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Your Skincare Step One: Best Face Cleansers and Makeup Removers
As the first step of your skincare routine, the importance of face cleansers should never be underestimated. But with so many types of cleansers out there, how do we know what's good for which skin type?
As a K-beauty (and health and beauty products in general!) powerhouse, Olive Young is a good place to turn to for all things skincare. Let's delve into this list of Olive Young long-time bestselling face wash recs as well as the newest cleansing hypes of 2025!
Facial Cleansers for Dry Skin
A tight, stripped sensation is the last thing dry skin types want after cleansing. To avoid this, we recommend looking for face wash containing humectants and moisturising factors such as hyaluronic acid, nourishing oils, and ceramides.
Lathering the cleanser into a rich, thick foam can help reduce friction and control the product's cleansing ability, preventing over-cleansing and protecting essential oils in the skin.
Olive Young Facial Cleanser for Dry Skin #1: ▶ ROUND LAB 1025 Dokdo Cleanser
A skin-friendly mildly acidic foam cleanser that lathers into a soft rich foam effortlessly. Keeps skin hydrated during cleansing with a moisturising formula of mineral-rich deep sea water from Ulleungdo in Korea as well as triple hyaluronic acid.
Olive Young Facial Cleanser for Dry Skin #2: Ariul Peach Soda Whipping Cream Cleanser
A multi-purpose cleansing foam that works as both a regular cleanser and a cleansing mask. Gently removes dirt, base makeup and sebum deep in the pores with a formula of 95% naturally derived ingredients, including 14% peach extracts and berry complex, to provide hydration and soothing care.
Olive Young Facial Cleanser for Dry Skin #3: ▶ Ginger6 Hydrating Ginger Water Foam Cleanser
What is ginger water? Ginger water, in fact, boasts additional antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects compared to purified water normally used in cosmetics. This 100% vegan cleanser is imbued with 31.7% proprietary ginger water as well as 8 natural extracts and 5 hyaluronic acids to cleanse and hydrate, effectively calming and improving skin sensitivity.
Makeup Removing Cleansing Balms for Dry Skin
Cleansing balms come in a mild, soft and nourishing texture, offering a more hydrating cleanse. It melts into oil when spread on the skin, effectively dissolving makeup and removing dirt while retaining the moisture your skin needs.
Olive Young Cleansing Balm Recommendation #1: ▶ Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm
This cleansing balm gently dissolves foundation, eye and lip makeup alike, undoing your entire makeup with just one product. Formulated with rice bran and a range of grain extracts loaded with amino acids and minerals, it nourishes and hydrates with natural nutrients.
Olive Young Cleansing Balm Recommendation #2: ▶ Heimish All Clean Balm
Enriched with natural botanicals and extracts including shea butter, citrus herb oil, coconut extract and white flower complex, this hypoallergenic balm cleanses without irritating. It thoroughly removes waterproof makeup, dirt, and blackheads, saving you the time and energy of double cleansing. The mild herbal fragrance adds a luxurious spa-like enjoyment, without lingering on the skin.
Olive Young Cleansing Balm Recommendation #3: ▶ Aprilskin Carrotene IPMP Hydromelt Cleansing Balm
This carrotene cleansing balm is a two-in-one that removes makeup and cleanses at the same time, getting rid of even waterproof makeup gently. The multifunctional formula effectively melts sebum and blackheads, exfoliates, cleanses, and soothes with minimal irritation. Skin is left refreshed and residue-free.
Facial Cleansers for Oily Skin
Oil skin types can go for cleansers that offer a more refreshing, oil-free finish, but which still maintains a healthy water-oil balance. If you're troubled by acne, formulas containing anti-acne ingredients may help – salicylic acid, for instance, helps to soften dead skin cells and gently exfoliate, unclogging pores to improve blackheads.
Olive Young Facial Cleanser for Oily Skin #1: ▶ Arencia Fresh Green Cleanser
Formulated with over 30 plant-based components through a 72-hour fermentation process and kneaded over 7,200 times, the Arencia rice mochi cleanser comes in a soft stretchy texture with fine, smooth cleansing beads to remove dead skin cells and impurities, purify blackhead and acne, and tighten pores. It keeps pores fresh and tight and leaves your skin smooth, clear and dewy.
Olive Young Facial Cleanser for Oily Skin #2: ▶ Dr.Althea Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm
This nourishing vegan cleansing formula delivers a gentle deep cleanse with grape seed oil. Also enriched with tea seed oil to moisturise the skin and madecassoside and centella extract to soothe sensitive skin and reduce redness, promising a non-irritating sensation. The lightweight non-greasy sorbet texture minimises heaviness and oiliness for a refreshing, weightless cleansing experience.
Olive Young Facial Cleanser for Oily Skin #3: ▶ Medicube Red Foam Cleanser
The fight against problematic skin begins with cleansing – this 5-in-1 functional powerhouse of a face wash combines exfoliating, blackhead and whitehead care, sebum balancing, smoothing, and hydrating care in one. Keeping the skin clear and its water-oil level balanced, it helps to combat acne at its root.
Facial Cleansing Oil for Oily Skin
Yep, you read it right – cleansing oils can also be used on oily skin! Cleansing oils with high oil content can actually dissolve excess sebum and impurities more thoroughly for a deeply purifying effect.
The key is to pick the right kind of oil – using the right cleansing oil for your skin can allow the cleansing ingredients to reach deep into pores and dissolve the grease, dirt, and makeup embedded within. But remember to completely emulsify the cleansing oil and rinse properly afterwards, or pores may be left clogged.
Olive Young Cleansing Oil Recommendation #1: ▶ numbuzin No.1 Easy Peasy Cleansing Oil
The numbuzin No.1 cleansing oil cleanses with natural plant oils like corn and macadamia ternifolia seed oil. Also imbued with nourishing sunflower seed oil, it's gentle on sensitive skin but without compromising on cleansing capability, easily removing even waterproof makeup and mascara while purifying pores and blackheads.
Olive Young Cleansing Oil Recommendation #2: ▶ numbuzin No.5+ Glutathione Vitamin Facial Spa Cleanser
A luxurious massage cleansing oil enriched with antioxidants and natural detoxifying oils (jojoba oil, olive oil, sunflower oil). Removes waste, waterproof makeup, blackheads, and excess sebum from your skin, with extra brightening bonus.
Olive Young Cleansing Oil Recommendation #3: ▶ Sungboon Editor Green Tomato Deep Pore Double Cleansing Ampoule Oil
Known for their formula of antioxidant-rich green tomato extracts, Sungboon Editor, of course, infuses the same ingredient into this cleansing oil, which doesn't just cleanses but also works on pores, combats skin aging, and improves skin elasticity and texture. The patented ingredient Anti Sebum P also helps control excess sebum to refresh, unclog and combat sebum-induced pores.
Olive Young Cleansing Oil Recommendation #4: ▶ SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil
Blended with 4 plant-derived oils, this light dual-function cleansing oil gently removes makeup while dissolving dirt in pores. Functioning on the principle of "dissolving oil with oil", it cleanses without stripping the face of essential oils, leaving the skin fresh and hydrated with no greasy feel.
Olive Young Cleansing Oil Recommendation #5: ▶ Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture Deep Cleansing Oil
Featuring a natural, vegan and minimalist formula, this black rice cleansing oil is fragrance free to ensure complete safety on sensitive skin. It's formulated with 100% concentrated rice bran oil from Korean-produced black rice, delivering premium protein, dietary fiber and various minerals to the skin while refining skin texture and strengthening the natural barrier.