials.com and we will help you pick.