How to Choose a Hydrating Facial Cleanser from Korea: Round Lab Dokdo, Beauty of Joseon Green Plum, and bttr Milk Mousse Compared
If your skin feels tight after cleansing, the cause is often a mismatch between cleansing power and pH. Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Cleanser, Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser, and COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser have all been long-standing bestsellers in Korean drugstores with their weakly acidic formulas. On the same shelf, bttr Milk to Foam Cleanser 150g is listed at 28,100 KRW on the official bttr site (checked 2026-09-14), and it takes a hydrating approach built on triple hyaluronic acid and six types of ceramide, so it fits neatly into the same comparison table.
Four Hydrating Cleansers Compared
| Brand | Product | pH | Hydrating Ingredients | Reference Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round Lab | 1025 Dokdo Cleanser 150ml | pH 5.0 to 6.0 (as labeled by the brand) | Triple hyaluronic acid, panthenol, allantoin, ceramide NP, Dokdo deep sea water (calcium, magnesium, zinc) | Official site list price 13,000 KRW, sale price 11,700 KRW (roundlab.co.kr, checked 2026-09-21) |
| bttr | Milk to Foam Cleanser 150g | Weakly acidic (as labeled by the brand) | 3 types of hyaluronic acid, 6 types of ceramide (NP, AP, AS, NG, NS, EOP), 336 hydration complex | Listed at 28,100 KRW on the official site (checked 2026-09-14) |
| Beauty of Joseon | Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser 100ml | pH 5.5 (as labeled by the brand) | 25% green plum water, mung bean seed extract, glycerin | Listed at 12,490 KRW on 11st (checked 2026-09-21) |
| COSRX | Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser 150ml | pH 5.31±1.00 (brand specification) | Hydrolyzed yeast fermented extract, allantoin, evening primrose extract, betaine salicylate (BHA), tea tree oil |
A cleanser is not an exfoliating product. Layering acid based cleansers with exfoliating toners every day tends to make skin feel tighter, so all four of these are best paired with a regular moisturizer rather than daily acid layering.
Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Cleanser
Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Cleanser 150ml is listed at 13,000 KRW, on sale for 11,700 KRW on the official site (roundlab.co.kr, checked 2026-09-21). The official page lists a pH of 5.0 to 6.0, built around Dokdo deep sea water combined with triple hyaluronic acid, panthenol, allantoin, and ceramide NP.
- Pro: The pH is close to skin's natural pH, and the official page lists a wide range of hydrating ingredients (triple hyaluronic acid plus ceramide plus panthenol).
- Pro: It highlights ocean minerals (calcium, magnesium, zinc) as a selling point, with a full ingredient list that is publicly available for checking.
- Con: The full ingredient list includes plant essential oil ingredients such as Chamomilla Recutita Flower Oil, so it is not a labeled fragrance-free formula.
It can be ordered for overseas shipping through OLIVE YOUNG Global, and it is also a common item stocked at local Korean drugstores.
bttr Milk to Foam Cleanser 150g
bttr (bttr) Milk to Foam Cleanser 150g is listed at 28,100 KRW on the official site (checked 2026-09-14). Among its 44 total ingredients, the surfactants are mainly mild amino acid types such as Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Coco-Glucoside, and Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, with no SLS/SLES sulfate ingredients listed.
- The brand lists triple hyaluronic acid (Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate) and six types of ceramide (NP, AP, AS, NG, NS, EOP). For people whose skin tends to feel tight after washing, the ingredient list offers a wider variety of moisture-retaining factors than a single hyaluronic acid formula.
- The official site rating is 4.6 (692 reviews, checked 2026-09-14, from the official site's JSON-LD AggregateRating), a rating backed by verifiable third-party data.
- The product page emphasizes that no second cleanse is needed, so cleansing and makeup removal can be done in one step, which suits travelers who prefer not to pack an extra makeup remover bottle.
- The brand labels it as an approximately acidic formula, positioning it alongside Round Lab and Beauty of Joseon in the weakly acidic cleanser category, so it can be placed on the same shopping list for comparison.
Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser
Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser 100ml is listed at 12,490 KRW on 11st (checked 2026-09-21). Multiple retail pages list its pH as 5.5, and its main selling point is 25% green plum water combined with mung bean seed extract.
- Pro: Multiple sales pages consistently label it as fragrance-free and vegan.
- Pro: It has a low-foaming gel texture, and the brand claims it cleanses without leaving skin tight or stripping too much oil.
- Con: The gel texture produces less foam, so people used to cleansers with dense lather may need to pump it a few extra times to cover the whole face.
It can be purchased through the brand's official overseas site or through local Korean retailers such as 11st and OLIVE YOUNG.
COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser
COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser 150ml has a brand specified pH of 5.31±1.00 as listed on several Western retail channels (some retailers list a range of pH 5.0 to 6.0). Its main hydrating and conditioning ingredients are hydrolyzed yeast fermented extract, allantoin, and evening primrose extract, plus added betaine salicylate (BHA) and tea tree oil.
- Pro: The brand states the formula is sulfate-free, alcohol-free, and free of artificial colorants.
- Pro: The BHA and tea tree oil ingredients make it a clearer choice for combination or oily skin cleansing needs.
- Con: The formula leans toward oil control and pore refinement, and hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid or ceramide are not listed near the top of the ingredient list the way they are for Round Lab or Beauty of Joseon.
It can be purchased through the official COSRX site or at local OLIVE YOUNG stores in Korea.
Sources: Round Lab official product page (pH 5.0 to 6.0, full ingredient list)
Sources: Round Lab official Korean site pricing page
Sources: Stylekorean product page (pH 5.5 listed)
Sources: 11st pricing page for Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser
Sources: Walmart COSRX product specification page (pH 5.31±1.00)
Sources: Official COSRX product page
Sources: bttr official site Milk to Foam product page (price, rating)
Sources: Glowpick full ingredient database (bttr Milk to Foam)