Best Korean Cleansers in the UK: Which One Is Right for Your Skin?

By Mari, founder of K Skin Aura · Updated 23 October 2026

For anyone choosing a Korean cleanser in the UK who wants one that suits their skin, not a shelf of five.

These are products we sell. Each one is marked either as one I use myself or as one I've chosen from the ingredient list, so you know the difference.

Do you need one cleanser or two?

Not necessarily. If one cleanser removes your makeup and sunscreen properly and your skin feels comfortable afterwards, you may not need another. If you regularly find makeup left behind, a second gentle cleansing step can make sense. Double cleansing is a tool for those evenings, not a rule for every evening, and not a sign of a better routine.

My own routine is simpler than people expect. In the evening I use one oil or balm, and when I use the HUR balm I stop there. It rinses away cleanly and my skin feels comfortable, so there's nothing for a second cleanser to do. In the morning I usually rinse with water, and if my skin feels a bit oily I use the Etude whip instead. That's an option, not a rule: the American Academy of Dermatology suggests washing your face up to twice a day and after sweating, and some people's skin is happier with a morning cleanse.

What I do care about is removing makeup properly. A friend of mine had never tried Korean skincare until I gave her the SKIN1004 Double Cleansing Duo, a light oil and a gentle foam. A few weeks later she told me she'd stopped waking up to makeup on her pillowcase. That doesn't prove everyone needs two cleansers. It does show how easy it is to wash your face and still go to bed with some of the day left on it.

Oil and foam pair

SKIN1004 Double Cleansing Duo

The light oil and the foam together, for evenings with makeup or sunscreen. The oil contains bergamot, geranium and rose oils. £28.00.

See the duo

Here is the rule I'd use:

• Bare skin, or just moisturiser: one gentle water-based cleanser, or water in the morning if your skin is comfortable.
• Everyday sunscreen or light makeup: an oil or balm on its own may be enough. Add a water-based cleanser only if something is left behind or your skin still feels coated.
• Heavy or long-wear makeup: oil or balm first. If you still find makeup left behind, follow with a gentle water-based cleanser. If your oil or balm leaves nothing behind, as the HUR balm does for me, one step is enough.

How should your skin feel after cleansing?

Clean, soft and comfortable. Not tight, not squeaky, not stinging.

Tightness after washing is the most useful thing to notice when you choose a cleanser. It can point towards a cleanser that's too strong for you, cleansing more often than your skin likes, or an active elsewhere in your routine. It isn't only a dry-skin problem: oily skin can feel tight straight after washing and shiny a few hours later. And oil coming back after washing doesn't, on its own, tell you that your cleanser has made your skin produce extra oil. If this sounds familiar, I wrote about it in more detail in why skin can feel tight after washing but oily later.

Before you buy a new cleanser, try the free changes first: use less of the one you have, rinse a little sooner, use lukewarm rather than hot water, or skip the morning cleanse for a week and see how your skin feels.

Which gentle cleanser is best for dry or sensitive skin?

Gentle everyday cleanser

I use this

Etude SoonJung pH 6.5 Whip Cleanser

Why I'd choose it: this is my morning cleanser on days my skin feels a little oily. It comes out of the pump as a ready-made foam, so there's no rubbing to work up a lather. It has a short ingredient list with no fragrance and no essential oils, and it's one of my first recommendations when someone wants a gentle, fragrance-free foaming cleanser.

Best for: sensitive or reactive skin, skin that's often tight after washing, and anyone using a retinoid or an exfoliating acid elsewhere in their routine.

Not ideal if: you want a thorough first cleanse after makeup. It's gentle by design, so pair it with an oil or balm on those days.

£15.99 · See the whip cleanser

Fragrance-free gel

I use this

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture 5.5 Soft Cleansing Gel Unscented

Why I'd choose it: a low-pH gel (the brand states pH 5.5) with no fragrance or essential oils. It cleans without a big lather, which some dry skin prefers.

Best for: dry or dehydrated skin, and people who'd rather avoid fragrance altogether.

Not ideal if: you associate a rich foam with feeling clean. It's a gentle gel, and that's the point.

£14.00 · See the gel

Which cleanser is best for oily and combination skin?

Oily skin still needs a gentle cleanser. If you choose something strong enough to leave your face squeaky, you may swap shine for tightness.

Soft foam for combination skin

I use this

Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Cleanser

Why I'd choose it: I enjoy using it. It goes from a gel to a soft, creamy foam and leaves skin feeling comfortable rather than stripped. The brand gives its pH as 5.0 to 6.0.

Best for: normal to combination skin that likes a bit of foam.

Not ideal if: you avoid essential oils. It contains chamomile and Scots pine oils, so if your skin is reacting to something and you don't yet know what, I'd start with the Etude whip instead.

£14.95 · See the cleanser

Foam for oily skin

Chosen from the ingredient list

SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule Foam

Why I'd choose it: a creamy foam with centella and a brand-stated pH of 5, with no fragrance or essential oils. It lathers well enough to feel clean on oily skin without being harsh. It's also the second step in the SKIN1004 duo my friend uses.

Best for: oily and combination skin, and anyone who wants a classic foam.

Not ideal if: your skin is very dry or easily irritated. A gel or whip will usually feel gentler.

£14.00 · See the foam

Foam for oily, breakout-prone skin

Chosen from the ingredient list

Abib Heartleaf Foam

Why I'd choose it: a cream foam with heartleaf and a little salicylic acid, for oily skin that's prone to breakouts. It's a rinse-off cleanser, so the acid is on your skin for a minute, not all day. Think of it as a cleanser, not a treatment.

Best for: oily, breakout-prone skin that isn't sensitive.

Not ideal if: your skin is dry or reactive, or you already use a retinoid or exfoliating acid and your skin is telling you it's had enough. Choose a plainer foam in that case.

£14.99 · See the foam

Which cleansing oil or balm should you choose?

Oils and balms are for removing sunscreen and makeup. They melt them on dry skin, turn milky when you add water, and rinse off. They won't clear blackheads, but they do make a gentle evening cleanse much easier. All three below rinse milky.

Everyday cleansing oil

I use this

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture Deep Cleansing Oil

Why I'd choose it: this is my everyday cleanser and the one I keep going back to. It's unscented, with no fragrance or essential oils, and it's light enough to use every evening. The brand says it's suitable around the eyes and removes waterproof makeup.

Best for: everyday sunscreen and makeup removal, sensitive skin, and first-time oil cleansers.

Not ideal if: you avoid nut oils. It contains macadamia oil.

If you want a second step: the Haruharu 5.5 Soft Cleansing Gel above pairs well with it. Oil first, then the gel. Both are fragrance-free.

£18.00 · See the oil

Richer oil for heavy makeup

I use this

Ma:nyo Pure Cleansing Oil

Why I'd choose it: it's slightly thicker than the Haruharu, and it's the one I reach for after heavier makeup. It melts makeup like butter.

Best for: heavier makeup days, and normal to dry skin that likes a richer oil.

Not ideal if: you avoid fragrance components. It contains lavender, orange and tea tree oils, and hazelnut oil. If that matters to you, choose the Haruharu.

£18.00 · See the oil

Cleansing balm

I use this

HUR Midnight Soothing Cleansing Balm

Why I'd choose it: it's lovely to use and feels gentle. It's a soft sherbet balm with no fragrance listed, and I use it on its own, with no second cleanser.

Best for: people who prefer a balm to a runny oil, and dry or sensitive skin.

Not ideal if: you avoid nut extracts. It contains chestnut.

£20.99 · See the balm

When does an exfoliating cleanser make sense?

Occasional polishing cleanser

I use this

Arencia Fresh Green Rice Mochi Cleanser

Why I'd choose it: I love it, but not as an everyday cleanser. It has rice powder and almond meal in it, so it polishes as it cleans. My skin is very sensitive, so I use it once or twice a week, not daily. That's what suits my skin, not a rule for yours: go by how your skin feels afterwards.

Best for: skin that likes an occasional polish and isn't currently irritated.

Not ideal if: your skin is reactive right now, you're using a retinoid or exfoliating acid and your skin feels sensitive, or you avoid fragrance. It contains fragrance.

£16.80 · See the cleanser

Skip an exfoliating cleanser altogether if your skin is tight, stinging or flaky. It's an extra, not a step you need.

What should you check before you buy a cleanser?

• How your skin feels afterwards. Comfortable is the goal. Tight or squeaky means try something gentler.
• Fragrance and essential oils. They don't make a cleanser bad, and plenty of people use them happily. If your skin is reactive and you don't know why, a fragrance-free option is the easier place to start. I've flagged them on every product above.
• What you're removing. Sunscreen and makeup are what oils and balms are for. Bare skin rarely needs one.
• Actives elsewhere in your routine. If you use a retinoid or an exfoliating acid, a plain, gentle cleanser usually makes more sense than one with acids or scrubbing particles.
• The texture you'll use. The best cleanser is the one you'll use properly, every evening.

If your skin keeps burning, stinging or flaking whatever you use, or you have a new rash, please speak to a pharmacist or GP. A different cleanser isn't always the answer.

Skin Advice is a cosmetic routine review. It is not a diagnosis, and it never changes anything prescribed to you.

Mari, K Skin Aura, London

About Mari. Mari is the founder of K Skin Aura, a UK Korean skincare retailer. She has been obsessed with skincare since her teens and experimented heavily, which damaged her skin barrier. She rebuilt it by learning to read ingredient lists and studying Korean skincare, which she loves. After a trip to South Korea she started selling Korean skincare in April 2025. She reviews cosmetic routines and product choices through K Skin Aura's free Skin Advice service. She is not a dermatologist or clinician.

Sources checked. American Academy of Dermatology: face washing 101 · Ingredient lists and stated pH from each brand's official product page: Etude, Haruharu Wonder, Round Lab, SKIN1004, Abib, Ma:nyo, House of HUR and Arencia · K Skin Aura product records, checked 23 October 2026