The Best Korean Face Wash Cleaners on the Market

What’s the best Korean face wash?

Korean face washes come in many different formulas, so you need to think about your skincare goals and skin type when choosing one. Some of the more popular Korean skincare brands that create cleansers include The Pure Lotus, Etude, and Then I Met You but there are loads to discover.

Winner: The Pure Lotus Jeju Botanical Cleanser

The Pure Lotus’ Jeju Botanical Cleanser is a daily cleanser that features 5% of the Jeju Botanical Complex Extract, featuring eight of the plants found on Jeju Island. You can double cleanse thanks to its two-step approach and it comes in a large 5.07fl oz bottle with an easy pump applicator.

Review 

The Pure Lotus has formulated a 2-in-1 cleanser that works for both steps of a double cleanse routine and is infused with their Jeju Botanical Complex Extract. The extract has brightening and cleansing properties and the fruit extracts within it are found on Jeju Island itself.

The Jeju Botanical Cleanser also features glycerin, seawater, and white lotus extract, making it gentle enough for all skin types.

It has a citrus scent that remains on your skin after you’ve washed it off and features antioxidants, flavonoids, and antibiotics that protect your skin for long after as well.

With the option to use as a gel cleanser on dry skin or a foaming cleanser when mixed with water, you can take your Jeju anywhere for great results.

Specs

• Scent: Citrus
• Skin type: All
• Size: 5.07fl oz

Pros

• The option to apply dry or wet means even without access to water you can still clean your face.
• Serves as both steps in double cleansing for those who want to cut down on their skincare routine time.
• This cleanser washes away easily without a lot of effort but still manages to cut through dirt and oil on your face.
• After cleansing, your face won’t feel dry and tight like some other cleansers make it, so it’s the best Korean face wash for dry skin.

Cons

• The citrus scent is a little overpowering and even once it’s washed off, it’s still noticeable. 
• Using this cleanser dry isn’t recommended for those with already dry skin as it can pull too much.

Runner Up: Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm

Then I Met You has created an award-winning product with their Living Cleansing Balm, featuring vitamin E, persimmon extractor, and seaberry oil which gives it its signature bright yellow color.

Coming in a 3.17fl oz jar and being the first step of a double cleanse process, it melts away sebum, makeup, and impurities gently and effectively. 

Review 

Then I Met You’s Living Cleansing Balm is another of our favorites and the best Korean face wash for oily skin as it actively melts it and leaves no traces behind on your face.

The key ingredients in this cleanser are seaberry oil, vitamin E, olive oil, and persimmon extract, all working towards anti-aging and brightening while they cleanse your skin of impurities.

One of the best things about this cleanser is its soft sorbet-like texture and how it glides onto your face. Follow it up with Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel for a double cleanse and treat your skin to products that are free from synthetic fragrances, alcohol, silicone, parabens, and all of the other nasties.

Specs

• Scent: Natural
• Skin type: All
• Size: 3.17fl oz

Pros

• The sorbet-like texture is what makes this face wash a cult favorite and it feels amazing going on.
• No nasty ingredients are found in this cleanser which your skin will love you for.
• You can feel the cleanser melting away oils and impurities without needing to scrub too hard.
• With no added synthetic fragrances, the scent of this cleanser comes from the all-natural ingredients.

Cons

• You’ll need to follow up with an oil-based cleanser to complete the process so expect to spend more money.
• The bottle is smaller than others and you’ll need to replace it more frequently.

Alternative: Etude

The SoonJung pH 6.5 Whip Cleanser from Etude is a basic cleanser with a low pH of 6.5 and loads of gentle ingredients like panthenol and Centella Asiatica. Coming in a larger 5.07fl oz bottle and with a foaming texture, you only need a little to go a long way with this cleanser.

Review 

Etude’s SoonJung pH 6.5 Whip Cleanser is an affordable and effective way to cleanse and moisturize your skin at once. 

The key ingredients include Centella Asiatica to repair the skin and panthenol for hydration, with both working together to cleanse your face and ensure even the most sensitive complexions don’t get irritated. 

If you’re looking for the best Korean fash wash for combination skin or dry skin, you’ll love the pH-balancing properties of this.

While it cleanses it moisturizes, and it features no harsh ingredients like alcohol, synthetic fragrances, or parabens, which further adds to its gentleness, and customers loved the way their skin felt after it was washed away.

Specs

• Scent: Natural
• Skin type: All
• Size: 5.07fl oz

Pros

• This is a cheap alternative for an effective Korean face wash if you don’t want to spend a fortune.
• There are no hidden ingredients in the formula so everything in here is gentle for your skin. 
• Reviewers with dry skin found it added loads of hydration and helped restore moisture to their faces.
• Because it foams, you only need one squirt of this cleanser to cover your whole face.

Cons

• As a cheaper option, the ingredients aren’t as concentrated in this foam cleanser.
• This gentle cleanser might not be enough for those who have excess sebum and makeup to remove.

Alternative: Banila Co. Clean It Zero 

Banila Co. Clean It Zero Cleansing balm has earned itself a cult following in the world of skincare, and it utilizes bamboo extract and acerola extract to clean deeply.

Coming in a 3.38fl. oz jar and with a bright floral scent, you’ll love washing your face with this each day, as long as you follow up with a water-based cleanser.

Review 

Clean It Zero by Banila Co. is the best Korean face wash for pores, oil, makeup removal, and more. The soft and supple cleanser suits all skin types and features the joint effort of bamboo extract for soothing and acerola extract for restoration, giving major results. 

Although it’s a smaller jar and you need a little more to get it to work, there are lots of things to love about Clean It Zero. The solid texture that melts down into oil is a dream to wash your face with and it features onsen water to get a real life hot springs experience at home.

Specs

• Scent: Floral 
• Skin type: All
• Size: 3.38fl. oz

Pros

• The texture of the cleanser as it turns into an oil makes it easy to glide over your face.
• Noticeably cleaner and clearer complexion after just one use of this cleanser.
• Works just as well on all skin types and can be followed up with a water-based product for double cleansing.
• One of the cheaper quality facial cleansers on the market today.

Cons

• A smaller jar that requires more cleanser to work, so be prepared to buy two at a time.
• The floral scent that this leaves behind is too overpowering and doesn’t smell natural.

Alternative: CocoKind Oil to Milk Cleanser

Oil to Milk Cleanser is the signature product of CocoKind and it relies on the power of fermented oat to work its magic.

In the 2.9fl. oz recycled tube you’ll find an organic oil blend, oat lipid complex, sunflower seed oil, and grapeseed oil, so the cleanser goes on as oil and transforms to a soft and supple milk that can be easily washed off.

Review 

CocoKind Oil to Milk Cleanser is exactly as the name suggests, and a hydration boosting cleanser that will pH balance and restore moisture to your skin. The oil slides on easily and lathers into milk so you can rinse it away gentle without a hassle.

The formula used for the Oil to Milk Cleanser features no artificial fragrances, sulfates, alcohol, essential or mineral oils, and only good stuff.

With fermented oat being the key ingredient, it’s gentle and ideal for all skin types, and will never leave your face feeling tight and dried out after you wash it away.

Specs

• Scent: None
• Skin type: All
• Size: 2.9oz

Pros

• You’ll feel good shopping with a brand that is cruelty free, uses recycled materials, and has no harsh ingredients.
• The formula glides on easily and you only need a small amount to cover your face and neck.
• No synthetic fragrances or anything to irritate the skin so it’s perfect for sensitive complexions.
• This is a gentler type of cleanser that’s perfect for those who don’t wear makeup.

Cons

• Only comes in a small bottle which means you’ll need two to keep yourself covered.
• The price per size of this cleanser makes it one of the more expensive options to choose.