It’s seems like we are all head-over-heels about Korean skincare products and rightfully so! With their combination of natural ingredient that work together beautifully, Korean skincare products can transform your skin with consistent use. But the foundation of having radiant and glowing skin starts with a good cleanser. Water on it’s own can’t get rid of all the dirty that our skin is exposed to daily specially when using makeup products which aren’t water-soluble. That’s where the cleanser comes into play, breaking down and removing all impurities from our face and leaving us with a clean canvas for our face masks, serums, moisturizers and eye creams.
If you are looking for a high-quality facial cleanser, we’ve rounded up our picks for the best Korean facial cleansers of 2024. Leading our list as the best overall is Hyggee Soft Reset Green Cleansing Balm for it’s cleansing and moisturizing effect. But all the cleansers on this list are at the top the most effective in the K-beauty world, many of which use natural ingredients, are free of animal cruelty, and avoid dangerous or irritating ingredients normally found in beauty products. Take your pick from our list of some of the best facial cleansers high-quality and affordable Korean facial cleansers.
Best Overall: HYGGEE Soft Reset Green Cleansing Balm
We find this cleanser to be the best overall because of its natural ingredients, moisture-retaining abilities, and deep cleaning abilities. The ingredients include extracts from apple, grape, plum, and papaya, which all serve to transform flaky skin.
The moisture from these fruits is left on the skin after washing so that it keeps the skin hydrated. At the same time, this cleanser washes and removes impurities such as waterproof makeup, dead skin cells, and wastes.
We love the feeling afterwards, a fresh and cool feeling that also leaves skin feeling relaxed, and not tight like some other cleansers leave your skin feeling.
YAFUSIPE Glycolic Acid Pads
A quick and easy way to cleanse your skin is with these Glycolic Acid Pads from Yafusipe. Just a gentle wipe on your face provides Vitamins B5, C, & E to fully hydrate your face. These pads not only clean the face but also soothe and protect skin with Allantoin and provide anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits with Calendula and Green Tea.
What we like about these pads is that they are easy to use and cause little mess. They are free of alcohol but will give the face a cooling boost with menthol and peppermint. These pads fight aging by targeting dark spots, shrinking pores, and also fighting acne breakouts.
The pads are gentle on the skin and are appropriate for different skin types, such as those prone to acne, oily skin, and dry skin.
Erborian Women’s Centella Cleansing Gel
We love a cleanser that isn’t packed with unhealthy ingredients. This Cleansing Gel from Erborian is free from sulfates, gluten, paraben, formaldehyde, phthalates, coal tar, and oxybenzone, and instead uses natural ingredients, including chamomile, licorice, green tea, and almond oil.
For those who don’t like to dry out their skin with cleansers, this cleansing gel is a good option since it helps to maintain the moisture on your skin. This cleanser is a safe and gentle way to remove makeup or wash your face in the morning and nighttime.
Your face will be left feeling softer after using this cleanser instead of tight and dry, and we like how effective it is at cleaning up extra oily skin.
TONYMOLY I’m Rice Exfoliating Enzyme Cleanser
From TONYMOLY, a Korean skincare company that has been around since 2006, this Exfoliating Enzyme Cleanser comes in the form of a powder, which foams once you add water. This Cleanser is made of simple ingredients such as Rice Powder, Rice Extract, and Papaya Enzyme.
We love that the rice-based ingredients naturally exfoliate and hydrate your skin while also providing anti-inflammatory properties. The Papaya Extract is the magic bullet that removes dead skin and leaves your skin brighter and softer.
This cleanser is scent-free for those who may have a sensitivity to smells, but it still leaves your face fresh and clean. People love this cleanser so much that the only thing that upsets them is the capacity, and that there isn’t more of it.
BANILA CO Clean It Zero Original Cleansing Balm
From a leader in K-beauty, this Cleansing balm is a 3-in-1 cleanser that is excellent at removing makeup, especially waterproof makeup. This cleansing balm starts with a texture like sherbet, but after application to the skin, becomes a smooth oil.
We like that this cleanser doesn’t irritate or dry the skin, and with the help of Vitamin C, it provides hydration to the skin to make it soft. Vitamin E keeps the skin nourished and protects the skin with antioxidants.
It’s also a hypoallergenic formula that works with sensitive skin and provides a natural barrier to maintain healthy pH levels. The cleanser has a light scent and contains an ingredient called acerola, which is an active ingredient that cleanses and reinvigorates the skin.
Etude House Soon Jung Whip
This foaming cleanser is perfect for dry and sensitive skin types. Its slightly acidic composition ensures that the skin’s protective barrier maintains integrity, preventing it from becoming too alkaline and therefore avoiding the risk of dryness and other issues.
We like that this cleanser heals irritated and damaged skin with effective ingredients such as Panthenol and Madecassoside. These ingredients are healthy for the skin and the cleanser itself is free of mineral oils, color additives, synthetic perfumes, animal materials, and more.
We also like that it is gentle on the skin, non-comedogenic, so it will not cause breakouts and is hypo-allergenic to prevent any kind of irritation or rashes for sensitive skin.
Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil Korean Facial Cleanser
If you are looking for a cleanser that is good for blackhead removal and preventing outbreaks, this cleansing oil from Anua is a potent yet gentle oil for just that. This cleanser’s emulsification process cleans up makeup and removes sebum, an oil naturally produced by the skin that can cause breakouts if in excess.
We like that this cleanser is safe around the eyes and won’t sting if applied around that area. It is safe for acne-prone and sensitive skin, minimizes the size of your pores, and results in glowing skin.
People who have issues with the removal of blackheads rave about the effectiveness of this cleanser.
9wishes Rice Foaming Cleanser
This foaming cleanser is made of plant-based ingredients such as rice water, licorice extract, rice powder, and soybean ferment extract. It’s appropriate for sensitive skin and is perfect for daily use.
We like that this cleanser can clean off makeup and impurities from the skin while also evening out the skin and providing hydration. Skin will be clean, soft, and moisturized thanks to the base of rice powder, which removes dead skin cells while also gently exfoliating the skin.
Rice and other plant-based ingredients leave the skin shiny and smooth while upping the skin tone. It also doesn’t leave the skin feeling tight and is perfect for boosting rough and dull skin.
MIZON Snail Repairing Foam Cleanser
Don’t let the snail mucin filtrate throw you off with this cleanser. A great active ingredient, the snail mucin filtrate creates sticky bubbles that soften and cleanse the skin to produce a vibrant look.
We like that this cleanser cleans off dead skin cells, cleans up pores, and removes excess sebum; this helps prevent breakouts for those who are predisposed to oily skin. With vegetable extracts, this cleanser maintains the moisture of the skin and prevents irritation.
Since this cleanser is hypoallergenic it is gentle on the skin and is appropriate for various skin types including dry, normal, oily, and combination skin. Most users felt that the scent was either light or that it was pleasant.
THE FACE SHOP Rice Water Bright Foam Cleanser
This cleanser uses rice water, which was used by the royal court ladies in the dynasty kingdom of ancient Korea to maintain their bright and smooth skin. This rice water is enriched with vitamins and minerals and creates an effective lather with a fresh lemon scent.
We like the texture of this cleanser which is creamy to start and produces bubbles that protect the skin from irritation. Soap wort is a plant-based ingredient of this cleanser that gives the pores a deep clean, while rice bran contains protein, oil, and minerals for the health of the skin.
At the end of the day, rice water is the most powerful ingredient, which serves to brighten dark spots and give the skin a healthy glow.
ZitSticka Cushion Cleanse Hydrating Facial Cleanse
This cleanser is packed full of natural ingredients, including wooly thistle, green coffee seed extract, bisabolol, sea moss, and papaya. These natural ingredients ensure that even sensitive skin can be cleansed and exfoliated.
We like that this cleanser uses gentle acids to wash away dead skin without irritation. It also locks in moisture so that your skin doesn’t feel dry and crunchy after washing with it. This makes it especially beneficial for skin that is prone to breakouts.
Overall this cleanser helps to build the skin’s foundation and natural barrier so that the skin can be relieved of stress.
ARENCIA Korean Rice Cake Face Cleanser
This Face Cleanser from Arencia is a formula that requires 170 hours to complete. It’s a vegan recipe that is safe for all skin types, especially sensitive skin, and it is completely organic with 34 natural ingredients.
We like that this face cleanser is gentle on the skin with ingredients such as rice water and rice powder, but it also is made of green tea extract so supplies the skin with plenty of rich antioxidants.
It also has natural abrasives that help to break down dead skin and impurities, and then provide deep cleaning into the pores. Oily skin is effectively washed and excessive sebum is washed away to prevent future breakouts.
Dermology by NEOGENLAB Real Fresh Foam Cleanser
For a fresh and gentle wash, this cleanser is made of 100% fruit, including blueberry, cranberry, green tea, and heartleaf. Heartleaf and green tea serve to remove toxins and waste from the skin while soothing and protecting the skin from future issues.
We love that blueberry and cranberry not only provide hydration but also revitalize the skin to give it a more radiant glow. It’s also great that the pump immediately foams the cleanser so once it gets on the skin it begins working.
The green tea scent is pleasant and because it contains 99 natural ingredients it is gentle on the skin and provides a natural calming effect, perfect for a personal spa day.
THE FACE SHOP Rice Water Bright Face Wash
This is our second cleanser from The Face Shop, and although it contains similar ingredients, such as rice water and rice bran, it is an excellent choice for those that want to maintain moist skin. Thanks to vitamins A, B, and E as well as ceramide and various minerals, dry skin is nourished and moisture levels improved.
What we enjoy about this cleanser is that it cuts through makeup and washes away excess sebum to save your face from breakouts. This cleanser helps you to achieve glasslike skin that is radiant and soft with a light texture aided by other natural ingredients like jojoba oil.
PTUNKANG YUL Low pH Pore Deep Cleansing Foam
This cleanser comes out of the Pyunkang Yul Eastern Medicine Clinic in Korea, which has been spending the last 50 years treating skin diseases. This means it’s been tested and studied to have the most effective ingredients.
We like the calming and soothing feeling given by the Centella asiatica extract and beta-glucan. This makes it appropriate for sensitive skin and for those people who feel other cleansers irritate their skin too much.
Many users comment on how “fluffy” the bubbles are as well as their ability to clean oily skin especially.
Innisfree Pore Clearing Facial Foam
We find this cleanser to be particularly cool because it utilizes Jeju volcanic clusters, which are packed with minerals to remove impurities from pores and soak up excessive sebum. This results in matte looking skin that is soft to the touch and exfoliated.
We love how little of an amount this takes to cleanse the face, and even a small amount is effective on faces prone to blackouts and acne. The scent is also pleasant and not overwhelming.
In addition, the green tea used is from Jeju, so it imparts multiple benefits similar to the volcanic clusters, which serve as the key ingredient to this cleanser.
