Skin Grocer Blog · No. 07
The Cleansing Issue
Is Your Sunscreen Still On at Bedtime?
Daylight saving is back, Victoria's sun-protection season is under way, and the No. 1 cleansing oil on Korea's Hwahae trending chart on 12 October is one already sitting on our Melbourne shelves. This fortnight: oil vs balm vs micellar — what each one actually lifts, which belongs at your sink in spring, and when the second cleanse is optional.
Written by The Skin Grocer Team — Fortnight of 12 October 2026
Cleansing oil, balm or micellar water — which one actually takes sunscreen off?
In Victoria, the answer matters again this month. Cancer Council's SunSmart program puts the state's sun-protection season at mid-August to April, with protection needed whenever the UV is 3 or above. Daylight saving started on 4 October, so the light runs later — and so does the sunscreen. Whatever goes on in the morning has to come off at night.
Korea, heading into autumn, has cleansers near the top of its charts. On Hwahae's trending cleansing-oil ranking, updated 12 October, the No. 1 spot is beplain's Mung Bean Cleansing Oil — the same 200ml bottle we stock in Melbourne. Two beplain mung bean balms sit in the top ten of the app's cleansing-balm ranking too.
So, the three formats. A cleansing oil is liquid oils plus an emulsifier: you massage it onto dry skin, add water, it turns milky and rinses away. A balm is the solid version of the same idea — it melts to an oil on warm skin, then emulsifies with water. Dermatologist Dr Naissan Wesley notes balms suit dry skin and cold, dry conditions, but a thick balm that isn't fully rinsed can leave residue linked to clogged pores and milia. Micellar water is water carrying tiny cleansing clusters called micelles; it usually isn't rinsed, and Cleveland Clinic suggests following it with another cleanser when you're removing sunscreen or heavy, waterproof makeup.
Our read: on a full sunscreen day, start with an oil or a balm. Dr Wesley cites a small 2020 study of 20 people in which waterproof sunscreen came off more effectively with a cleansing oil than with a non-oil cleanser. Oil versus balm is mostly a texture preference. Keep micellar water for the gym bag, the plane and the nights there's no sink in reach.
beplain
Mung Bean Cleansing Oil 200ml
Massage onto a dry face with dry hands, add water until it turns milky, then rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. Avoid the eye area if it stings, and patch test before first use — any product can cause a reaction.
⭐ Why we picked it
- —No. 1 on Hwahae's trending cleansing-oil ranking (updated 12 October 2026, KST)
- —Short ingredient list with mung bean extracts, panthenol and allantoin
- —Listed as fragrance-free, and built to emulsify and rinse rather than sit on skin
Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate (the emulsifier): what Korea already knows
Korea
🔥🔥🔥🔥
Australia
😴 never heard of it
- What is it?
- A non-ionic emulsifier. Its maker's technical sheet describes it as an emulsifier for oil-based cleansers that lets oils turn milky white on contact with water, so they rinse off easily. It's the reason a cleansing oil behaves nothing like the olive oil in your pantry.
- Why it's in Korean cleansing oils
- Because rinse-off is the whole point. Korean cleansing oils are designed to be massaged in, emulsified with water and rinsed clean — not wiped off with a cotton pad. Check the labels: sorbeth-30 tetraoleate is the third ingredient in both beplain's Mung Bean Cleansing Oil and Beauty of Joseon's Ginseng Cleansing Oil.
- Should Australians care?
- Yes — as a technique tip more than a shopping one. The milky turn is your signal: if the oil hasn't gone cloudy when you add water, it hasn't emulsified yet, so keep massaging with wet hands before you rinse. It is a cleansing aid, not an active. It won't brighten, firm or resurface anything; its job is to help the oil leave with everything it lifted.
Try it
beplain
Mung Bean Cleansing Oil 200ml
This fortnight's pick. Light, listed as fragrance-free.
A$35
Beauty of Joseon
Ginseng Cleansing Oil 210ml
Soybean and ginseng seed oils. The brand directs a water-based cleanser after.
A$30
beplain
Mung Bean pH-Balanced Cleansing Foam 80ml
No emulsifier needed — this is the optional second step.
A$24
If your skin is feeling…
☀️ Sunscreen on all day
beplain
Mung Bean Cleansing Oil 200ml
Oil first, on dry skin. Emulsify until milky, then rinse properly.
🌿 Want a richer oil
Beauty of Joseon
Ginseng Cleansing Oil 210ml
Soybean and ginseng seed oils, with the brand's directions calling for a second, water-based cleanse.
🫧 Easily unsettled
beplain
Mung Bean pH-Balanced Cleansing Foam 80ml
A gentle second cleanse, built around mung bean seed powder.
💦 Shiny by evening
TORRIDEN
Balanceful Cleansing Gel
Gel cleanser with centella extracts and panthenol. It contains capryloyl salicylic acid, so patch test first.
🥛 Tight after a foam
ISNTREE
Yam Root Vegan Milk Cleanser 220ml
A milk-texture cleanser for the nights a foam leaves you feeling stripped.
One product per concern. Not seventeen. That's curation.
The “I can't be bothered” routine
The spring evening routine, start to finish. Steps one and two are the new bit; the rest is what you'd do anyway.
01 · Oil
Dry hands, dry face. Massage gently, then add water until it turns milky and rinse thoroughly.
beplain
Mung Bean Cleansing Oil 200ml
02 · Second cleanse
Optional. Use it on heavy sunscreen or makeup days, or if your oil's directions call for one. Skip it if your skin feels tight.
beplain
Mung Bean pH-Balanced Cleansing Foam 80ml
03 · Hydrate
Onto damp skin, straight after rinsing.
ROUND LAB
1025 Dokdo Toner 100ml
04 · Seal
Birch juice, glycerin and hyaluronic acid in a lighter cream for spring nights. During the day, finish with a broad-spectrum sunscreen lawfully supplied in Australia and follow its labelled directions.
ROUND LAB
Birch Juice Moisturizing Cream 80ml
The step most people rush is the rinse. Thirty extra seconds of lukewarm water, especially along the hairline and jaw, is the cheapest upgrade in this issue.
No makeup? You might still want two cleanses
The double cleanse was sold as a makeup-wearer's ritual. In spring, it's really a question for anyone wearing sunscreen — which, from now until April in Victoria, should be most of us whenever the UV hits 3.
The test is what you're taking off, not what you put on for show. A long day outdoors, sunscreen reapplied at lunch and again at school pick-up? Oil first. A desk day and a quick walk at lunch? One gentle cleanse may feel like plenty. If you're not sure, the oil is the low-risk default — it adds about a minute.
Watch for over-cleansing. If your skin feels tight or squeaky after two cleanses, swap the second for something milder or drop it on indoor days. Clean shouldn't feel stripped.
A pollen note for Melburnians: grass pollen is counted from 1 October to 31 December, and Melbourne Pollen's 2026 outlook expects a more active season than last year across Melbourne. Cleansing won't help hay fever — that's a pharmacist or GP conversation, especially if you have asthma. But if your skin feels unsettled on windy days, keep the routine gentle and hold off on introducing new actives until things settle.
The Skin Grocery Basket — For sunscreen season, start to finish
beplain
Mung Bean Cleansing Oil 200ml
Lift the day off.
A$35
beplain
Mung Bean pH-Balanced Cleansing Foam 80ml
The optional second cleanse.
A$24
ROUND LAB
1025 Dokdo Toner 100ml
Water back in.
A$18
ROUND LAB
Birch Juice Moisturizing Cream 80ml
A lighter seal for spring.
A$35
What should we dig into next fortnight?
- ADo I need a lighter moisturiser for spring?
- BToner pads: worth it or wasteful?
- CShould I cleanse in the morning at all?
- DRetinal vs retinol: which should I start with?
Tell us which one to dig into next. We actually read them — and the answers become the next issue.
Send us your question