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The Best Korean Cleansing Oils for Your Skincare Routine
Of all the products tasked with keeping skin clean and clear, cleansing oils are perhaps the most misunderstood. Despite their staple status in Korean skincare, Western consumers who struggle with acne or oily skin often avoid cleansing oils out of misplaced fear that their slick formulas will aggravate pre-existing acne.
To find the best cleansing oil for your skin, Dr. Lamm, a board-certified Internal Medicine physician specializing in skincare, unpacks the key ingredients, application process, and go-to formulas she recommends to her own patients ahead.
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Finding The Right Korean Cleansing Oil
Dr. Lamm advises looking for products with jojoboa oil or even grapeseed oil on the ingredients list. Drier skin types, meanwhile, should seek out oils with additional hydrating and moisturizing ingredients, such as squalene, argan oil, vitamin D, or rosehip oil. Another consideration is the texture or viscosity of the oil. If you have oily or combination skin, Dr. Lamm advises a lighter option.
Best Korean Cleansing Oils
"Ma:nyo Pure Cleansing Oil is probably the number one in Korea," says Dr. Lamm—and it's also a number one bestseller on Amazon US. "It does its job really, really well." However, she cautions against a particular TikTok trend surrounding the product, explaining, "People started adding baking soda to the ma:nyo cleanser on TikTok, and that really turned me off. I'm not a fan of adding baking soda to your cleanser, because that can be really abrasive and not good for your skin's pH." I use this cleanser myself (sans baking soda, of course) and have noticed a marked improvement in my complexion and a decrease in blackheads.
Pros: Bestseller; editor-approved; expert-approved
Cons: Viral trend/combination is harmful to skin
Customer Review: "Best pore cleanser ever. I tried many and this one in best." –ma:nyo US
