Where does this gel cleanser go in my routine?

As your first step, morning and evening, on skin wet with lukewarm water. Nothing goes under it: this gel cleanser 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 Gluconolactone and not three changes at once.

Is this the Korean-market gel cleanser or a US version?

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

Does this gel cleanser 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 gel cleanser is not the one.

What else is on the list besides Gluconolactone?

Glycolic Acid, Lactobacillus Ferment and Bioflavonoids. The order they are printed in on this gel cleanser's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Gluconolactone sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract and Punica Granatum Fruit Extract.

Dr. Melaxin

Cactox Pore Relief Gel Cleanser 120ml

Name: Dr. Melaxin Cactox Pore Relief Gel Cleanser 120ml
Brand: Dr. Melaxin
SKU: 2333
Price: 44.5 USD
Availability: InStock

Dr. Melaxin Cactox Pore Relief Gel Cleanser is a 120ml gel cleanser from Dr. Melaxin built around Gluconolactone.

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$44.50

120 ml

$37.08 per 100 ml

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

Suited to: Congested skinUneven textureDehydrated skinSensitive skin

Helps with: Shoppers looking for Gluconolactone in a gel cleanserRoutines that want Gluconolactone and Glycolic Acid in one stepFilling the gel cleanser step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the Gluconolactone gel cleanser sold on Korean shelves

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$44.50

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How it works

The Cactox Pore Relief Gel Cleanser is a 120ml gel cleanser, used as your first step, morning and evening, on skin wet with lukewarm water. The exfoliant it is built around is Gluconolactone, named thirty-first on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Glycolic Acid, Lactobacillus Ferment and Bioflavonoids, so the exfoliant is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the Gluconolactone stays on the skin, and for how long, is decided by the gel cleanser format rather than by the list alone. This is the Original Korean Formula, the gel cleanser Dr. Melaxin sells in Korea, Gluconolactone and all.

Key benefits

Gluconolactone, the exfoliant this gel cleanser is built around
Glycolic Acid on the same list, an exfoliant
Lactobacillus Ferment on the same list, a ferment
Bioflavonoids on the same list, an antioxidant
Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract and Punica Granatum Fruit Extract further down the same list
Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract and Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract further down the same list

How to use

Use it by working it into damp skin and rinsing thoroughly, working it into the skin in the position this cleanser occupies in a full routine, and following up with the next step once it has settled.

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55 of 58 explained

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.
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate surfactant: A strong anionic surfactant that foams heavily. It is a sulfate alternative in name but not in strength, and it is more common in shampoos than in facial cleansers.
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.
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine surfactant: Lauryl Hydroxysultaine is a mild secondary surfactant that keeps foaming even in hard water and at low pH.
Acrylates Copolymer film former: Acrylates Copolymer is a synthetic polymer that forms a film as the water leaves. It holds a formula in place, controls shine and helps a texture stay put.
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.
Sodium Chloride thickener: Sodium Chloride is salt. In a cleanser it thickens the liquid; in a mask or essence it balances the mineral content of the water phase. It has no active role.
C12-13 Alketh-9 emulsifier: C12-13 Alketh-9 is a solubiliser used to disperse oil-soluble ingredients evenly in a watery formula.
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.
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.
Hydroxyacetophenone preservative booster: Hydroxyacetophenone is an antioxidant that also strengthens a preservative system, so a formula needs less traditional preservative. Korean formulas pair it with 1,2-hexanediol constantly.
Tromethamine pH adjuster: Tromethamine neutralises acidic thickeners such as carbomer so they gel, and holds a formula near skin-friendly pH. It is used at a fraction of a percent.

43 more explained

Propanediol humectant: Propanediol is a plant-derived glycol used in place of propylene glycol. It hydrates, carries actives into solution, and gives a lighter, less sticky slip than glycerin at the same strength.
Coco-Glucoside surfactant: Coco-Glucoside is a mild sugar-derived surfactant used in gentle cleansers, usually with a second surfactant to build foam.
Decyl Glucoside surfactant: Decyl Glucoside is a sugar and coconut-derived surfactant, one of the mildest cleansers available. It produces a soft, low foam and rinses without stripping.
Citric Acid pH adjuster: Citric Acid is used in tiny amounts to bring a formula to the pH its actives need, not as an exfoliant at that level. It is an AHA, so at much higher concentrations it can also exfoliate.
Sorbitol humectant: Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol used as a humectant. It hydrates like glycerin with a smoother, less sticky finish, and it adds a little body to watery textures.
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.
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate chelator: A readily biodegradable chelator used in place of EDTA. It ties up trace metal ions in the water so they cannot spoil the formula.
Coptis Japonica Root Extract plant extract: Coptis Japonica is a traditional East Asian medicinal root, bright yellow from its berberine content. In skincare its extract is used for the look of congested, oily skin.
Potassium Benzoate preservative: The potassium salt of benzoic acid, used as a preservative. It only works in an acidic formula, which is why it turns up in low-pH products.
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.
Panthenol humectant: Panthenol is pro-vitamin B5: skin converts it to pantothenic acid. It is a humectant that holds water and leaves skin feeling soft and less tight, and it is one of the ingredients formulators reach for when a formula also contains something harsh.
Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract plant extract: Lemon fruit extract, carrying citric acid, sugars and flavonoids. It is the water-based fruit extract rather than the peel oil, so it brings the fruit acids without the aromatic terpenes.
Punica Granatum Extract plant extract: Pomegranate fruit extract, carrying ellagic acid and punicalagins. It is used as a plant antioxidant.
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid humectant: Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid cut into much shorter fragments. The smaller the fragment, the further into the outer layer it can settle, which is why serums stack several sizes together instead of using one.
Hyaluronic Acid humectant: Hyaluronic Acid is a sugar chain the body already makes, and one gram of it can hold several litres of water. In a formula it is a humectant that pulls water to the surface of skin and holds it in a film, which is what makes skin look plumper while it is there.
Sodium Hyaluronate humectant: Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt of hyaluronic acid, and it is what most products labelled hyaluronic actually contain. The salt dissolves more readily and the molecule is smaller, so it sits in the outer layer of skin rather than only on top of it.
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.
Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract plant extract: Gardenia Fruit Extract is the traditional East Asian yellow dye plant. In skincare it is used as an antioxidant extract, and it can tint a formula.
Gluconolactone exfoliant: Gluconolactone is a PHA, the gentlest exfoliant class. Its molecule is too large to penetrate quickly, so it smooths the surface without the sting of an AHA, and it is a humectant at the same time.
Glycolic Acid exfoliant: Glycolic Acid is the smallest AHA, which is why it is also the most penetrating and the most likely to sting. It loosens the bonds between dead surface cells and is used for the look of dullness and rough texture.
Glycine amino acid: Glycine is the smallest amino acid and one of the free amino acids skin holds to keep water in the outer layer. In a formula it is a humectant and a mild buffer.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract plant extract: Aloe Leaf Extract is mostly water with polysaccharides, amino acids and mild plant acids. It hydrates and leaves a light, cooling film, which is why it is the default after-sun ingredient.
Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Extract plant extract: Kiwi fruit extract, high in vitamin C and fruit acids. It is used as a conditioning antioxidant extract.
Serine amino acid: Serine is one of the most abundant free amino acids in the outer layer of skin, where it helps hold water. Added to a formula it is a humectant.
Glutamic Acid amino acid: Glutamic Acid is an amino acid used as a humectant and a mild pH adjuster. It is one of the components of skin's natural moisturising factor.
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract plant extract: Prickly pear cactus stem extract, from the pad rather than the fruit. The pad is full of mucilage, so the extract hydrates and leaves a cushioned feel.
Malus Domestica Fruit Extract plant extract: Apple fruit extract, carrying malic acid, sugars and polyphenols. It is used as a conditioning extract and a mild source of fruit acid.
Aspartic Acid amino acid: Aspartic Acid is an amino acid used as a humectant and buffer, usually within a wider amino acid blend.
Bioflavonoids antioxidant: Bioflavonoids is a collective declaration for the flavonoid fraction of a plant extract, usually citrus. It names a class of plant antioxidants rather than one compound.
Alanine amino acid: Alanine is a free amino acid skin uses as part of its own moisture-holding system. In a formula it hydrates and conditions.
Lysine amino acid: Lysine is an essential amino acid used as a conditioning humectant in an amino acid complex.
Arginine amino acid: Arginine is an amino acid that does two jobs here: it holds water in the outer layer of skin, and it neutralises acidic gelling agents, which is why it often stands in for a synthetic pH adjuster.
Tyrosine amino acid: Tyrosine is an amino acid used as a conditioning humectant in amino acid complexes.
Phenylalanine amino acid: Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid used in skincare as a conditioning humectant.
Proline amino acid: Proline is an amino acid abundant in collagen and one of skin's own humectants. Added to a formula it holds water in the outer layer.
Threonine amino acid: Threonine is an essential amino acid used in skincare as a humectant, normally as part of an amino acid complex rather than alone.
Valine amino acid: Valine is an essential amino acid used as a humectant alongside the rest of an amino acid block.
Isoleucine amino acid: Isoleucine is an essential amino acid used as a conditioning humectant within an amino acid complex.
Histidine amino acid: Histidine is an amino acid used as a humectant and a buffer, part of skin's own free amino acid pool.
Cysteine amino acid: Cysteine is a sulphur-bearing amino acid used as a humectant and antioxidant. It is one of the three building blocks of glutathione.
Methionine amino acid: Methionine is a sulphur-bearing essential amino acid used as a humectant and mild antioxidant.
Apium Graveolens (Celery) Extract plant extract: Celery extract, carrying flavonoids, minerals and plant acids. It is used as a light conditioning extract.
Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract plant extract: Broccoli extract, carrying sulforaphane and vitamin C. It is used as a plant antioxidant.

Inside the formula

Ingredients declared

Fragrance on the list

Worth knowing

Patch test this gel cleanser on a small area and wait a day before using it more widely, especially with Gluconolactone on the list.
This list names Fragrance, so skip it if fragrance components are something you avoid.
Citric Acid and Gluconolactone on this list makes this gel cleanser an exfoliating step, so do not stack it with another one on the same night.

Complete the routine

This itemDr. Melaxin Cactox Pore Relief Gel Cleanser 120ml$44.50
Seal the routine in as the last stepDr.Melaxin Cactox Pore Relief Dual Capsule Cream 65g$75.00
From the same Korean-market lineDr.Melaxin Cactox 3-Step Nose Pore Pack 3P$32.50

Total for 3 items$152.00

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Dr.Melaxin Cactox Pore Relief Gel Cleanser 120ml

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Dr. Melaxin, Korean-market original

The Original Korean Formula gel cleanser from Dr. Melaxin, 120ml formulated with Gluconolactone and Glycolic Acid, 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