This article contains affiliate links* and PR samplesº I’ve been trying so many great foaming, second step cleansers lately, so I wanted to share 3 of my current favourite Korean cleansers with you today!
Celebrating My Love for Korean Foaming Cleansers
I love the cleansing step of my K-beauty routine! There is something about getting rid of the grime and dirt of the day that just really helps me wind down at night, and as a morning cleanser girlie I also really enjoy that feeling of a clean slate after a maybe not perfectly restful night.
A good cleanser can really make or break your skincare routine, and as someone with slightly neurotic skin when it comes to foaming cleansers, I’m always on the hunt for that elusive, perfect second step cleanser.
I’ve been trying out quite a lot of different K-beauty cleansers lately, and so I felt it would be fun and hopefully helpful for you guys to share my current favourite Korean cleansers! All three are especially suitable for those of you with sensitive, acne-prone and oily to combo skin. Although, if you have normal to slightly dry skin and still struggle with breakouts, you may also get along well with these cleansers.
1. Favourite Korean Cleansers: Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule Foam
I’ve actually talked about this cleanser before in my Skin1004 brand overview!, plus also when I showed you my sample skincare routine with Olive Young products.
Since then, I’ve really never stopped loving the Madagascar Centella Ampoule Foam Cleanser, no matter what other Korean cleansers I’ve been trying. I always go back to this one when my skin feels out of whack, but also needs a thorough cleanse. This foaming cleanser uses very mild surfactants and is also fragrance-free, which I know is important to many of you guys. It contains 33% soothing centella asiatica extract plus a couple of other calming plant extracts such as coptis japonica, plus hydrating hyaluronic acid.
And this is the thing about the Centella Ampoule Foam Cleanser: it is so soothing and surprisingly hydrating! My skin feels super soft and just very relaxed overall when I use this, no tightness or feeling of oils being stripped off my barrier. It cleanses thoroughly and yet leaves your skin barrier intact. I also feel it works well in calming down redness that I often get from the cleansing action, especially now that allergy season is in full swing.
Oh, did I mention that this is also a very affordable Korean cleanser? You can usually find this on sale at Olive Young Global* (currently at around $15) or at Stylevana*, and from experience I can tell you that a little goes a long way – the bottle will last you forever! A great second step cleanser choice for all of you with combo to oily and normal skin on the more sensitive side.
2. Favourite Korean Cleansers: Fation Nosca9 Cleansing Gel
Out of all the Korean cleansers that I’m introducing to you today, the Fation Nosca9 Cleansing Gel is probably the least known one outside of Korea. Which is strange because in Korea, this is a huge bestseller! Fation is a derma brand that belongs to the influential Dong-A-Pharm company, and its products are specifically formulated to respect and maintain skin barrier health. The Nosca9 range was also designed to help oily, acne-prone and sensitive skin, a notoriously difficult to take care of skin type.
This is a foaming cleansing gel which uses gentle surfactants plus key ingredient sodium heparin, which is soothing, de-puffing and anti-inflammatory. Now, the cleansing action is a little bit more stripping and overall stronger than the Skin1004 one, so I would only recommend this gel cleanser for those of you with oilier skin. I usually grab this when I want a really deep cleanse and right before my period, when my skin is much oilier and just kind of feels “dirtier.”
The Nosca9 Cleansing Gel is still very mild in comparison to other cleansers, and I love how it really helps to reduce excess sebum and work to minimise acne-causing bacteria. There is a reason why this is so, so popular in Korea! Just a heads up: the cleanser does contain fragrant essential oils (bergamot and sage), plus a little bit of ethanol. I still didn’t find this drying or irritating, and have already more than half emptied the bottle! This would also be a great cleanser choice for men, as it feels very refreshing and “unisex.”
You can find the Fation Nosca9 Cleansing Gel at Olive Young Global*, usually for a good price too given that the 200ml bottle size lasts for quite some time.
3. Favourite Korean Cleansers: Juice to Cleanse Powder Wash
I feel like I keep singing the praises of this powder wash and yet no one is paying me any heed?! How is this one not viral yet, when it is truly my favourite enzyme powder wash from Korea. This is probably one of the Korean cleansers I’ve been using for the longest time by now, I want to say probably since 2021? This is also already my second package, plus I had a mini package in some K-beauty box or other. So, I’ve gone through quite a number of these little sachets by now and still really adore the Juice to Cleanse Powder Wash.
Powder washes are fantastic Korean cleansers (Japanese people love them too!), since they offer a very gentle mechanical scrubbing action without stripping or peeling the skin too aggressively. You basically mix the powder from the sachets with water to create a foaming paste, which you then gently massage into your skin as a second step cleanse.
One of the reasons I like the Juice to Cleanse Powder Wash so much is that its grains are very soft and don’t feel abrasive on the skin. They melt into a very soft foam once combined with water, and I never feel any graininess when I then use the foam on my skin. Despite its gentleness, I do notice a scrubbing sensation and can see the difference after I use this on my skin: it feels softer and smoother, without being red or dehydrated.
The Juice to Cleanse Powder Wash uses maize starch and the enzyme papain as a scrubbing agent, plus it also contains a number of antioxidant, “green” extracts such as green tea, broccoli, avocado and cucumber. The powder is alcohol and fragrance-free and works well for all skin types. You can technically use powder washes daily, but I personally prefer to limit my usage to maybe once a week max. It is still a physical scrub, after all, and I already use chemical exfoliants, so want to respect my skin’s barrier!
This really comes highly recommended by me, and I’d love to see more people discover this excellent powder wash from a great vegan K-beauty brand. You can purchase the 30 pack Juice to Cleanse Powder Wash at Olive Young Global*!
Korean Cleansers – They really Are some of the Best out There!
I hope I could introduce you to a few new Korean cleansers for your double cleansing or morning skincare routine! I’ve really been loving these 3 foaming cleansers in particular these days, and even though I constantly try out new cleansers and will likely have new favourites in a few weeks, these 3 will likely always have a soft spot in my heart.
Don’t forget to use my coupon code “SUGARPEACH10” for 5% off your Olive Young Global order, and code “INF10SPL” for up to 15% off your Stylevana order!
Let me know in the comments: What’s your current second step cleanser obsession?
Take care guys, and stay safe – don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest K-Beauty and skincare news, and check out my other work, e.g. my article about the Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Acid Cream! And guys – I have a YouTube channel now, I’d love for you to check it out and subscribe!
*Affiliate Links, meaning I earn a small commission if you decide to use the link to purchase an item. This does not raise the purchase price for you, and it helps me and my blog to grow – so, thank you for supporting me in this way!!!
°PR Sample, kindly provided by a brand or shop – I am not obligated to write this blog article, was not paid for the article, and my opinions are entirely my own.
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