Which Beauty of Joseon Cleanser Is Best for Your Skin?

Beauty of Joseon is best known for its sunscreens and serums, but its cleanser range deserves just as much attention. The formulas cover almost every part of a Korean cleansing routine, from removing waterproof sunscreen to washing away sweat and refreshing rough, flaky skin.

The difficulty is working out which one you actually need.

Ginseng Cleansing Oil and Radiance Cleansing Balm are both first cleansers, but they feel very different on the skin. Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser is a water-based face wash rather than a makeup remover. The Low pH Rice Face and Body Cleansing Bar offers a solid format, while Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel is an occasional exfoliating product, not a daily cleanser.

These distinctions matter more than deciding which product has the most impressive botanical ingredients. Cleansers spend a short time on the skin before being rinsed away. Their primary job is to remove what needs removing without leaving the face tight, irritated or coated in residue.

So, which Beauty of Joseon cleanser is best for oily, dry, sensitive or acne-prone skin? Let us compare how each formula works and where it belongs in a routine.

Beauty of Joseon's Cleanser Range

Beauty of Joseon often draws on hanbang, the use of traditional Korean herbal ingredients within modern cosmetic formulas. Across the cleanser range, this appears through ingredients such as plum, mung bean, rice and ginseng.

These ingredients contribute to the identity and supporting properties of each product, but they should not distract from the underlying cleansing system. A gel cleanser depends mainly on its surfactants. An oil or balm depends on its emollients and emulsifiers. A peeling gel relies on polymers that form soft rolls as the product is massaged.

The range can be divided into three practical groups:

• First cleansers: Ginseng Cleansing Oil and Radiance Cleansing Balm
• Water-based cleansers: Green Plum Refreshing 
• Occasional exfoliation: Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel

You do not need all five. Most routines need one suitable water-based cleanser, with an oil or balm added at night when makeup, water-resistant sunscreen or heavier products need to be removed.

Cleansing Oil, Balm or Gel: What Is the Difference?

Cleansing oil

A cleansing oil uses lightweight oils and oil-soluble emollients to loosen makeup, sunscreen and excess surface sebum. Emulsifiers allow the oil to mix with water and rinse away. It begins as a fluid and is usually the quickest format to spread over the face.

Cleansing balm

A balm performs the same basic first-cleansing role but begins as a solid or sorbet-like texture. It melts into an oil during massage. Balms are less likely to leak during travel and may feel more cushioning, although the jar format requires clean hands or a spatula.

Water-based gel cleanser

A gel face wash uses surfactants to remove water-soluble residue, sweat and remaining debris. It can be used alone in the morning or as the second step after an oil cleanser at night.

Peeling gel

A peeling gel is not a replacement for an everyday cleanser. It is massaged over dry skin so its polymers gather into soft rolls, creating light physical exfoliation through friction.

The Beauty of Joseon Cleansers Explained

1. Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser

Best for: a gentle everyday face wash

Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser is the simplest starting point for most routines. It is a mildly acidic, water-based gel cleanser designed to wash away sweat, light residue and the remnants of a first cleanser without leaving the skin uncomfortably tight.

The surfactant system includes cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine and sodium cocoyl isethionate. These are widely used cleansing agents that can create an effective lather in a gentler base than traditional high-pH soap. The formula also contains plum water, mung bean seed extract and glycerin.

Plum and mung bean give the cleanser its hanbang character, while glycerin supports a more comfortable after-feel. Although plum naturally contains fruit acids, this is still a rinse-off cleanser rather than a meaningful AHA treatment. It should not be expected to replace a leave-on exfoliant for blackheads, persistent congestion or pigmentation.

The gel feels fresh and produces a soft foam. It is likely to suit normal, combination and oily skin especially well, including skin that wants a thorough second cleanse without the squeaky finish of a stronger foaming wash. Dry or highly reactive skin may still prefer to use it once daily rather than morning and night.

Choose this if you want one uncomplicated Beauty of Joseon face wash for daily use.

2. Ginseng Cleansing Oil

Best for: a lightweight first cleanse with plenty of slip

Ginseng Cleansing Oil is a fluid oil cleanser designed to loosen makeup, sunscreen and oil-soluble residue before rinsing with water. Its base contains 50% soybean oil, supported by emulsifiers that turn the oil milky when water is added. It also contains 0.1% ginseng seed oil and ginseng-derived ingredients.

Soybean oil gives the product a light, spreadable feel and provides enough slip to dissolve base makeup without aggressive rubbing. The oil does not literally extract sebaceous filaments or hardened plugs from inside pores, but it can help remove surface sebum and products that a quick water-based cleanse may leave behind.

This format works particularly well for people who dislike scooping product from a jar. The pump makes it easy to dispense, while the fluid texture spreads quickly across the face. Oily and acne-prone skin can use cleansing oil, but it is important to emulsify it properly and judge the finished formula by personal tolerance rather than assuming every plant oil is either pore-clogging or pore-clearing.

Beauty of Joseon describes the product as suitable for all skin types. The formula has a characteristic oil and herbal scent, which may be noticeable even though it is not positioned like a heavily perfumed cleanser.

Choose this if you wear sunscreen or makeup daily and want a quick, fluid first cleanser.

3. Radiance Cleansing Balm

Best for: dry or dehydrated skin and heavier makeup

Radiance Cleansing Balm begins as a soft sherbet texture and melts into oil as it is massaged over dry skin. Its job is similar to Ginseng Cleansing Oil, but the richer texture feels more cushioning and gives you greater control around the eyes and areas of concentrated makeup.

The balm uses emollient esters, waxes and emulsifiers to break down sunscreen, foundation, lip colour and eye makeup. Rice and grain-derived ingredients provide the formula's Beauty of Joseon identity, although the cleansing performance comes primarily from the balm base rather than the botanical extracts.

The formula is free from added fragrance and essential oils, making it the more obvious first choice when scent is a known concern. Beauty of Joseon also positions it for eye makeup removal. Individual eyes can still react to almost any cleanser, so stop if it causes persistent stinging or blurred vision rather than assuming a fragrance-free formula is guaranteed to be irritation-free.

The solid format is convenient for travel and less messy than a fluid oil, although it requires a spatula or clean, dry fingers. Dry and dehydrated skin may prefer its plush texture, while very oily skin might find the quicker slip of Ginseng Cleansing Oil more appealing.

Choose this if you enjoy a slower, more cushioning first cleanse or regularly wear waterproof makeup.

4. Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel

Best for: occasional smoothing of loose, flaky surface skin

Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel is the most easily misunderstood product in the range. Despite its name, it is not an acid peel. It is a gommage exfoliator containing cellulose and other polymers that gather into soft rolls when massaged across dry skin.

Some of what you see rolling away is the product itself, mixed with surface oil and loose skin cells. It is not evidence that deep layers of dead skin or material from inside the pores have been extracted.

The formula contains plum blossom water and several botanical extracts, but its immediate smoothing effect comes mainly from gentle friction. This can feel less abrasive than a coarse scrub, yet it is still physical exfoliation. Sensitive skin can be irritated by rubbing, even when the particles feel soft.

Begin once a week and massage very lightly. Do not use it over inflamed acne, broken skin or immediately before or after strong exfoliating acids, retinoids or other potentially irritating treatments. If your skin already feels smooth and comfortable, there is no need to add it simply because it is part of the range.

Choose this if you experience occasional superficial flaking and prefer a rinse-off exfoliating format.

Which Beauty of Joseon Cleanser Is Best for Oily or Acne-Prone Skin?

For a daily water-based cleanse, Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser is the most straightforward choice. Its gel texture and soft lather remove surface oil without being positioned as an aggressively degreasing wash.

At night, Ginseng Cleansing Oil can be used first when you wear sunscreen or makeup. Acne-prone skin does not need to avoid oil cleansing automatically. The more important questions are whether the product emulsifies cleanly, whether you rinse thoroughly and whether your own skin remains comfortable with regular use.

Neither cleanser treats acne. If you use benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid or a prescription retinoid, keeping the cleansing steps gentle may make the overall routine easier to tolerate.

Which Beauty of Joseon Cleanser Is Best for Dry Skin?

Radiance Cleansing Balm is the most appealing first cleanser for dry and dehydrated skin because its balm texture provides generous slip and reduces the need for rubbing. Follow it with a small amount of Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser only when a second cleanse is genuinely needed.

Dry skin does not always need a morning cleanser. A water rinse may be enough if the face is not oily and no heavy overnight product needs removing. Cleansing more often is not automatically better.

The Low pH Rice Face and Body Cleansing Bar is another option when you prefer solids, but how frequently it is used will matter. Even a mildly acidic cleanser can feel drying when applied too often.

Which Beauty of Joseon Cleanser Is Best for Sensitive Skin?

Sensitive skin should choose according to the step required.

For makeup and sunscreen, Radiance Cleansing Balm has the clearest advantage because it is free from added fragrance and essential oils. For a water-based cleanse, Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser offers a mildly acidic gel formula and has been tested by the brand for sensitive-skin suitability.

This does not guarantee that either product will suit everyone. Botanical extracts, surfactants and even prolonged cleansing can irritate highly reactive skin. Patch testing a rinse-off product is imperfect, but introducing one new cleanser at a time makes it easier to identify the cause of a reaction.

Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel requires the most caution because friction itself can aggravate reactive skin. It is optional, not an essential step.

Ginseng Cleansing Oil vs Radiance Cleansing Balm

Both products remove makeup and sunscreen, so the decision is mostly about texture and convenience.

One is not inherently better at cleansing pores. Used correctly, both can loosen oil-soluble products and rinse away before a second cleanse.

How to Double Cleanse with Beauty of Joseon

Double cleansing is most useful at night when you have worn makeup, water-resistant sunscreen or several layers of skincare. It is not compulsory every morning and evening.

Step one: remove sunscreen and makeup

• Apply one to two pumps of Ginseng Cleansing Oil or a small scoop of Radiance Cleansing Balm to dry hands and a dry face.
• Massage gently until makeup and sunscreen begin to dissolve. Thirty to sixty seconds is usually enough.
• Wet your fingertips and continue massaging as the cleanser turns milky.
• Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.

Step two: use a water-based cleanser

• Apply a small amount of Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser to damp skin.
• Massage gently for around thirty seconds, focusing on areas where residue remains.
• Rinse and pat the face dry without rubbing.

If your skin feels tight afterwards, reduce the amount of cleanser, shorten the massage or consider whether the second cleanse is necessary every night.

Common Cleansing Mistakes to Avoid

Using very hot water

Hot water can increase dryness and make reactive skin feel more uncomfortable. Lukewarm water is sufficient to emulsify cleansing oils and remove a water-based cleanser.

Massaging oil cleanser for too long

A long massage is not required to “grit” plugs out of pores. Excessive rubbing may leave the skin flushed and irritated.

Assuming a low-pH cleanser cannot be drying

pH is only one part of a formula. Surfactant concentration, cleansing time, water temperature and frequency also affect how the skin feels afterwards.

Double cleansing when one cleanse is enough

A second cleanse is useful when residue remains, but it is not a test of how serious you are about skincare. Light sunscreen may rinse away adequately with one effective cleanser.

Treating the peeling gel as a daily face wash

Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel is an occasional exfoliator. Using it daily, especially alongside retinoids or acids, may create unnecessary irritation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Beauty of Joseon cleanser is best overall?

Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser is the best all-round daily face wash. It has a light gel texture, a mildly acidic formula and enough cleansing ability for morning use or the second step of an evening routine.

Is Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Cleanser good for acne?

It can be a suitable gentle cleanser for acne-prone skin, but it does not treat acne. Its main value is removing surface oil and residue without relying on a harsh, high-pH soap base.

Can Ginseng Cleansing Oil clog pores?

No cleanser can be guaranteed never to contribute to congestion for every person. Ginseng Cleansing Oil is designed to emulsify and rinse away, and Beauty of Joseon positions it for all skin types, including blemish-prone skin. Monitor your own response rather than judging soybean oil in isolation.

Does Ginseng Cleansing Oil remove blackheads?

It can remove makeup, sunscreen and excess surface sebum, but it does not dissolve the keratin structure of established blackheads. A leave-on salicylic acid product is generally more relevant to persistent blackheads, provided your skin tolerates it.

Do I need to use Green Plum Cleanser after the cleansing oil or balm?

Beauty of Joseon recommends following its oil or balm with a water-based cleanser. This is useful after heavy sunscreen or makeup. If your skin is very dry and the first cleanser rinses completely, you may find that a second cleanse is not always necessary.

Is Radiance Cleansing Balm fragrance-free?

Yes, the formula is presented without added fragrance or essential oils. As with any product used around the eyes, rinse thoroughly and discontinue use if it causes ongoing discomfort.

Can I use Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel with retinol?

Avoid using both in the same routine when your skin is sensitive, peeling or still adjusting to retinoids. The peeling gel adds physical friction and is optional. Use it on a separate night, begin infrequently and stop if irritation develops.

Can the Low pH Rice Cleansing Bar be used on the body?

Yes. It was designed for both face and body. Keep the bar dry between uses and avoid sharing it if hygiene is a concern.

Our Verdict

Beauty of Joseon's cleanser range is easiest to understand when you ignore the idea that one product must do everything.

Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser is the strongest all-round choice for daily washing. It provides a fresh gel cleanse that works particularly well for normal, combination, oily and mildly sensitive skin.

For the first step of an evening double cleanse, Ginseng Cleansing Oil is best when you value speed, a pump bottle and a fluid texture. Radiance Cleansing Balm is the better choice for dry skin, heavier makeup or anyone who prefers a fragrance-free solid balm.

The Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel should be treated as an optional exfoliator rather than an essential cleanser.

You do not need to build a five-product cleansing routine. Choose one water-based cleanser that leaves your skin comfortable, add an oil or balm when your evening routine requires it and exfoliate only when there is a clear reason. Good cleansing is not about removing every trace of oil from the skin. It is about finishing with a face that feels clean, calm and ready for the rest of your routine.