Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser Review: Worth Buying?

So you keep seeing this little tube pop up on your feed. Foamy, bouncy, promising clean skin without the tight, squeaky feeling. And you’re wondering if the Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser actually earns its spot in your bathroom, or if it’s just another pretty bottle riding a hype wave.

I get it. Cleansers are the step people overspend on and regret. A good one respects your skin barrier. A bad one leaves your face begging for moisturizer ten seconds after you towel off.

I bought this one myself, used it for weeks, and dug through the ingredient list and hundreds of real user reviews. Here’s my honest take.

This post may contain affiliate links. These are always my honest opinions and I purchased this product myself.

In a Nutshell:

• Low pH gel formula that cleanses without stripping. Your skin barrier stays happy, which is the whole point of a morning-friendly wash.
• 24.5% Prunus Mume (green plum) fruit water sits high on the ingredient list. It’s a humectant, so it pulls in moisture instead of pushing it out.
• Mung bean seed extract teams up with the plum to lift away dead skin cells and excess sebum. Great for congestion-prone faces.
• Gentle surfactants like sodium cocoyl isethionate and cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine do the cleaning. These are the mild ones, not the harsh sulfates.
• Best for oily, combination, and normal skin. Dry and very sensitive skin may find it a touch too clarifying over time.
• Small tube, small price. You get 100ml, and heavy users go through it fast. Budget accordingly.

What Is the Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser?

This is a low pH, gel-type morning cleanser from Beauty of Joseon, the Korean brand known for hanbang-inspired formulas at drugstore-adjacent prices.

The whole idea is a refreshing cleanse rather than a deep, stripping one. It uses green plum and mung bean to gently clear away sebum, sweat, and light grime.

It’s mildly acidic, which matters. Your skin’s natural pH sits around 4.7 to 5.5. A cleanser in that range respects your acid mantle instead of blowing it apart.

Think of it as a first-thing-in-the-morning wash or the second step of an evening double cleanse. It is not a makeup remover. More on that later.

Last update on 2026-07-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

Green Plum and Mung Bean: The Star Ingredients

Let’s talk about what’s actually doing the work here. The formula leans on 24.5% Prunus Mume fruit water, which sits second on the ingredient list right after water.

Green plum water acts as a humectant. It draws moisture toward your skin, offsetting the drying tendency most cleansers carry. That’s clever formulating.

Then comes mung bean seed extract (Phaseolus Radiatus), sitting fourth. In Korean skincare, mung bean is a traditional pick for clearing excess oil and dead skin buildup.

Together they create the “refreshing” effect the name promises. You get a face that feels clean and clear, without that stripped, tight aftermath.

There’s also a nice supporting cast: green tea (Camellia Sinensis) and Houttuynia Cordata bring antioxidant and soothing benefits. Rice extract adds mild polish. This isn’t a bare-bones formula, and I appreciate the thoughtfulness behind it.

The Full Ingredient Breakdown

Here’s where I geek out a little, because the surfactant choice tells you everything about how a cleanser will treat your skin.

The main cleansing agents are cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine and sodium cocoyl isethionate. Both are coconut-derived, mild, and biodegradable. Sodium cocoyl isethionate is famous for creating creamy foam while barely touching your barrier.

Glycerin shows up fairly high too, adding hydration. That’s a good sign in any wash.

The list also includes fruit and flower extracts like pomegranate, blueberry, lotus, and butterfly pea flower. Nice antioxidant extras, though present in small amounts.

One flag for sensitive users: Houttuynia Cordata extract. A handful of reviewers with reactive skin noted stinging from this ingredient elsewhere, though its concentration here appears low. The formula is fragrance-free and alcohol-free, which counts for a lot.

Top 3 Alternatives for the Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser

If this one isn’t quite right for your skin, these three are the ones I’d point you toward. Each solves a slightly different problem.

Last update on 2026-07-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser

Last update on 2026-07-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

ISNTREE Green Tea Fresh Cleanser

Last update on 2026-07-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

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The Unboxing and First Impressions

Nothing fancy here, and that’s fine. The cleanser arrives in a simple green squeeze tube with a flip cap. Clean, minimal, easy to read.

The 100ml size is genuinely small. It fits in a travel bag without a fight, but it also disappears faster than a full-size drugstore bottle.

The flip cap works well. It clicks shut properly and doesn’t ooze product in transit. No pump to jam, no glass to shatter.

First squeeze reveals a translucent, slightly green gel. It looks exactly as refreshing as the name suggests. My first thought was simply, okay, this feels considered and clean.

Texture, Scent, and How It Feels on Skin

This is where the cleanser wins people over. The gel is bouncy and slightly jelly-like, and it transforms into a soft, fluffy foam with a bit of water and a few seconds of work.

The scent is very faint and lightly fruity. There’s no added fragrance in the formula, so what you smell comes from the extracts. Reviewers with sensitivities appreciated this a lot.

On the skin, it glides. It doesn’t take much product, which softens the blow of the small tube.

The rinse is the best part. It washes off completely with no film or residue. Your face feels genuinely clean and fresh, not coated, not squeaky, not tight. That balance is exactly what a low pH cleanser should deliver.

Honest Look at the Claims

The brand says it deep cleans pores, exfoliates blackheads, and removes congestion. Let me translate that into what I actually observed.

“Deep pore cleansing” is a stretch. This is a gentle daily cleanser, not a treatment. It clears surface oil and grime well, but it won’t dissolve stubborn blackheads on its own.

The “refreshing, non-stripping” claim, though? That one holds up. Multiple long-term users, including me, confirm skin feels clean without that tight aftermath.

The exfoliation is mild. There’s a touch of citric acid and rice extract, but this is polish, not a chemical peel.

My honest read: it’s an excellent, reliable everyday cleanser. Treat the “deep pore” marketing as enthusiasm, not a promise.

Real Consumer Feedback: What Users Actually Say

I read through a lot of reviews so you don’t have to. The pattern is clear and mostly positive.

People with oily, combination, and acne-prone skin are the loudest fans. One reviewer with oily-but-aging skin said it cleans thoroughly without drying at all. Another combo-skin user called it a holy grail.

Repurchase rates are high. Several folks are on their third or fourth tube, which tells you plenty.

But the dry-skin crowd is split. One user loved it for two tubes, then found her skin dry and tight afterward. Another with dry, sensitive skin flatly warned it stripped her moisture.

The consistent complaint across every skin type? The small tube size. Everyone wishes it came bigger.

Who Should Buy It, and Who Should Skip It

Let me be direct, because a cleanser is personal.

Buy it if you have oily, combination, or normal skin. It’s ideal as a morning cleanser or the second step of a nighttime double cleanse. If you love a foamy, refreshing wash that respects your barrier, this is a strong pick.

It also plays nicely with actives. A tretinoin user noted it was one of the few cleansers that didn’t sting her.

Skip it if your skin runs very dry or highly reactive. A subset of dry users found it clarifying to the point of tightness over time.

Also skip it as a makeup remover. It’s not built for that. Pair it with an oil cleanser first if you wear makeup or heavy sunscreen.

The Downsides You Should Know

No product is perfect, and I’d be doing you a disservice by pretending otherwise. Here are the real flaws.

The tube is small at 100ml. If you cleanse twice a day, expect to replace it every couple of months. That nudges the cost-per-use higher than the sticker suggests.

The price sits above other Korean gel cleansers. It’s cheaper than Sephora options, but pricier than the budget K-beauty crowd.

A minority report dryness or tightness after extended use, mostly dry-skin types.

And that Houttuynia Cordata ingredient, while soothing for most, is a known trigger for a few sensitive users. Patch test if your skin reacts to plant extracts. It’s a small risk, but worth naming.

How to Use It for the Best Results

Getting the most from this cleanser is simple, but a couple of habits help.

Use lukewarm water, never hot. Hot water undoes the whole point of a gentle, low pH wash.

A small amount goes far. Squeeze out roughly a pea-sized to almond-sized dollop, add water, and work it into that signature fluffy foam before it touches your face.

Massage for 20 to 30 seconds, then rinse thoroughly. Don’t scrub.

For evenings with makeup or SPF, use an oil cleanser first, then follow with this. That’s the classic double cleanse, and it’s where this product shines as step two.

Follow immediately with your toner and moisturizer while skin is still slightly damp to lock in hydration.

Final Verdict: Is It Worth It?

Here’s my bottom line after living with this cleanser: it’s a genuinely good daily wash that earns most of its hype.

The low pH, gentle surfactants, and green plum humectant combine into a formula that cleans well without wrecking your barrier. For oily and combination skin, it’s an easy recommendation. The foam is a joy, the rinse is clean, and repurchase loyalty is real.

It loses a few points for the small tube and the fact that dry, sensitive skin may not get along with it long-term. It’s a very good cleanser, not a miracle.

Would I buy it again? For my combination skin, yes. If your skin runs dry, look at the gentler alternatives above first. A skinvestment worth making, as long as it matches your skin type.

FAQ

Is the Green Plum Cleanser good for acne-prone skin?

Yes, it’s one of its strongest use cases. Oily and acne-prone users consistently report that it clears sebum and congestion without over-drying. The mild formula also pairs well with acne actives like adapalene or tretinoin, though a small number of acne-prone folks did report breakouts, so patch testing is smart.

Does it remove makeup?

No, not effectively. This is a water-based gel cleanser, and it’s not designed to break down makeup or heavy sunscreen. Use an oil cleanser or balm first, then follow with this as your second cleanse. On bare-face mornings, it works beautifully on its own.

Is it safe for sensitive skin?

For most people, yes. It’s fragrance-free and alcohol-free, and many sensitive users tolerate it well. The one caution is Houttuynia Cordata extract, which a few reactive-skinned users find irritating. Patch test on your inner arm for a few days before committing if your skin flares easily.

How long does one tube last?

It depends on your habits. Using it once daily, a tube lasts most people around three to four months. If you cleanse twice a day, expect it to run out faster, closer to two months. A little product goes a long way, which helps stretch the small 100ml size.

Is it a low pH cleanser?

Yes. It’s formulated to be mildly acidic, sitting close to your skin’s natural pH. This is exactly why it feels refreshing rather than stripping. Low pH cleansers protect your acid mantle, making this one a solid choice for morning use and for anyone using a barrier-focused routine.

Green Plum Cleanser vs COSRX Low pH: which is better?

Both are excellent low pH gel cleansers. The Green Plum leans more hydrating and refreshing thanks to its green plum water. The COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser is a bit more clarifying and comes in a larger size for the price. If dryness is your worry, lean Green Plum. If value and volume matter most, COSRX wins.