10 Best Men's Korean Face Washes for Pimples

No one likes to wake up in the morning and see acne, instead you want to have fresh, clean skin. We've rounded up the best facial cleansers for men for oily, acne-prone skin type.

When you think of skin care, here's what you might imagine: While some women meticulously work through a 10-step routine every night, the male counterpart is happy to have an all-in-one product that can be used as a shampoo, conditioner and body wash. 

If you're one of those men who has been washing their face with the old bar of body soap or just water, it's time to upgrade your skin care routine with a gentle facial cleanser that everyone can benefit from, whether you’re in your 20s, 30s or even 50s.

Is it bad to wash your face with soap?

That depends on the type of soap you use on your face. Conventional soap, especially if not properly moistened before use, can be abrasive, irritating to the skin, stripping it of its natural oils and disrupting the skin's pH, which can damage the skin barrier.

The harsh chemicals contained in soap may be useful for cleansing the body, but certainly not the face, and they can lead to breakouts, acne and pimples.

Soap that contains dyes can make your skin look wrinkled, haggard, and dull, while fragrances can trigger allergies.

(A recommended blog post: What ingredients should I avoid for oily acne-prone skin?)

How to use a facial cleanser?

First, wash your hands before touching your face. This will prevent you from transferring dirt and germs to your face.

Wet your hands, splash your face with lukewarm water and apply an adequate amount of a gentle product that is suitable for your skin type. Using your fingertips, massage it thoroughly over your face and neck in circular motions, for at least one to two minutes. 

Rinse it off with lukewarm water. Excessively hot water can irritate and dry out your skin, while cold water may not effectively remove some types of grime and makeup.

(A related blog post: How to determine your skin type? )

How often should men cleanse their face?

In general, you should wash your face once a day—no more than twice a day (maybe three times if you exercise where you sweat a lot), once in the morning and once in the evening.

This is because if you wash your face too often, you can disrupt your skin's natural lipid barrier and lead to skin sensitivity.

Top-rated Men’s Korean face cleansers to prevent acne

Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser

A hypoallergenic cleansing gel aids in removal of excess sebum, the day’s dirt and gunk from skin,  resulting in increased skin breathability and a revitalized appearance.

This dermatologist-tested product contains tea tree oil and natural BHA to refine skin texture, soothe and strengthen for luminous and clear skin. 

The clean beauty brand makes all of its products without skin-irritating chemicals like parabens, sulfates, and phthalates, and is animal cruelty-free.

💘  Shop now Cosrx Good Morning Cleansing Gel

Etude House Soon Jung pH 6.5 Whip Cleanser 

A fragrance-free and non-comedogenic formula has an optimal pH of 6.5, which closely matches the skin's natural pH and helps prevent conditions related to a dysfunctional acid mantle, such as acne and dehydrated skin.

Formulated with skin calming ingredient Panthensoside, which consists of Panthenol and Madecassoside, derived from Centella asiatica, which soothes damaged and irritated skin.

This face cleanser has whipped cream-like bubbles and is made of natural ingredients without artificial colors or parabens, making it suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin.

💘  Shop now Etude House SoonJung Facial Cleanser

Yadah Anti-Trouble Bubble Cleanser

A low-acid cleansing foam contains the patented-pending Korean black raspberry root (also known as bokbunja), green tea, cactus extract and rosemary extract, which provides a variety of health and aesthetic benefits, including anti-inflammatory and sebum-regulating properties.

Salicylic acid derived from wintergreen helps eliminate dead skin cells and excess oil from pores, while tea tree oil calms redness, swelling, and inflammation, prevents and reduces acne scars, and gives you smooth, clear skin.

This pH-balanced product is vegan and cruelty-free and contains no parabens, sulfates, phthalates, mineral oil, alcohol, artificial coloring, synthetic fragrances, cyclic silicones, PEGs or formaldehydes.

Pyunkang Yul Acne Facial Cleanser 

This gentle cleansing gel is specifically designed to address breakouts, excess oil, blackheads, and stubborn pimples caused by bacteria and dead skin. 

It is formulated with white willow bark, which contains an ingredient called salicin that the body converts into another chemical called salicylic acid.

Salicylic acid has keratolytic properties, meaning it breaks down dead skin cells and gently exfoliates the skin by dissolving pore-clogging impurities.

Infused with Forsythia suspensa and Centella asiatica, and tiger lily extracts used in traditional medicine. They penetrate the pores to reduce inflammation and rejuvenate the skin, while copper tripeptides help fight redness and treat damaged skin. 

💘  Shop now PKY Acne-fighting Cleansing Foam

Cosrx Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser

This versatile cleansing foam is a must-have for people with acne-prone skin and skin problems such as enlarged pores, uneven skin tone and texture.

That's because it exfoliates, purifies, evens out and brightens skin while gently removing everyday dirt, grime, makeup, pollution, and other impurities that have accumulated on the skin's surface.

Featuring willow bark water, tea tree oil and 0.5% salicylic acid, BHA (beta hydroxy acid) and botanical ingredients, it protects skin from environmental aggressors, soothes irritation and calms skin susceptible to inflammation or occasional blemishes.

💘  Shop now Salicylic Acid Cleansing Foam

Heimish All Clean White Clay Foam

A deep-cleansing foam with natural Amazon white clay (kaolin) that aids in absorbing excessive sebum, clarifying pores without leaving a tight feeling behind.

10 natural oils, including coconut oil and citrus herb oil, nourish the skin, making it soft and supple, while hyaluronic acid moisture from the skin wherever it can be found.

This hypoallergenic product is free of parabens, sulfates and surfactants and is suitable for all skin types, especially oily, combination, acne-prone and sensitive skin.

💘  Shop now Heimish Clay Facial Cleanser

Klairs Rich Moist Foaming Cleanser 

This lightweight cleansing foam uses an amino acid formula instead of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), ensuring that the foam does not dry out the skin or leave it feeling tight.

It contains hyaluronic acid, ceramide 3, shea butter and olive oil for intense hydration, pineapple extract for gentle exfoliation, and tea tree oil and houttuynia cordata extract to soothe various dermatological problems such as acne.

It is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin, and is a cruelty-free and vegan beauty product that is free of ethanol, silicone, steroids, artificial colors and fragrances.

Purito Defence Barrier pH Cleanser 

A non-irritating formula is slightly acidic and helps maintain the skin's ideal pH of 5.5, leaving your skin feeling fresh and soft.

It is rich in antioxidants and citric acid, both of which have an anti-aging effect, and contains hydrolyzed collagen, which supports skin elasticity. Thanks to the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties of tea tree oil, it helps reduce oil production and soothe breakouts. 

This vegan product has a gel-like consistency that transforms into a creamy foam that gently washes and exfoliates the face, neck and décolleté.

Innisfree Jeju Bija Anti-trouble cleansing gel 

The perfect non-comedogenic cleansing gel is tailored for oily, combination and acne-prone skin. This mild gel penetrates deep into pores to eliminate makeup residue, debris, and dead skin cells while keeping the skin hydrated. 

The gentle formulation contains Jeju bija seed oil, which helps nourish and strengthen the skin's natural protective barrier to protect it from contaminants and moisture loss. 

The effective exfoliant, salicylic acid from willow bark extract, works to exfoliate and care for blemishes and uneven skin tone. Free of synthetic dyes, mineral oil, animal ingredients, artificial fragrances and imidazolidinyl urea.

Mizon Snail Repairing Foam Cleanser

If you're not familiar with Korean skincare, snail slime sounds a little gross and unappetizing, but snail secretions are now being harvested and used in essences, serums, moisturizers and even eye creams to provide various skin benefits such as brightening, moisturizing, healing and anti-aging.

This soft cleansing foam contains snail mucus, which is rich in hyaluronic acid, allantoin, antioxidants, zinc, manganese, glycosaminoglycans and growth factors—all good ingredients for hydrating skin and boosting collagen and elastin production.

Papaya fruit extract acts as a gentle exfoliant, helping to remove dead skin cells and unclog pores. It also has a deep cleansing function that allows it to deeply cleanse the skin's pores and helps tighten skin pores and leaves skin feeling smooth and supple.

( More snail products? 13 Best-Rated Snail Mucin Skincare Products for glowing skin. )