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NOSCA9 Deep Pore Cleansing Foam$14.11Dr.Althea
Pore Refresh Grinding Cleansing Balm
Dr.Althea Pore Refresh Grinding Cleansing Balm is a 50ml cleansing balm whose ingredient list carries Tocopherol alongside Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract and Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract.
No reviews yet$20.99
50ml
$41.98 per 100 ml
- Korean-market formula
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- Suited to
- Dry skinCompromised barrierSensitive skinDull, uneven tone
- Helps with
- Shoppers looking for Tocopherol in a cleansing balmRoutines that want Tocopherol and Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract in one stepFilling the cleansing balm step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the Tocopherol cleansing balm sold on Korean shelves
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$14.11
$17.64
$27.50
- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Tracked delivery to your door
How it works
The Pore Refresh Grinding Cleansing Balm is a 50ml cleansing balm, used as the first of two evening cleanses, on dry skin, before any water reaches the face. The antioxidant it is built around is Tocopherol, named eighth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract and Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, so the antioxidant is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the Tocopherol 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 Dr.Althea sells in Korea, Tocopherol and all.
Key benefits
- Tocopherol, the antioxidant this cleansing balm is built around
- Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract and Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract on the same list, plant extracts
- Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract and Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract further down the same list
- Corallina Officinalis Extract and Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract further down the same list
- Tocopherol named eighth on the manufacturer list printed on this page
- The Korean-market release of this cleansing balm, confirmed against its Korean barcode
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
28
Ingredients declared
No fragrance
on the list
Dr. Althea Pore Refresh Grinding Cleansing Balm
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 Tocopherol and not three changes at once.
Is this the Korean-market cleansing balm or a US version?
The Korean-market one, Tocopherol 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.
What else is on the list besides Tocopherol?
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract and Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract. The order they are printed in on this cleansing balm's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Tocopherol sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract and Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract.
Not on the ingredient list below: fragrance or parfum, denatured or SD alcohol, essential oils, silicones, parabens, sulfate surfactants, mineral oil or petrolatum and added color.
Full INCI (28): Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Synthetic Wax, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, PEG-10 Isostearate, Polyglyceryl-2 Oleate, Glyceryl Oleate Citrate, Tocopherol, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Caprylyl Glycol, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Water, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Sodium Guaiazulene Sulfonate
Ingredient list read from jolse.com on 9 September 2026.
26 of 28 explained
- Cetyl Ethylhexanoate emollient
- Cetyl Ethylhexanoate is a synthetic ester used as a dry-feeling emollient. It spreads easily, leaves a silky rather than oily finish, and helps disperse pigments and UV filters evenly.
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emollient
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is the light fraction of coconut oil, with the heavy parts removed. It is the workhorse emollient of modern formulas: it softens skin, dissolves oil-soluble actives and absorbs without the greasy weight of a whole plant oil.
- 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.
- 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.
- Polyglyceryl-2 Oleate emulsifier
- Polyglyceryl-2 Oleate is a mild plant-derived emulsifier. It holds oil and water together and helps dissolve oily ingredients.
- Tocopherol antioxidant
- Tocopherol is vitamin E. It is an oil-soluble antioxidant that protects the oils in a formula from going rancid and works on skin as an emollient, and it is regularly paired with vitamin C because each keeps the other going for longer.
- Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil emollient
- Rice Bran Oil is pressed from the bran left over from milling rice. It carries vitamin E and a group of rice-specific antioxidants, and it is a light emollient.
- Sorbitan Sesquioleate emulsifier
- Sorbitan Sesquioleate is a water-in-oil emulsifier and pigment disperser. Cleansing oils use it so water can be worked into the oil at the rinse.
- 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.
- Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract plant extract
- Melia Azadirachta is neem. Its leaf and flower extracts are long-standing Ayurvedic ingredients, and Korean formulas use them in products aimed at the look of congested, blemish-prone skin.
- Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract plant extract
- Coccinia Indica is ivy gourd. Its fruit extract is used as a conditioning, hydrating plant extract in Korean formulas.
14 more explained
- Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract plant extract
- Eggplant Fruit Extract carries nasunin, the antioxidant pigment in aubergine skin. It is used as an antioxidant plant extract.
- Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract plant extract
- Aloe Flower Extract comes from the flower rather than the leaf gel. It is used as a conditioning plant extract.
- 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.
- Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract plant extract
- Ocimum Sanctum is holy basil, or tulsi. Its leaf extract carries plant antioxidants and is used in formulas built for the look of stressed, reactive skin.
- Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract plant extract
- Turmeric Root Extract carries curcuminoids, well studied plant antioxidants. It is used for the look of dullness and uneven tone, and it tints a formula faintly yellow.
- Corallina Officinalis Extract plant extract
- Corallina Officinalis is coral seaweed, which holds calcium and magnesium in its structure. Its extract is used as a mineral-rich conditioning ingredient.
- Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract plant extract
- Camellia Sinensis is the tea plant. Green tea leaf extract carries catechins, among the most studied plant antioxidants, and is used for the look of redness and oily shine.
- 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.
- Glycerin humectant
- Glycerin is the most used humectant in skincare. It draws water into the outer layer of skin and holds it there, and it is one of the very few ingredients whose hydrating effect is settled science rather than marketing. Higher amounts feel tacky, which is why it is usually blended.
- 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.
- Ethylhexylglycerin preservative booster
- Ethylhexylglycerin softens skin and boosts a preservative system, which is why it is nearly always sitting beside phenoxyethanol or 1,2-hexanediol. It also cuts down the odour bacteria produce, so it turns up in deodorising products.
- 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.
- Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil emollient
- Soybean Oil is a linoleic-rich plant oil used as an emollient. It also carries soy phytosterols and vitamin E.
- Sodium Guaiazulene Sulfonate active
- Sodium Guaiazulene Sulfonate is a water-soluble form of guaiazulene, the blue chamomile compound. The sulfonate group lets it be used in watery formulas the oil-soluble form cannot enter.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809447255620
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 50ml
- Category
- Cleanser / Balm cleanser / first cleanse
- Actives
- Aloe Vera, Green Tea, Jojoba Seed Oil, Rice Extract
- Ships from
- California or Korea
LightTextureRich
MatteFinishDewy
Orders ship from California or direct from Korea with tracked delivery to your door, and both routes carry the same Korean-market release. Shipping is free on orders of $100 or more. Returns are accepted for 30 days, by mail.
We split shipments free, so one out-of-stock item never holds up the rest of your order.
Where this unit came from
- 1Seoul
Bought as Korean-market stock - 2Barcode
Listed against the Korean barcode on its box - 3California or Korea
Ships to you from either, as the same Korean-market release
We stock the version of a formula that is sold in Korea, not the release a brand prepares for another market under the same name. The barcode in the specification above is the Korean-market one and it is printed on the box you receive.
Every unit keeps its original barcode and batch code intact, so the unit in your hands can be checked against the brand’s own records.
Every order ships from California or direct from Korea, and returns run for 30 days.
Every claim on this page traces to the unit in the box, the barcode, the batch code and the price you can read for yourself.
How to use
- Use the Pore Refresh Grinding Cleansing Balm as the first of two evening cleanses, on dry skin and dry hands.
- Scoop out a fingertip's worth with the spatula, warm it between your fingers, then massage over dry skin for a full minute.
- Add a little water and keep massaging until it turns milky, rinse, then follow with a water-based cleanser.
- Once a day, in the evening. Do not put wet fingers into the jar, because water in a balm is how a jar spoils early.
Worth knowing
- Patch test this cleansing balm on a small area and wait a day before using it more widely, especially with Tocopherol on the list.
- Introduce this cleansing balm on its own for the first week, so anything your skin does is traceable to the Tocopherol rather than to three changes at once.
Reviews
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Dr. Althea Pore Refresh Grinding Cleansing Balm
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Dr.Althea, Korean-market original
The Original Korean Formula cleansing balm from Dr.Althea, 50ml formulated with Tocopherol and Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, shipped from California or direct from Korea.
Verify your unit when it arrives
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 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
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