Ever heard of double cleansing? It’s the absolute root of Korean skincare and is a technique first used by Korean women before Western brands started to create innovative products based on this; such as Pixi Beauty, Glossier and The Inkey List.
So, what is double cleansing exactly?
Double Cleansing consists of the first two steps of the well known Korean ten step skincare routine. The first cleanse is the oil cleanser, used to remove oil-based products such as makeup and sunscreen. Now believe me when I say one swipe of a makeup wipe is not enough. You’ll have nasty debris left on your face, that even your foam/gel cleanser won’t be able to remove. As for the second cleanse, it’s the cleanser you probably use during your nightly routine, which is water based, usually in the form of foam or gel.
Don’t see what the big hoo-ha is about? Water cannot break down oil. Remember those science experiments you did as a kid, where you tested to see how oil floats on water? That’s exactly the concept here. Water and oil don’t mix. So to remove those oil-based products off your face, you need an oil cleanser.
But I’m not here to just give you a lesson on double cleansing. I’m here to share with you my favourite first cleanser: The Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm!
Disclaimer: My skin type is normal/sensitive and prone to acne and scarring so your experience may not be the same as mine.
Korean Skincare
This was actually my first time using a cleansing balm. I had previously stuck to cleansing oils but had always heard great things about this balm. A little background on the brand: Beauty of Joseon was inspired by the beauty routines of the upper-class Korean women of the Joseon Dynasty, who prided themselves on clear, canvas-like skin and looked down upon covering oneself up with makeup and adornments. Beauty of Joseon uses natural, traditional herbal ingredients like the Joseon women used, so you too can give your skin the same royal treatment.
The packaging of the product I personally find to be very elegant. With its minimalistic and plain white jar, to the handwritten font for the brand name (it reminds me of Korean calligraphy), it’s a great reminiscent of the story behind the brand. The jar comes with its little scoop to avoid contaminating the product inside and to easily scoop the balm on top your hand. The ingredients list and instructions on the box were written in Korean, so I referred back to the Skin Library website to find out more.
Back to the balm. I absolutely loved the texture! I assumed it would be very hard to massage the product into an oil, taken from my experience of hardened coconut oil in a jar, but the sherbet like texture melted away so easily on my fingers. It was a pleasure to massage it into my face as a first cleanser before washing it off. I removed all my makeup effortlessly, without the need of any wipes or eye makeup remover, it even removed my waterproof mascara! I used a water-based cleanser afterwards to effectively wash away any leftover balm (ACWELL Bubble Free pH Balancing Cleanser). I love the fact that it uses natural extracts (something my sensitive skin really enjoined) and has a very mild scent. I almost regretted having to do another cleanse, lest that glow gets washed away. I used it multiple days a week (on days I wore makeup) and it really softened my skin and left it glowing as its packed with nutrients.
The only thing that I think this product could improve on is if they made it fragrance free. I couldn’t really smell anything and assumed it was unscented but no, there is ‘fragrance; listed in the ingredients and quite unnecessarily high on the list as well. Thankfully, my skin doesn’t react so much to fragranced products, but I do know that a lot of people do break out to products containing fragrance which might make this product an issue for those with acne prone skin.
Overall, if you’re looking for a good, no scratch that, AMAZING first cleanse that not only washes off your makeup but also softens, brightens and ‘nutrifies’ your skin with all the plant extracts nutrients and minerals it contains, then why are you still looking because the perfect cleanser is right here!
- Baz (@Skincarewithbaz)