What's Trending in K-Beauty Cleansing Right Now?

The Korean cleanser drawing attention right now is BTTR's Hydra Barrier Cleansing Milk to Foam, which reached No. 1 on Olive Young's online cleansing ranking on August 18, 2026, according to sales data the brand shared. It works as a milk against sunscreen and light base makeup, then turns into foam with added water for a single-step wash. Its sibling, the Soft Melt Away Cleansing Balm to Milk, targets heavier and waterproof makeup instead.

Ask what's popular in Korean cosmetics cleansing this month and one name keeps surfacing: BTTR. Its Hydra Barrier Cleansing Milk to Foam is the two-texture product behind a lot of recent K-beauty cleanser roundups, a formula that starts as milk and finishes as foam in one bottle. That is the appeal: a makeup-removal step and a rinse-off step that would normally need two different products.

What Put BTTR on Olive Young's Bestseller List

BTTR's Hydra Barrier Cleansing Milk to Foam 150g held the No. 1 spot in Olive Young's online mall cleansing category on August 18, 2026 (Olive Young product listing). BTTR is a rising star in K-beauty's cleansing category with its explicit focus on skincare for sensitive skin type.

The product is known for its Milk to Foam formula: a dry-face milk that emulsifies into a rinseable foam once water is added. Shoppers searching Olive Young in person can look for the packaging text "BTTR · Milk to Foam · 150g" to confirm they have the right item.

Meet the Milk to Foam: Built for Sunscreen and Light Base Days

The Milk to Foam is designed around a specific daily pattern: sunscreen most mornings, a light cushion or BB cream on top some days, nothing heavier. At night, it goes on a dry face like a milk and gets massaged into the makeup and sunscreen layer. Adding water turns it into a foam that rinses the residue away, so there is no separate cleanser step afterward. In the morning, the same tube works as a regular foaming wash with wet hands.

BTTR's own testing found the formula removes 96.17% of makeup and 95.04% of sunscreen under its test conditions, alongside a 99% pore-debris cleansing result reported on the BTTR Hydra Barrier Cleansing Milk to Foam product page. The formula lists glycerin, three types of hyaluronic acid, and six ceramides alongside amino-acid-based surfactants, aimed at skin that tends to feel tight after a normal foaming cleanser. The 150g bottle is priced at 28,100 KRW on BTTR's own storefront.

Where it fits: daily sunscreen plus light cushion or BB makeup, and a routine where you would rather not reach for a second cleanser at night.

Where it does not fit: waterproof mascara or long-wear lip color, both of which usually need a dedicated point remover regardless of which cleanser handles the rest of the face.

Meet the Balm to Milk: Built for Waterproof and Full-Coverage Days

The Soft Melt Away Cleansing Balm to Milk covers the other end of the makeup spectrum. It starts as a balm rather than a milk, melting into makeup on contact, and turns into a milky emulsion once water is gradually added, at which point it rinses off. BTTR positions it for waterproof sunscreen and fuller-coverage base makeup that a milk-to-foam formula is not built to handle.

The 110ml size is priced at 29,400 KRW on BTTR's storefront. Where the Milk to Foam finishes in a rinseable foam, this one finishes as a rinseable milk, and BTTR's own product FAQ does not list a mandatory second cleanse step after it.

Where it fits: water-resistant sunscreen, full-coverage foundation or long-wear color, and anyone who prefers a balm's melting action over a foaming finish.

Where it does not fit: anyone who specifically wants the foaming sensation the Milk to Foam delivers, or a lighter makeup day where a balm's extra emulsifying step is more than the makeup actually calls for.

[썬클렌저] 하이드라 베리어 클렌징 밀크 투 폼 150g

28100 KRW

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[생크림밤] 소프트 멜트 어웨이 클렌징 밤 투 밀크 110ml

29400 KRW

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Why Sunscreen Type Changes the Cleanser You Need

The gap between these two products traces back to how sunscreen residue actually behaves on skin. In a 2020 clinical study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, plain water alone left an average residue rate of 54.0% for non-waterproof sunscreen, while a foaming cleanser brought that down to about 15.6% (Chen et al., Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020). The same study noted that cleansing oil performed at least as well as a foaming cleanser on non-waterproof formulas and outperformed it on water-resistant ones, which is roughly the same logic behind choosing a melting balm over a rinse-only foam for tougher makeup and sunscreen days.

None of this means one texture is universally better. It means the removal step should match what is actually on the skin. A milk-to-foam wash asks less of a light sunscreen and more of the person deciding whether to skip a second cleanse; a balm-to-milk wash asks more of the product and less of the decision.

How to Use Either Formula Without Overworking Your Skin

Regardless of which BTTR format you pick, the American Academy of Dermatology's face-washing guidance still applies underneath it: use lukewarm water rather than hot, apply cleanser with fingertips instead of a washcloth or brush, avoid scrubbing, and pat the skin dry instead of rubbing it (American Academy of Dermatology, Face Washing 101). That guidance also caps face washing at twice a day plus after heavy sweating, which matters for a milk-to-foam or balm-to-milk product precisely because both are built to end a routine in one pass rather than invite a second wash after.

Milk to Foam or Balm to Milk: A Quick Comparison

Shoppers comparing this category more broadly will also see names like Beplain, Round Lab, and Torriden come up in Olive Young's cleanser rankings; texture and finish, not brand alone, are still the deciding factor for sensitive or dry skin.

FAQ

What made BTTR's Milk to Foam popular on Olive Young right now?

BTTR reported that the Hydra Barrier Cleansing Milk to Foam 150g held the No. 1 spot in Olive Young's online cleansing category at 10 a.m. on August 18, 2026. Its ability to remove sunscreen and light makeup, then finish as a rinseable foam, is the main reason it keeps showing up in current K-beauty roundups.

Is the Milk to Foam a makeup remover or a face wash?

Both, depending on how it is used. In the evening, it is applied to a dry face like a makeup-removing milk before water is added to convert it to foam. In the morning, it can be used as a standard foaming cleanser on wet hands.

Which one removes waterproof makeup better?

The Balm to Milk is built for that. Its melting balm texture is positioned for water-resistant sunscreen and fuller-coverage makeup, while the Milk to Foam is designed around lighter, daily sunscreen and base routines.

Do I still need a second cleanser after either one?

BTTR's own product guidance does not list a mandatory second cleanse for either formula. Whether a single step is enough still depends on how much sunscreen or makeup was actually applied that day, which is the same variable the cited sunscreen-removal research points to.

If I can only bring one cleanser while traveling, which should I pack?

For most days built around regular sunscreen and a light base, the Milk to Foam covers both morning and evening use in one tube, which is the more space-efficient pick for travel.