Where does this cleansing balm go in my routine?

As the first of two evening cleanses, on dry skin, before any water reaches the face. Nothing goes under it: this cleansing balm is the step everything else in the routine lands on top of. If you are adding it to a routine you already like, give it a week on its own first, so what you see is the Lactobacillus Ferment and not three changes at once.

Is this the Korean-market cleansing balm or a US version?

The Korean-market one, Lactobacillus Ferment and all. We match this cleansing balm to its Korean barcode before it reaches the shelf, which is the check that tells you which market release you are holding.

Does this cleansing balm contain fragrance?

Yes. The ingredient list names Fragrance. It sits on the panel printed on this page, so you can read the position for yourself before you buy. If fragrance components are something you avoid, this cleansing balm is not the one.

What else is on the list besides Lactobacillus Ferment?

Glycine Max (Soybean) Polypeptide, Panax Ginseng Root Extract and Panax Ginseng Berry Extract. The order they are printed in on this cleansing balm's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Lactobacillus Ferment sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Water and Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract.

BANILA CO

Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Nourishing 100ml

Name: BANILA CO Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Nourishing 100ml
Brand: BANILA CO
SKU: 5612442635
Price: 30.0 USD
Availability: InStock

BANILA CO Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Nourishing is BANILA CO's 100ml cleansing balm, formulated with Lactobacillus Ferment.

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$30.00

100 ml

$30.00 per 100 ml

Korean-market formula
Ships from California or direct from Korea
Korean barcode and batch code intact

Suited to: Dry skinCompromised barrierSensitive skinSkin that has lost bounce

Helps with: Shoppers looking for Lactobacillus Ferment in a cleansing balmRoutines that want Lactobacillus Ferment and Glycine Max (Soybean) Polypeptide in one stepFilling the cleansing balm step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the Lactobacillus Ferment cleansing balm sold on Korean shelves

One-time purchase

$30.00

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How it works

The Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Nourishing is a 100ml cleansing balm, used as the first of two evening cleanses, on dry skin, before any water reaches the face. The ferment it is built around is Lactobacillus Ferment, named twenty-third on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Glycine Max (Soybean) Polypeptide, Panax Ginseng Root Extract and Panax Ginseng Berry Extract, so the ferment is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the Lactobacillus Ferment stays on the skin, and for how long, is decided by the cleansing balm format rather than by the list alone. This is the Original Korean Formula, the cleansing balm BANILA CO sells in Korea, Lactobacillus Ferment and all.

Key benefits

Lactobacillus Ferment, the ferment this cleansing balm is built around
Glycine Max (Soybean) Polypeptide on the same list, a protein
Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Berry Extract and Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract on the same list, plant extracts
Panax Ginseng Root Water and Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract further down the same list
Avena Sativa (Oat) Meal Extract and Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins further down the same list
Lactobacillus Ferment named twenty-third on the manufacturer list printed on this page

How to use

Scoop a small, pea to almond sized amount with dry hands and warm it between your palms until it turns clear. Massage over a completely dry face, working into makeup, sunscreen and the T-zone for thirty to sixty seconds. Add a splash of water and continue massaging until the balm turns milky, then rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. Follow with a water-based cleanser rather than skipping straight to toner.

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26 of 27 explained

Ethylhexyl Stearate emollient: Ethylhexyl Stearate is an ester emollient with a slightly richer feel than the palmitate. It softens skin and helps a formula spread evenly.
PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate emulsifier: A nonionic emulsifier built on glycerin and branched fatty acids. Cleansing oils and balms use it so they emulsify the moment water is added.
PEG-10 Isostearate emulsifier: A nonionic emulsifier made by attaching a short polyethylene glycol chain to a branched fatty acid. It keeps oil dispersed in water.
Synthetic Wax occlusive: Synthetic Wax is a purpose-built hydrocarbon wax used to structure balms and sticks. It is odourless and does not oxidise, unlike most natural waxes.
Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil emollient: Safflower seed oil, among the highest-linoleic plant oils. High-linoleic oils feel lighter and absorb faster than high-oleic ones.
Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate emulsifier: Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate is a water-in-oil emulsifier used in balms and rich creams, and a good pigment disperser.
Butylene Glycol humectant: Butylene Glycol is a small glycol that does two jobs at once: it holds water in the top layer of skin and it dissolves plant extracts and actives that plain water cannot. It also thins a formula, which is why watery Korean essences lean on it.
Water solvent: Water is the base almost every serum, toner and cream is built on. It dissolves the water-loving ingredients and sets how light the finished texture feels. On an INCI list it is usually first, which only means it is the largest single ingredient by weight.
Fragrance fragrance: Fragrance, or Parfum, is a single declaration standing for a whole scent blend, which can be dozens of materials. Regulators allow it as a trade secret, so a list showing only this word does not say what the scent is made of. It is the most common trigger named by people with reactive skin.
Glyceryl Caprylate emulsifier: Glyceryl Caprylate is a mild emulsifier that also makes a formula less hospitable to microbes, so it is often part of a preservative-free system.
Caprylyl Glycol preservative booster: Caprylyl Glycol is a glycol that conditions skin and, more importantly, strengthens a preservative system so less of the traditional preservative is needed. It appears in most modern formulas built without parabens.
Panax Ginseng Root Extract plant extract: Ginseng Root Extract is the signature ingredient of Korean traditional skincare, carrying ginsenosides. It is used for the look of tired, dull skin, and brands often ferment it to break the ginsenosides into smaller forms.

14 more explained

Panax Ginseng Berry Extract plant extract: Extract of the ginseng fruit rather than the root. The berry carries a different balance of ginsenosides and is harvested for only a short window each year.
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter emollient: Shea Butter is the fat pressed from the shea nut, rich in oleic and stearic acids and unsaponifiable plant sterols. It is a heavy emollient and partial occlusive, which is why it sits in balms and night creams rather than in essences.
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil emollient: Jojoba Oil is a liquid wax rather than a true oil, and its structure is close to human sebum, which is why it absorbs so readily. It is an emollient that leaves a soft, non-greasy finish.
1,2-Hexanediol humectant: 1,2-Hexanediol is a glycol used for two reasons: it holds water like glycerin, and it makes a formula harder for microbes to live in, so less traditional preservative is needed. Korean formulas use it heavily for that second reason.
Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract plant extract: Quinoa seed extract. It carries complete plant protein, saponins and minerals and is used as a conditioning extract.
Panax Ginseng Root Water plant extract: Ginseng root distillate used as a base water. It carries far less of the ginsenosides than the root extract does.
Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract plant extract: Cocoa Extract carries polyphenols and a little caffeine. It is used as an antioxidant plant extract and gives a faint warm tint.
Dextrin thickener: Dextrin is a starch fragment used to thicken and to give a formula a light, powdery finish. It is also a common carrier for powdered extracts.
Glycine Max (Soybean) Polypeptide protein: Soy protein cut into shorter polypeptide chains. The smaller chains dissolve in water and are used as a conditioning protein that leaves a smooth film.
Lactobacillus Ferment ferment: Lactobacillus Ferment is the liquid left after lactobacillus bacteria have fermented a plant or milk substrate. It carries the small molecules the fermentation produced, including lactic acid and amino acids, and is used for the look of dull, uneven skin.
Avena Sativa (Oat) Meal Extract plant extract: Oatmeal extract, carrying the beta-glucan, starch and avenanthramides oats are used for. It is one of the standard additions to a formula built for easily bothered skin.
Panax Ginseng Seed Oil emollient: Ginseng seed oil, pressed from the seed rather than extracted from the root. It is a light oil high in oleic acid and carries a little of the plant's own sterols.
Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate ferment: Ginseng root fermented with lactobacillus and strained. Fermentation cuts the large ginsenosides into smaller forms, which is why Korean brands ferment ginseng so often.
Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins plant extract: The ginsenoside fraction of ginseng root broken into smaller pieces, usually with an enzyme acting on red ginseng. Smaller ginsenosides dissolve and spread more easily than the whole extract.

Inside the formula

Ingredients declared

Fragrance on the list

Worth knowing

Patch test this cleansing balm on a small area and wait a day before using it more widely, especially with Lactobacillus Ferment on the list.
This list names Fragrance, so skip it if fragrance components are something you avoid.

Complete the routine

This itemBANILA CO Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Nourishing 100ml$30.00
Cleanse first, so the next step meets bare skinBANILA CO Clean It Zero Calming Gel Cleanser 200ml$32.50
An as-needed step, in place of the prep layerBANILA CO Overnight Soothing Cica Sleep Mask 100ml$37.50

Total for 3 items$100.00

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BANILA CO Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Nourishing 100ml

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BANILA CO, Korean-market original

The Original Korean Formula cleansing balm from BANILA CO, 100ml formulated with Lactobacillus Ferment and Glycine Max (Soybean) Polypeptide, shipped from California or direct from Korea.

Verify your unit when it arrives

Korean-market stock with the original barcode and batch code intact, exactly as it left Korea.

On the unit itself

The Korean-market barcode, unaltered from the retail package.
The manufacturer’s batch code, exactly as the maker printed it.

정품Genuine article, Korean-market stock

What professionals say

What skin-care professionals say about skin care, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.

Your skin barrier is basically your outer layer of the skin.
Melissa Piliang, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
Pretty much every step of a Korean skin care routine is going to have some component of hydration.
Alok Vij, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic