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Magazines and beauty blogs often ask what’s next from Korea in terms of revolutionary innovation. Even my non-beauty-obsessed friends request bb cream samples from me and cushions are in development at some of the finest maisons in the land. So what’s next from beauty’s hottest think/sharktank?

Cleansers–and not just the ones you’ve been hearing about for some time. Sorry, but we’ve known about the Su:m 37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick for years, thanks–let’s talk about what’s truly futuristic and amazing. I mean, Korean chaebol (super-conglomerate) LG, which has many beauty lines including Su:m 37, recently launched a whole brand devoted just to cleansing. Just. Cleansing. Yes, I’ll be testing and reviewing more of their products in the weeks to come.

There was a time when I felt quite hopeless about the state of the kbeauty cleanser market. My hope has always been to find cleansers that feel good on my skin, have lower-than-neutral pH levels (less than 7.0 when mixed with water is my cut-off, 5.5 or so is ideal), and are interesting and pleasant to use. Whereas other skincare fans might reject anything over a 5.5 pH level, my skin’s rejection of many cleanser ingredients required me to broaden the scope of my search a bit while staying as low as possible. If you’re wondering what my skin looks like when certain cleanser ingredients touch it and why I’m willing to compromise on pH levels a bit, check out this photo from an early review on fan-b. Thanks, myristic, stearic, and lauric acids. When I reviewed a number of low-pH cleansers a few months ago I walked away really unhappy with the selection and vowed to find something that felt good, was scientifically sound, and was fun to use.

This isn’t another mass review (that will come later), but an overview of the kinds of cleansers coming out of Korea that I think represent a massive step forward for cleansing. While newly kbeauty-ized Sephora is gently breaking it to Western consumers that they *might* want to think about double cleansing, Korean cosmetic chemists are mixing up some of the most innovative and mind-blowing concoctions in beauty. I think that the formulations are different enough from what we see from mainstream Western brands that they, as a whole, suggest that Korea is going to once again revolutionize an aspect of the cosmetics industry.

Why cleansing? Because Caroline Hirons needs to tell her [skincare] blog readers not to use cleansing wipes as their sole means of cleansing. Because cleansing is the foundation on which great skin is built. Because cleansers offer a million ways to wreck your skin between the pH levels and irritating ingredients. Because British brands keep making cleansers that involve muslin cloths and fiddly stuff like that. Because, damn, this step can be really boring compared to others–but it doesn’t have to be. There’s huge potential for education and fun in this skincare category, which would pay off in more people getting into cleansing and transforming their skin.

These are cleanser types that I think could thrill even the most jaded kbeauty or general skincare lover–with my favorite of them all at the end. But first, a cleansing basics lesson.

Cleansing Basics

One of the hallmarks of the kbeauty skincare philosophy has been the double cleanse: first removing makeup, often with an oil-based cleanser, and then cleansing the skin, often with a water-soluble cleanser.

The new breed of cleansers sometimes works with that principle…or attempts to turn it on its head.

Some claim to offer all-in-one cleansing, but the ability of these cleansers to remove stubborn eyeliner (Rimmel’s Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal, the most tenacious liner in my test kit) demonstrated that cutting the oil step from your cleanse may not be the best option.

If you do decide to one-step your cleansing with pool or bubble-free essence cleanser consider removing color and stubborn makeup with a silicone-based dual-phase remover (such as Laneige’s Lip and Eye Remover Waterproof) and finishing your cleansing with a swipe of micellar water like Son & Park’s Beauty Water or a finishing cleanser like that by Makeremake.

In the end, really, there’s no getting around some sort of two-step if you want a first-rate cleanse.

Pool Cleansers

Type: All-in-one (covering both makeup removal and skin cleansing)

Examples: Caolion Mool Pool, A.H.C. Climax Water Pool Cleanser (pH: 6.0)–I covered this in my mass review of 15 first-step cleansers

+/-: the strength of this cleanser type is in the wild texture and tiny amount of product needed to get clean, but skincare fans will no doubt question whether the thickening cleanser formula is tough on sensitive skin due to increased friction.

How to use: apply directly on dry, dirty skin, rub in until it thickens (about a minute), and rinse with water.

With these cleansers, less really is more; the A.H.C. pool cleanser in particular thickens after it’s mixed with makeup as long as you don’t apply too much. With the right amount of pool cleanser one’s makeup, even stubborn makeup like the scandalously tenacious Rimmel Scandaleyes gets erased and removed easily with a water rinse or a wipe.

Why pool cleansers haven’t become the hottest shit on the block is beyond me. I suspect that it’s because it’s dead easy to screw them up badly and therefore hate them–less truly is more and one’s results decrease wildly if you use too much product. Here’s a demo of how ineffective the A.H.C. cleanser is when I added too much product to my hand:

In contrast, here’s the same cleanser when I added a tiny bit (I even had to remove half to ensure that I used the right amount in this demo). The cleanser eventually acts as an eraser on the makeup, taking everything with it and leaving my skin baby soft.

In case you’re wondering if I’ve been driven mad by my search for a low-pH cleanser, here’s an official video from Caolion, maker of the famous-in-Korea Mool Pool cleanser, showing the same makeup erasing results.

I honestly have no idea why this isn’t more commonly stocked and touted by etailers in the West–it’s an effective, interesting, innovative, low-pH cleanser from a known brand that seems to both remove makeup super effectively and cleanse skin. The only issue would be educating people how to use it properly so they’re not frustrated or disappointed by it. I mean…dude, IT’S A STRINGY CLEANSER THAT ERASES MAKEUP, WHY IS THIS NOT A THING!?!?

On top of all of that, my freakishly sensitive skin (when it comes to cleansers only, sigh) loves pool cleansers. The A.H.C. cleanser leaves my skin unirritated and baby soft. Beautifully, perfectly soft.

Where to buy: Caolion [KoreaDepart | eBay] A.H.C. [KoreaDepart | TesterKorea]

Bubble-free Gel or Essence Cleanser

Type: All-in-one (covering both makeup removal and skin cleansing)

Example: Acwell 5.5 Bubble-Free pH Balancing Cleanser (pH: 5.5)–I heard about this from Kerry at Skin & Tonics.

+/-: the pH level and lack of bubbles make this an ideal cleanser on paper, but people have been programmed to equate bubbles with cleansing effectiveness, so it’s tough for even some science-minded skincare fans (including me) to rest easy about their cleanse after using this.

Acwell covers both makeup removal and cleansing. It wasn’t perfect as a makeup remover, but it got almost every last trace of my clingy waterproof liner off. That said, be prepared to massage and rub this in for quite some time to get all of your makeup loose. The upside to this cleanser is that it doesn’t thicken, so it doesn’t cause the same level of skin friction as a pool cleanser.

When used as a second cleanser and mixed immediately with water, this cleanses without creating bubbles.

The reason Acwell isn’t a total win for me is due to the texture of my skin after using it–it’s not rough, but certainly not smooth–it’s as if my skin’s texture is suddenly running against the gain.

And I also really dig bubbles. ahahaha

Where to buy: Acwell [InsiderBeauty | eBay]

Enzyme Powder Cleanser

Type: Water soluble (second cleanser)

Examples: Su:m 37 White Award Enzyme Powder Wash (pH: 5.5)–I heard about this due to Cat at Snow White and the Asian Pear’s review. Leejiham (LJH) White-P Zyme (pH: 5.5).

NOTE: I have yet to find a low-pH enzyme cleanser (that actually tests as a low-pH cleanser) sold by a major U.S. kbeauty shop, although that will change when Cupidrop launches Tosowoong in their shop in the next few days.

+/-: these enzymes tend to bubble or foam up quite nicely and are extremely travel-friendly, but they often contain ingredients such as papain (papaya extract) that can cause skin irritation for some people.

Here’s the LJH enzyme powder in action.

Powder cleansers tend to be very cost-effective (aside from the LJH cleanser, yikes) and easy to use, but if you have cleanser-sensitive skin I’d steer clear of these since the papain has been an issue for more than a few fans of kbeauty (my skin doesn’t like them if I’ve recently done an acid peel).

Where to buy: Su:m 37 [Amazon | eBay | TesterKorea | KoreaDepart] LJH [HKC Plaza | eBay]

High-foam/low-pH Cleanser

Type: Water soluble (second cleanser)

Example: Sulwhasoo Snowise Ex Cleansing Foam (pH: 5.5)–I heard about this due to Cat at Snow White and the Asian Pear’s review.

+/-: if the ingredients work for your skin, these are the best of all possible worlds: all the foam and all the low-pHness rolled into one highly portable tube that’s easy to use in the shower. They’re not necessarily the most travel-friendly, but in terms of convenience, low pH, and new school bubbling satisfaction (they contain some sort of never-ending wild frankenfoaming agent) these are fabulous.

Where to buy: Sulwhasoo [Amazon | eBay | RoseRoseShop | KoreaDepart]

Cloud or Marshmallow Cleanser

Type: Water soluble (second cleanser)

Examples: Makeremake Cloud All-in-One Cleanser (supposedly covering both makeup removal and cleansing, but really only doing the second step well) (pH: 5.5), Re:cipe Slowganic Cleanser (cleansing step only) (pH: 6.5 according to my tests; this has tested as 5.0 to 5.5–see Unboxing Beauty for the 5.0-5.5 test post; the company claims the raw product has a pH of 5, but Do. Not. Trust. Beauty. Companies. For. Shit. When. It. Comes. To. pH. !!!!)

+/-: the jar packaging isn’t always beloved due to the possibility of contamination (although my extremely basic home fungus and bacteria test on a bunch of creams suggested that properly preserved skincare can handle contact with fingers without it becoming a cesspool of nasty), getting the soap curd to form bubbles or smear into one’s face isn’t always the most natural thing and can result in dropped or otherwise wasted product, and the cost-per-wash ratio may be a bit high. All that said, these are fun to use, certainly different and interesting, and do a fabulous job of cleansing when used properly.

The Makeremake Cloud All-in-One Cleanser claims to be able to both remove makeup and cover cleansing, but the makeup claim is highly dubious, at least as far as waterproof eye makeup is concerned:

The Makeremake cloud cleanser performs far better when used as a skin cleanser:

The weaknesses of the Re:cipe Slowganic cleanser are clear in this video: the jar is fiddly and the cleanser doesn’t smoothly mix with water at first:

That said, once the cleanser gets mixed up it forms lots of satisfying bubbles, it smells pretty good (in a “made in a lab way,” not in a “TonyMoly banana sleeping pack how did they do this I’m going to lick it” way), and *drumroll* it’s the most gentle, perfectly moisturizing, and non-irritating thing I’ve ever used as a second cleanser. It leaves the texture of my skin smooth, it seems to add a tiny bit of moisture but nothing gross, and never irritates my babyish skin, even after a rough peel. For full ingredients check out CosDNA.

It’s the top of the heap for me, which is why I shared a sample with Angela at InsiderBeauty in hopes that she would like it, curate it at IB, and make it available to kbeauty fans in the U.S. The necessity of having a nearby shop carry my favorite cleanser became more clear when my original eBay order for this cleanser (from blueprint21, no less!!! EEE!!) never showed up around the same time an Instagram follower reported that problem for the same product from the same seller–still no idea what happened there, but it set off some suspicion bells for me and pushed back my testing project by two months. TesterKorea recently restocked the Re:cipe line, but their handling times can range from lightning fast to positively glacial, so I’d be nervous about counting on them. I’m so excited to see this beloved favorite from the Memebox Global days available more widely again.

Where to buy: Makeremake (this is a brand new brand from LG–buy directly from their Korean site using a proxy shopping service like Avecko) Re:cipe [InsiderBeauty | TesterKorea | eBay | SkinMilkBar]

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