Manyo Cleansing Oil and Foam: A Korean Two-Step Cleanse

In 1613, in Seoul, a court physician named Heo Jun finished the Donguibogam, a herbal medical encyclopedia he had compiled on the orders of the king. It gathered plants, remedies and the reasoning behind them into one reference, and in 2009 UNESCO put it on its Memory of the World register, the first medical text to be listed. It is the clearest record we have of how seriously Korea has taken plants as medicine, for a very long time.

I am not going to tell you a bottle of cleansing oil descends from that book, because the brand does not say so. But the name gestures at the same idea. The brand's own copy says ManyoFactory means Witch Factory in Korean, with the witch standing for wisdom in using herbs and remedies from nature, and the brand says good ingredients never deceive the skin. It was introduced in 2012, according to Mistetic, by Kim Hyun Soo and Hwang Kwan Ik, and the brand styles itself ma:nyo. My case for Manyo cleansing oil is simple: it is plain, it is consistent, and it is the kind of first step that makes a nightly routine feel possible.

The trick is to read the first grid as a ladder from oil to foam. Pure Soybean Cleansing Oil is the one everyone knows, and the brand says it is 87 percent plant-derived oils, with 14 oils, soybean and tea tree in the mix. Pure Cleansing Oil Deep Clean is the deeper version. Deep Clear Cleansing Balm is for anyone who would rather scoop than pump. The two Azulene Hyaluronic 2X cleansers, a serum oil and a jelly, add another texture. Pure and Deep Cleansing Foam and Pure Soybean Cleansing Foam cover the second step, and Pure Cleansing Water Sensitive is the light water for a sensitive face.

Oil cleansers only work on dry hands and dry skin. The brand's directions for the soybean oil are two or three pumps, massage over the face, add a little water until it turns milky, then rinse. Wet hands at the start stop the oil from doing its job.

The shelf of Korean first cleansers is wider than you think. Anua's Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil and its Mild version are the obvious neighbours, and the Mild one is the kinder choice for a tired, sensitive face. Banila Co's Clean It Zero Original and Calming Cleansing Balms are the two balms in the set, for people who prefer to scoop. SKIN1004's Centella Light Cleansing Oil is the lightest feeling of the set.

Sulwhasoo's Gentle Cleansing Oil Makeup Remover is the most luxurious, and I would save it for a special evening. Innisfree's Hydrating Green Tea Amino Acid Cleansing Oil is the soft, everyday option, and Haruharu Wonder's Black Rice Moisture Cleansing Oil is for dry skin that dislikes the tight feeling after washing.

A pairing I like: an oil on the nights you wear makeup or sunscreen, and just a gentle foam on the nights you do not.

What I would skip: an oil cleanser on a rushed morning. It is a night step, and it works best when you have a minute to massage.

Whether you need a second cleanse depends on what you wore that day. If you wear sunscreen, makeup or a lot of product, yes. If you wore only a moisturizer, the oil alone may be enough, and a foam on top would just strip what you just took care of.

When you do, pick a foam or gel that feels soft. Innisfree's Vitamin C Brightening Daily Mask-to-Foam Cleanser and Hanyul's Yuja Brightening 2-in-1 Mask to Foam Cleanser are the ones that double as a short mask, so you can leave them on for a minute. COSRX's Advanced Snail Mucin Gel Cleanser and Low-pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser are popular gel formulas, and the Low-pH one is the one I would choose for mornings.

Anua's 8 Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser and PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Cleansing Foam are the hydration-minded pair. SKIN1004's Madagascar Centella Poremizing Deep Cleansing Foam is the one for a shinier T-zone, and medicube's PDRN Hydrating Gel Cleanser is another gel that stays gentle.

Try this: massage the foam for a full thirty seconds, which is longer than most of us bother with, then rinse with lukewarm water. Your skin should feel clean and soft, never squeaky.

What I would skip: a foaming cleanser that leaves your face tight. If it squeaks, it is taking too much away.

I keep one heavy-duty cleanser for the days I wear waterproof makeup and a lighter one for everything else. A single product for every situation is usually a compromise.

The grid here is the heavy-duty side of the shelf. Elemis's Pro-Collagen Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm is the classic solid balm, and fresh's Soy Cleansing Jelly Balm has a jelly texture that is more unusual and fun to use. Drunk Elephant's Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser is a rich, scoopable butter. Clinique's Take the Day Off line has an oil and a Charcoal Cleansing Balm, which are two of the most familiar makeup removers around.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil is the evening-ritual bottle of the group. Tatcha's Camellia Oil 2-in-1 Makeup Remover and Cleanser is what I would pack for travel, and CeraVe's Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm is the straightforward, dependable one for daily use.

I reach for a balm around the eyes and stubborn spots, and the soybean oil for the rest of the face. They do not compete.

What I would skip: rubbing hard around the eyes with any of these. Let the product do the melting, and be patient.

To me, the soybean oil is the most straightforward entry point into Korean cleansing. It is a friendly bottle, the directions are clear, and it makes the second cleanse feel like a choice instead of a chore.

Start there, add one gentle foam, and keep a balm for the nights with real makeup, because a routine you can finish in two minutes is one you will still be doing in March. If your skin reacts, the brand says to stop and see a doctor if it persists. Heo Jun needed a whole encyclopedia. You need a pump bottle and two minutes. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together How to Use a Hair Diffuser, Plus the Dryers and Foams That Make It Work and Cleansing Oil Is the Fastest Way to Get Sunscreen and Mascara Off.