Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Foam
Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Foam is a foaming cleanser that names Isostearic Acid on its own ingredient panel, sourced as the Korean-market formula.
No reviews yet- Ships from our California warehouse
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- Suited to
- Normal skinOily skinCombination skinSkin that runs sensitive
- Helps with
- A first or only cleansing step that will not leave skin feeling strippedA gentle, low-pH cleanse before the rest of a routineEveryday makeup and sunscreen removal at the end of the day
In stock. Ships from our California warehouse, dispatched within 2 business days
You’re $100.00 away from free US shipping.
- Duties prepaid
- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Dispatched within 2 business days
How it works
Isostearic Acid is named on the ingredient panel on this foaming cleanser. Isostearic Acid is a branched fatty acid, so unlike stearic acid it stays liquid. It conditions and helps disperse pigments. On this panel it sits alongside Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract and Castanea Crenata (Chestnut) Shell Extract. Adlay, or Job tears, a grain used in both Korean cooking and Korean herbal practice. The seed extract carries starch-derived sugars and amino acids.
Key benefits
- Isostearic Acid named on this product's own ingredient panel
- Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract on the same panel, the formula's plant extract
- Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract on the same panel, the formula's plant extract
- 50 ml to a unit
- Korean GS1 barcode matched against a Korea sourcing supplier's record for this item
Key actives
Isostearic Acid
Isostearic Acid is a branched fatty acid, so unlike stearic acid it stays liquid. It conditions and helps disperse pigments.
Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract
Adlay, or Job tears, a grain used in both Korean cooking and Korean herbal practice. The seed extract carries starch-derived sugars and amino acids.
Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract
The peel extract of the satsuma mandarin, the gyul grown on Jeju. It carries flavonoids and aromatic oils and is used as a conditioning antioxidant extract.
Castanea Crenata (Chestnut) Shell Extract
Chestnut Shell Extract carries tannins and is used as an antioxidant plant extract, most often in formulas aimed at visible pores.
Is this the same formula sold in Korea, or a version made for the US market?
This is the Korean-market formula, the same one sold on shelves in Korea, not a separate version reformulated for US retail.
Where does Gentle Cleansing Foam go in a routine?
It belongs the first or only cleansing step, used morning and night on wet skin before the rest of a routine. Placing it earlier or later than that changes how it feels going on and how well the steps around it perform, so it is worth following that order rather than treating it as interchangeable with a different type of product.
Is this suited to my skin type?
It is formulated with normal skin, oily skin, combination skin, and skin that runs sensitive in mind, and it does not lean on a heavy fragrance load or a harsh surfactant base to do its job. If your skin is easily reactive, patch test on a small area first before working it into a full routine.
Is this product fragranced?
Yes, this formula's own ingredient list includes Fragrance, listed as Parfum. If you are sensitive to added scent or prefer a fragrance-free routine, this is worth knowing before you build it into daily use.
Who should be careful with this product, or wait before trying it?
Keep it out of the eyes and rinse immediately with water if it gets in. Beyond that, anyone new to the brand or the format should patch test on a small area first rather than applying it across the whole face on day one.
- Ships from
- California
Duties are prepaid. Nothing is owed at delivery. Returns are accepted for 30 days, by mail.
Orders ship from our California warehouse, dispatched within 2 business days, and arrive in 3 to 5 days. Shipping is free on orders of $100 or more.
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 - 2Customs
Duty paid by us before it enters the US - 3California
Ships domestically, no international leg
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.
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.
Import duties are paid by us before the parcel reaches you, so nothing is owed at the door, 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.
Payment and security
We accept
How to use
- Use the Gentle Cleansing Foam as your first step, morning and evening, on a face already wet with lukewarm water.
- Pump about 2 times and make sufficient foam with water. Massage your face gently and rinse off with lukewarm water.
- Rinse with lukewarm water and go straight on to your toner while skin is still damp, because a humectant layer has more to hold on to on a damp face.
- Twice a day is the ceiling. Do not follow it with a second cleanse in the morning, when there is no sunscreen or makeup left on the face to remove.
Worth knowing
- Keep it out of the eyes and rinse immediately with water if it gets in.
- A cleanser that foams well can still over-dry skin if left on too long, so do not let it sit before rinsing.
Reviews
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Korean-market original
Korean-market cleanser from Sulwhasoo: Gentle Cleansing Foam, the same formula sold on shelves in 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.
Match the batch code on the box against the code printed on the bottle or tube itself; the two are stamped separately and should agree.
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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