Round Lab Dokdo Cleanser and Beauty of Joseon Double Cleanse

ROUND LAB's 1025 Dokdo Cleanser, 150ml, is a pH 5.0-6.0 water-based wash designed for the second step of a Korean double cleanse, not for removing makeup or sunscreen by itself. That single fact decides how it should be used and how it compares with the other cult cleansers people ask about: bttr, Beauty of Joseon, Anua, BANILA CO and ETUDE's SoonJung line each occupy either the oil-and-balm first step or the low-pH second step, and mixing up the two roles is the most common way a double cleanse goes wrong.

The deciding axis for any of these products is simple: does the reader already have an oil or balm that dissolves sunscreen and makeup? If yes, a low-pH foam or gel such as Dokdo Cleanser or ETUDE's Whip Cleanser finishes the routine. If not, a balm like bttr's Balm to Milk Cleanser or BANILA CO's Clean It Zero has to come first.

ROUND LAB 1025 Dokdo Cleanser

ROUND LAB's 1025 Dokdo Cleanser, 150ml, lists between $16 and $20 across YesStyle, Walmart and Ulta listings checked in September 2026. The formula is described on the brand's page as a slightly acidic, pH 5.0-6.0 wash that turns from cream to foam on contact with water, purifying skin without over-drying it.

Its named ingredients are deep sea water drawn from 5,000 feet below the East Sea, triple hyaluronic acid and ceramide NP, positioned by the brand as the hydration and barrier-support side of a cleanser, not an exfoliant. ROUND LAB sells the product as one half of its own two-step Dokdo duo, paired with a companion cleansing oil, which confirms the intended role: it clears residue after an oil or balm has already broken down sunscreen and makeup, and it is not built to dissolve either on its own.

An independent ingredient read flags pullulan, a film-forming polysaccharide in the formula, as a possible source of the tight, taut sensation some users report after rinsing, a detail that sits alongside retailer copy that markets the wash as non-tightening. The closest rival in the same second-step slot is ETUDE SoonJung Soon Jung pH 6.5 Whip Cleanser, a 150ml whipped wash built around panthenol and madecassoside, differing from Dokdo's mineral-and-ceramide mix, and listed on EWG Skin Deep as Low Hazard. ROUND LAB states more than five million units of the Dokdo Cleanser sold worldwide, the only sales figure the brand publishes for the line.

bttr Balm to Milk Cleanser

bttr's Balm to Milk Cleanser ([생크림밤] 소프트 멜트 어웨이 클렌징 밤 투 밀크), 110ml, lists at 29,400원 on the brand's official store, checked 2026-09-14. The product page describes it melting from a solid balm into a milky rinse in one motion, styled by the brand as a one-step cleanser for the first half of a double cleanse.

The brand's site states a waterproof makeup cleansing figure of 93.6% for this formula, a brand-reported number, not an outside lab result, alongside its own description of the product as pairing a balm's cleansing power with a milk's moisture on rinsing.

• The balm-to-milk shift lets one product handle both the melting motion and the rinse-off motion of a first cleanse, instead of requiring a separate emulsifying step.
• The stated 93.6% waterproof-makeup figure supports using it ahead of long-wear sunscreen or full coverage makeup days.
• The milk-finish emulsion is designed to rinse away cleanly, leaving a hydrating base for the second, water-based step that follows.

For a double cleanse that starts with waterproof sunscreen or long-wear makeup, the Balm to Milk Cleanser's melt-and-rinse format suits the first step, leaving a low-pH wash such as the Dokdo Cleanser or SoonJung's Whip Cleanser to finish the second step.

Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser

Beauty of Joseon's Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser, sold in 100ml and 200ml sizes, lists at $16 on the brand's site, checked 2026-09-14. The official page describes a pH-balanced gel built with plum water and mung bean extract meant to cleanse while supporting the moisture barrier.

A retailer listing separately cites a 24% plum water concentration and attributes the naturally occurring citric acid and AHA in the plum to mild exfoliation of dead skin cells, a claim made by the retailer, not stated on the official product page in the version checked.

Like the Dokdo Cleanser, this is a water-based gel, not an oil or balm, so it is not designed to remove makeup on its own and needs an oil or balm ahead of it in a double cleanse.

Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil

Anua's Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil, 200ml, is an oil formula for the first step of a double cleanse, drawing on Houttuynia cordata (heartleaf) extract as its named active.

Anua's own instructions direct users to follow it with a water-based cleanser to rinse off excess oil, the same slot that the Dokdo Cleanser or SoonJung's Whip Cleanser would fill in a two-step routine.

As a first-step oil, its function in the routine is to dissolve sebum, sunscreen and makeup before a low-pH second cleanser removes any remaining residue.

BANILA CO Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Original

BANILA CO's Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Original, 100ml, lists at $21, with a 180ml jumbo size at $29, per a Soko Glam listing checked 2026-09-14. It is a sherbet-to-oil balm containing acerola extract for vitamin C, and its official directions frame it as the first step in a double-cleansing regimen.

Its published ingredient list includes fragrance, a detail worth noting for anyone choosing between first-cleanse balms on the basis of scent.

As with the other balms and oils in this comparison, its role is to dissolve makeup and sunscreen before a water-based, low-pH cleanser such as the Dokdo Cleanser finishes the routine.