Search for the best Korean cleanser in English and you will usually see a familiar group of products.
COSRX. Beauty of Joseon. Anua. Maybe a cleansing oil, followed by a list of low-pH foams and gels.
But when I checked Olive Young Korea’s cleansing sales ranking on September 8, 2026, the top of the list looked very different.
The No. 1 product was beplain Mung Bean pH-Balanced Cleansing Foam.
And the top 10 was not even a list of ten face washes.
It included cleansing foam, cleansing milk, cleansing oil, micellar water and a cream-to-oil cleanser.
That difference is more useful than another universal “best cleanser” list.
In Korea, cleansing is not one product type. Olive Young itself separates the category into foam/gel, oil/balm, water/milk, peeling and scrub, tissues/pads, lip and eye remover, and cleansing devices.
So instead of asking which Korean cleanser is simply “the best,” I checked what is actually ranking at Korea’s biggest beauty retailer — and what that ranking can and cannot tell us.
Ranking snapshot: September 8, 2026. Olive Young’s sales ranking is live and can change with sales, promotions, stock and time of day. Prices and promotional configurations can also change. This article treats the ranking as a dated retail snapshot, not a nationwide survey of Korean consumers.
The short answer
beplain Mung Bean pH-Balanced Cleansing Foam was No. 1 in Olive Young Korea’s cleansing sales ranking when I checked on September 8, 2026.
That makes beplain the clearest answer if your question is:
What cleanser is at the top of Olive Young Korea right now?
It does not make it the objectively best cleanser for every skin type.
And it does not mean the rest of the ranking is a list of comparable face washes.
Here was the top 10 in the September 8 snapshot I used for this article:
| Rank | Product | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | beplain Mung Bean pH-Balanced Cleansing Foam | Foam cleanser |
| 2 | Blanc Nature Acne Cleansing Foam | Foam cleanser |
| 3 | ZEROID Foaming Cleanser | Foaming cleanser |
| 4 | make p:rem Safe Me Relief Moisture Cleansing Milk | Cleansing milk |
| 5 | LAGOM Cellup Micro Foam Cleanser | Foam cleanser |
| 6 | Bioderma Sensibio H2O | Micellar cleansing water |
| 7 | ma:nyo Pure Soybean Cleansing Oil | Cleansing oil |
| 8 | AESTURA ATOBARRIER365 Foaming Cleanser | Foaming cleanser |
| 9 | Fully Melting Cream to Oil | Cream-to-oil cleanser |
| 10 | Blanc Nature Heartleaf Bubble Cleansing Milk | Cleansing milk |
Source: Olive Young Korea cleansing sales ranking
This is a sales ranking on one retailer, not a national vote.
That distinction matters throughout this article.
The first thing the ranking tells us: “cleanser” is too broad
English-language K-beauty recommendations often use cleanser as shorthand for a water-based face wash.
Olive Young does not organize cleansing that narrowly.
Its Korean cleansing category includes:
- cleansing foam/gel
- oil/balm
- water/milk
- peeling & scrub
- tissue/pad
- lip & eye remover
- cleansing devices
So an overall cleansing ranking mixes products designed to do different jobs.
A cleansing oil is not necessarily competing for the same step as a foaming cleanser. A cleansing milk does not have to be used the same way as micellar water. And a product that removes long-wear makeup is solving a different problem from a simple morning cleanser.
That is why I would not read the table vertically and conclude that No. 3 is automatically “better” than No. 7.
The rank tells us how that SKU was selling in the overall category at that moment.
The format tells us whether it is relevant to your routine.
If you want the routine context first, read What a Korean Skincare Routine Actually Looks Like in 2026.
No. 1: beplain Mung Bean pH-Balanced Cleansing Foam
The clearest result is beplain.
The Mung Bean pH-Balanced Cleansing Foam 160 ml double set was No. 1 in the Olive Young Korea cleansing sales ranking in the snapshot used for this article.
The listing matters here.
Olive Young was not ranking an abstract formula. It was ranking a specific retail SKU: a 160 ml × 2 promotional configuration.
The product page showed a regular price of ₩26,000 and a current price of ₩23,900 when rechecked on September 8.
Source: Olive Young Korea — beplain Mung Bean pH-Balanced Cleansing Foam
So there are two accurate statements:
beplain was No. 1 in the cleansing sales ranking.
And:
the No. 1 listing was a double set.
Those facts should stay together.
A bestseller ranking can reflect genuine product demand and an attractive promotional configuration at the same time.
Foam cleansers still dominate the very top
The top three products in the September 8 snapshot were all foaming cleansers:
- beplain Mung Bean pH-Balanced Cleansing Foam
- Blanc Nature Acne Cleansing Foam
- ZEROID Foaming Cleanser
LAGOM and AESTURA added two more foaming cleansers inside the top 10.
So if your question is specifically:
Which water-based face washes are ranking strongly at Olive Young Korea?
the current data gives a much cleaner answer than the mixed overall list.
beplain is the standout, followed in this snapshot by Blanc Nature and ZEROID.
That is different from saying every shopper should choose a foam cleanser.
It simply tells us that foam remains very strong at the top of Olive Young’s current cleansing sales ranking.
Cleansing milk is not a fringe category
Two cleansing milks appeared in the top 10:
make p:rem Safe Me Relief Moisture Cleansing Milk at No. 4 and Blanc Nature Heartleaf Bubble Cleansing Milk at No. 10.
That is worth noticing because international K-beauty cleansing discussions are often organized around a simple pair:
oil or balm → foam or gel
Korean retail is wider than that.
Olive Young gives water/milk its own cleansing subcategory, and the current overall ranking put two milk-format products inside the top 10.
That does not prove that cleansing milk is used by most Koreans.
It does show that it is an established part of the Korean cleansing market, not an obscure alternative.
ma:nyo is still a major cleansing-oil name
ma:nyo Pure Soybean Cleansing Oil ranked No. 7 in the September 8 overall cleansing snapshot.
An overall rank is not the same thing as a cleansing-oil category rank, so I would not use No. 7 to declare it Korea’s seventh-best cleanser in any universal sense.
But ma:nyo has a broader Korean track record.
The official Olive Young Awards page identifies ma:nyo Pure Cleansing Oil as the No. 1 cleansing product in its awards data, and the brand has repeatedly appeared in Olive Young’s cleansing award history.
Source: Olive Young Awards
That makes ma:nyo useful for a different reason from beplain.
beplain gives us the clearest current overall ranking signal.
ma:nyo combines a current top-10 presence with a stronger historical Korean retail signal in cleansing.
I compared cleansing oils separately in Which Korean Cleansing Oils Rank Above Anua?.
That article is the better comparison if you already know you want an oil cleanser.
Bioderma is in the top 10 — because “popular in Korea” does not mean “Korean brand”
At No. 6 was Bioderma Sensibio H2O.
Bioderma is French.
I am leaving it in the table deliberately.
Olive Young’s cleansing sales ranking measures products sold through Olive Young Korea. It does not filter the ranking by the nationality of the brand.
That is an important distinction whenever you see claims such as:
“This is the No. 1 cleanser in Korea.”
The next questions should be:
On which platform? In which category? By what metric? On what date?
A Korean retailer ranking can include Korean and imported products because Korean shoppers buy both.
If I removed Bioderma simply to make the list look more “K-beauty,” I would be changing the Korean data to fit the international category.
Where are Anua, COSRX and Beauty of Joseon?
This is where the difference between international visibility and Korean retail ranking becomes obvious.
In the September 8 Olive Young overall cleansing snapshot:
- Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil ranked No. 13
- COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser ranked No. 84
- I did not find Beauty of Joseon in the ranked list displayed in the snapshot I checked
These positions should be read carefully.
They do not prove that Anua or COSRX is unpopular in Korea.
They definitely do not prove that one formula is better than another.
They tell us something narrower:
the products dominating English-language K-beauty cleanser recommendations were not dominating this Olive Young Korea overall cleansing sales snapshot.
Anua is the best example of why nuance matters.
Its Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil was still No. 13 — close to the top 10 — and it also has Korean recognition outside this one ranking. In my separate Anua analysis, I found that the product received an Olive Young MD’s Pick in the 2024 awards.
So the evidence does not support saying:
“Anua is only popular overseas.”
A more accurate conclusion is:
Anua is genuinely established in Korea, but it was not leading Olive Young’s overall cleansing sales ranking in this snapshot.
That distinction is exactly what Picked in Korea is trying to measure.
The ranking can move — even when the No. 1 product does not
There is one reason I am being unusually specific about the date.
Olive Young calls this page 오늘의 랭킹 — today’s ranking.
It is a live retail ranking, not a fixed annual award table.
During research, I found the same products moving positions as the live page updated. beplain remained the clearest leader in the checks used for this article, but the order below it was not static.
That is not a problem with the data.
It is a feature of what the data measures.
A live sales ranking is useful for answering:
What is selling strongly now?
It is less useful for answering:
What has been Korea’s most consistently popular cleanser for years?
For the second question, award history, longer ranking periods and other Korean platforms become more important.
That is also why I would never write “Korea’s No. 1 cleanser” without attaching the platform and date.
The promotion is part of the ranking environment
Look at the top-ranking listings and another pattern appears.
The beplain cleanser was a double set.
ZEROID included a full-size refill.
make p:rem included a refill, mini and washing accessory.
LAGOM was a two-unit promotional set.
ma:nyo was a two-bottle set.
AESTURA included a full-size refill.
This is normal Korean beauty retail.
Olive Young frequently sells popular products as 기획, or special promotional configurations: double packs, refills, minis, gifts and limited collaborations.
That means a sales ranking is partly a product-demand signal and partly a retail-offer signal.
It does not make the ranking useless.
It tells you to compare the actual SKU instead of looking only at the brand name.
If you are shopping, compare how much product you receive and what the set contains before deciding that the biggest discount badge is the best deal.
I explain that system in more detail in the Olive Young Sale Guide and in my K-beauty Korea vs. US price comparison.
So which Korean cleanser should you choose?
The ranking becomes much more useful once you decide what you actually need the cleanser to do.
If you want the clearest current Olive Young bestseller
Start with beplain Mung Bean pH-Balanced Cleansing Foam.
It was No. 1 in the overall cleansing sales ranking in the September 8 snapshot.
That is the strongest answer to the narrow question:
What cleanser is currently ranking highest at Olive Young Korea?
If you specifically want a water-based foaming cleanser
The strongest products in this snapshot were:
- beplain Mung Bean pH-Balanced Cleansing Foam
- Blanc Nature Acne Cleansing Foam
- ZEROID Foaming Cleanser
- LAGOM Cellup Micro Foam Cleanser
- AESTURA ATOBARRIER365 Foaming Cleanser
These are more useful to compare with one another than comparing a foam cleanser directly with micellar water or cleansing oil.
If you want a cleansing oil
ma:nyo Pure Soybean Cleansing Oil was the cleansing oil inside the current top 10.
Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil sat just outside it at No. 13.
But if you are choosing specifically among cleansing oils, use a cleansing-oil ranking rather than the mixed overall cleansing chart.
See Which Korean Cleansing Oils Rank Above Anua?.
If you prefer a cleansing milk
make p:rem Safe Me Relief Moisture Cleansing Milk had the strongest position in this snapshot at No. 4.
Blanc Nature Heartleaf Bubble Cleansing Milk also appeared in the top 10.
If you are deciding whether you need an oil cleanser at all
Do not choose one simply because double cleansing is associated with K-beauty.
The more useful question is what you need to remove.
I break down sunscreen, makeup, emulsification and blackhead claims in Korean Double Cleansing: What an Oil Cleanser Actually Removes.
What the Korean ranking actually tells us
The September 8 Olive Young snapshot gives us five useful conclusions.
First, beplain is the clearest current overall bestseller signal. Its Mung Bean pH-Balanced Cleansing Foam ranked No. 1.
Second, foam cleansers are still extremely strong. Five of the top 10 products in this snapshot were foam or foaming cleansers.
Third, Korean cleansing retail is broader than foam plus oil. Cleansing milk, micellar water and a cream-to-oil format all appeared in the top 10.
Fourth, international K-beauty visibility and Korean retail rank are not the same thing. Anua was No. 13 and COSRX No. 84 in this snapshot, while several less internationally visible products ranked much higher.
Fifth, a live sales ranking is partly shaped by the offer being sold. Double sets, refills and promotional configurations are common among the products near the top.
So I would not use this ranking to declare one cleanser objectively best.
I would use it to correct a more basic assumption:
the Korean cleansing market does not look exactly like the English-language “best Korean cleanser” lists.
And that is the more interesting answer.
FAQ
What is the best Korean cleanser in Korea right now?
In the Olive Young Korea cleansing sales ranking checked on September 8, 2026, beplain Mung Bean pH-Balanced Cleansing Foam ranked No. 1. That is a dated retailer sales snapshot, not a nationwide consumer vote.
What face wash is popular in Korea?
In the same Olive Young snapshot, beplain Mung Bean pH-Balanced Cleansing Foam ranked No. 1 overall. Blanc Nature Acne Cleansing Foam and ZEROID Foaming Cleanser also ranked near the top, with LAGOM and AESTURA foaming cleansers inside the top 10.
What cleansing oil is popular in Korea?
ma:nyo Pure Soybean Cleansing Oil appeared inside Olive Young Korea’s overall cleansing top 10 in the September 8 snapshot. Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil ranked No. 13. For oil cleansers specifically, a cleansing-oil category ranking is more useful than the mixed overall cleansing chart.
Is Anua cleansing oil popular in Korea?
Yes, but the evidence is more nuanced than its international visibility suggests. Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil ranked No. 13 in the Olive Young overall cleansing snapshot used here, and it has separate Korean recognition including a 2024 Olive Young MD’s Pick. It is established in Korea, but it was not the top cleanser in this ranking.
Is COSRX the most popular Korean cleanser in Korea?
Not in the Olive Young Korea overall cleansing sales snapshot used for this article. COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser ranked No. 84. That does not measure COSRX’s total brand popularity or prove the cleanser is inferior; it only describes its position in this particular live retail ranking.
Do Koreans use cleansing oil every day?
There is no universal Korean rule. Cleansing oils and balms are established formats, but whether you need one depends on what you are removing. Makeup, water-resistant sunscreen and a simple skincare-only day do not necessarily create the same cleansing need.
Is double cleansing necessary for Korean skincare?
No. Double cleansing is a method, not a mandatory Korean skincare step. Use a first cleanser when it has a job to do rather than adding one only because a routine is labeled “Korean.”
Methodology
This article uses Olive Young Korea’s overall cleansing sales ranking as a dated retail snapshot.
The ranking and product pages were checked on September 8, 2026.
I treated:
- overall sales ranking and subcategory rankings as different signals
- live rankings and annual awards as different signals
- individual products and promotional sets as different SKUs
- Korean retail popularity and brand nationality as separate questions
- ranking position as evidence of retail performance, not evidence that a formula is clinically superior
I did not treat one Olive Young ranking as a survey of all Korean consumers.
Because Olive Young’s ranking is live, readers may see a different order after publication.
Sources
- Olive Young Korea — Cleansing sales ranking
- Olive Young Korea — beplain Mung Bean pH-Balanced Cleansing Foam
- Olive Young Awards
Rankings, prices, promotions and stock can change after publication. All live-ranking positions in this article refer to the September 8, 2026 research snapshot unless otherwise stated.