Review: Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm

I seem to have been talking about cleansing balms before they became a mainstream product, which tells you how long I’ve been around, and how great it is that we now have so many options available to us! I even have a whole Cleansing Balm repository (which I haven’t kept as updated as I should!)

The Korean brands were quite quick to jump on the cleansing balm bandwagon, which underscores their focus on proper cleansing via double cleansing, and how quick they are to pivot to a new formula/trend.

When I bought the famed Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun sunscreen, I put a few things into my cart along with it, and one of it was the Radiance Cleansing Balm. I still double-cleanse daily, and I run through my balm cleansers like water!

Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm

I shared a little background about Beauty of Joseon in my last post about the brand, so I will not repeat it. You can refer back to the review of the Relief Sun for a brief overview of the brand.

RELATED READING: Read the review of the famed Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun sunscreen and a brief overview of the brand READ MORE

The brands says that the Radiance Cleansing Balm is a balm-type cleansing oil that melts off eye, lip and base makeup and sebum. It also contains rice bran and grain extract to maintain the moisture of the skin so it doesn’t dry out.

I guess I should have read the description before buying it, because I enjoy using cleansing balms, but I prefer the ones that have a softer, more balmy texture, with more oils in them, than what is essentially a solid cleansing oil, because that’s what this is.

Solid textured oil

The texture of the Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm reminds me a lot of the one from the other famed Korean brand, Banila & Co. It was all the rage quite many years ago, though I’m not sure if it still is.

The texture is that of a solid oil, which is pretty much what you think it is. When you spread it between your palms, it will melt and turn into an oil, which you can then apply on dry skin with dry hands. Work it into your skin removing your sweat or makeup, before emulsifying it with some warm water and only then rinsing it off.

When working with cleansing oils and cleansing balms, the key to its efficacy is really first, the massaging of it into the skin to lift the dirt, oil and debris off the surface of your skin; and second, the emulsifying of the oil to ensure it is properly removed from your skin.

Many people tend to skip that second step, thinking that you can rinse it off easily, which you usually can’t. If you want to skip the second step, you can – use a face cloth or facial sponge to remove the oil from your skin.

Cleans skin effectively and well

I’m not a big fan of cleansing balms that turn into an oil, or have a solid oil texture like this one from the Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm. The reason is because I have dry skin, and I find cleansing oils far too stripping for my skin.

My personal preference is for thicker balm textures like the ones from Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm, which is a personal favourite and one I turn to over and over again. That is the standard by which I measure all cleansing balms to at this time.

RELATED READING: I love the Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm for very good reason! READ MORE

All that said however, I do find that the Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm does a good enough job at cleansing the skin of oil and sebum, and at a very attractively low price!

I don’t wear makeup often, but I wear a thick sunscreen daily, and in my current lifestyle, I am prone to sweating from outdoor activities. A cleansing balm, and double cleansing, is therefore a must in my skincare routine.

It goes without saying that after using this cleansing balm as my first cleanse, I follow up with a second cleanser to ensure my skin is properly clean. I do this in the evening.

Not Drying and not scented

While I find that most cleansing oils leave my skin feeling dry, the Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm happily, does not.

That said, I don’t find it to be moisturising either, the way the heavier, more balmy textured ones are. I think those with oily or combination type skins will enjoy using this one. I also like that this one isn’t scented at all, which is good if you have sensitive skin or a sensitive nose.

In terms of personal preference, my preference lies with the cleansing balms that are more like a paste, as opposed to the ones that are more like a solid oil. For that reason, I don’t see myself repurchasing this Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm, even if it is terribly affordable! Maybe I will if I need something on a budget, but not otherwise.

IN A NUTSHELL

The Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm is a solid cleansing oil, with a solid oil texture. It melts into an oil when you spread and rub it between your palms. Massage it into your skin to remove dirt, oil and debris or makeup, and then emulsify with warm water before rinsing thoroughly. I find that it lifts off dirt and sebum quite well, leaving skin feeling clean and it isn’t drying.

PROS:
Affordable
Lightweight and not scented
Lifts off dirt, oil and makeup well
Cleans off easily
Not scented

CONS:
Not a fan of the solid oil texture but it’s a personal preference

WHO WILL LIKE THIS: Anyone who wants an affodable, effective cleansing balm that is not drying

PRICE: RM72.90 (often on sale for about RM48) | US$19 for 100ml

WHERE TO BUY: Beauty of Joseon Shopee store, iHerb

For those interested, here is the ingredients list for the Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Synthetic Wax, PEG-10 Isostearate, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Seed Water, Avena Sativa (Oat) Meal Extract, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-yuen Seed Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, Water, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Have you tried this Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm?

I don’t hate it, but I guess I’d rate it a 3.5/5 simply because I’m not a fan of the texture. It otherwise does a good job, and that price (especially when on offer) cannot be beat!

Paris B