Sulwhasoo First Care Serum vs Cleansing Oil vs Foam: 554 Reviews

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Product links marked “paid link” earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. Commissions never decide which product we recommend. Offers and sellers change, so check the size and seller on the product page before you buy.

Review-analysis guide: 554 customer reviews read on Sephora (October 19, 2026), sorted and counted by us; product details from brand and retailer pages checked October 19, 2026. We paraphrase patterns and never copy reviews. Results are patterns that customers described and we counted.

By The Beauty Read · Checked October 19, 2026 · AI-assisted research and editing · Contains Amazon affiliate links

Start with the Sulwhasoo First Care serum (paid link) if you want a glow step, the Gentle Cleansing Oil (paid link) to take off makeup and sunscreen, or the Gentle Cleansing Foam (paid link) for a gentle daily wash. Across 448 usable Sephora reviews, 29% of serum reviewers describe a glow or healthier look, 52% of oil reviewers say it takes off makeup and 44% of foam reviewers call it gentle or not stripping.

Which Sulwhasoo product should you start with?

Start with the step you want to add. The Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum is a first-step serum used right after cleansing, the Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Oil is a makeup remover, and the Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Foam is a daily gel-to-foam face wash. Across 448 usable Sephora reviews, 29% of serum reviewers describe a glow or healthier look, 52% of oil reviewers say it takes off makeup and sunscreen, and 44% of foam reviewers call it gentle or not stripping. [S1] [S2] [S3] [R-SEP-FC] [R-SEP-OIL] [R-SEP-FOAM]

All three were sold by Amazon.com at our check and sit in its Luxury Beauty store. We link the 60 ml serum, the 200 ml oil and the 400 ml foam. [A1] [A2] [A3]

How we read 554 Sephora reviews

Sephora marks reviews written for a free sample with an Incentivized flag, and most reviews in the windows we read carry it. We set the flagged reviews aside by the flag, 2,467 in all, and read the rest in English: the 170 newest for the serum and for the oil, and all 214 for the foam. [R-SEP-FC] [R-SEP-OIL] [R-SEP-FOAM]

Many identical review texts appear on both the oil page and the foam page at Sephora. We kept a shared text with the product it describes and set aside 82 that do not say which product they mean or that describe the other one. We also dropped 18 reviews that say the product was free, 5 about a different product and 1 with no text, which leaves 448 usable: 162 for the serum, 151 for the oil and 135 for the foam. [R-SEP-FC] [R-SEP-OIL] [R-SEP-FOAM]

Two limits matter. Because so many reviews carry the flag, the serum set reaches back to December 2022 and the foam set to January 2023. And the two cleanser pages share many reviews, so each count is what reviewers said about that product when they named it or described it. [R-SEP-FC] [R-SEP-OIL] [R-SEP-FOAM]

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum review: glow, price and reactions

First Care is a light serum with 500-hour aged ginseng extract, a Korean herb blend and a vitamin C derivative, pressed into damp skin in three pumps after cleansing. Sephora sells it in 0.5, 1, 2.2 and 3 oz sizes, with the 2.2 oz at $89. Its ingredient list puts alcohol denat. second and also lists fragrance and walnut seed extract. [S1] [A1]

Glow is the result reviewers name most. Forty-seven of 162 (29%) describe a glow or healthier look, 41 (25%) smoother or softer skin and 36 (22%) more hydration. Thirty-four (21%) call it a staple or have bought it again, and 22 (14%) say it helps the rest of their routine work better. [R-SEP-FC]

It also draws the most price and reaction complaints of the three. Thirty (19%) call it expensive, and 13 say the price or the amount in the bottle is not worth it. Fifteen (9%) describe burning, hives or a reaction, 6 of them within minutes or at the first use, and 14 (9%) saw no difference. Five name the alcohol or fragrance on the list as a worry, and 2 warn about the walnut extract. [R-SEP-FC] [S1]

Our link opens the 60 ml full size. A mini, a 90 ml size and gift sets share the listing, so check before you buy. [A1]

See Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens the 2.02 oz (60 ml) full size; a mini, a 90 ml jumbo and gift sets share the listing, so check the size before you buy.

Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Oil: does it take off makeup?

The cleansing oil is massaged onto dry skin in two pumps, then emulsified with water and rinsed off. Sulwhasoo says it melts waterproof makeup and sunscreen and sells it as step one of a double cleanse. Sephora carries 1.7, 6.76 and 13.53 fl oz sizes, with the 6.76 fl oz at $40. [S2] [A2]

About half of reviewers say it does the job. Seventy-nine of 151 (52%) say it takes off makeup and sunscreen, and 21 (14%) say even waterproof or eye makeup comes off. Thirty-six (24%) say their skin feels soft or hydrated afterward, and 23 (15%) call it a staple. [R-SEP-OIL]

Makeup is also where it splits. Twenty-five (17%) say it left makeup or mascara behind, and 6 say it stung or blurred their eyes. Fourteen (9%) report breakouts or clogged pores, the highest share of the three, and 6 report irritation on the skin or lips. [R-SEP-OIL]

We link the 200 ml full size; a mini and a 400 ml size share the listing. [A2]

See Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Oil on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens the 6.76 oz (200 ml) full size; a mini, a 400 ml jumbo and bundles share the listing.

Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Foam: a gentle second cleanse

The foam is a gel that lathers on damp skin, used morning and night alone or after an oil cleanser. Sephora sells it in 1.69, 6.76 and 13.52 oz sizes plus a 6.76 oz refill, with the 6.76 oz at $38, and its ingredient list includes fragrance and citrus peel extract. [S3] [A3]

Gentleness is the top praise. Fifty-nine of 135 (44%) call it gentle, not stripping or not tight, 46 (34%) praise the clean feeling or say it removes makeup, and 31 (23%) say their skin feels soft or hydrated afterward. Twenty (15%) say it suits their sensitive, rosacea-prone or acne-prone skin, and 27 (20%) call it a staple. [R-SEP-FOAM]

Its top complaints are smaller shares. Eleven (8%) found it drying or tight, 10 (7%) report breakouts and 10 (7%) a reaction. Eight say it left residue or did not take off their makeup, which is the oil's job in Sulwhasoo's routine. [R-SEP-FOAM] [S3]

Our link opens the 400 ml jumbo size, because the 200 ml listing sits outside Amazon's Luxury Beauty store. A 50 ml mini and a refill share the listing; the 200 ml is a separate listing. [A3]

See Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Foam on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens the 13.52 oz (400 ml) jumbo size; a 50 ml mini and a refill share the listing, and the 200 ml full size is a separate listing.

What it feels like, according to the reviews

Thirty reviewers (19%) call First Care light, fast-absorbing or not sticky, while 3 call it sticky or tacky. For the oil, 36 (24%) say skin feels soft or hydrated after rinsing and 12 (8%) say it rinses clean; 2 felt a greasy film. Foam reviewers praise the lather (24, 18%) and say a little goes a long way (20, 15%). [R-SEP-FC] [R-SEP-OIL] [R-SEP-FOAM]

Ninety-four of 448 usable reviews give a verdict on the scent: 72 like it and 22 find it too strong or dislike it. The foam draws the most fans (33 of 135) and the most objections (9). Fragrance sits on the serum and foam ingredient lists; the oil's Sephora page showed what looks like the foam's list when we checked, so we do not cite one. [R-SEP-FC] [R-SEP-OIL] [R-SEP-FOAM] [S1] [S3]

Timing is reported for the serum. Of the 22 First Care reviewers who name a time for a good result, 10 saw it within the first three days, 6 after about a week, 4 after two weeks to a month and 2 after a few months. [R-SEP-FC]

Which one to buy first, and when to skip

If you wear makeup or sunscreen every day, start with the cleansers: the oil to take it off, the foam to wash after, the order Sulwhasoo suggests and the way 8 oil reviewers and 11 foam reviewers use them. Add the First Care Activating Serum when you want a glow step and can patch test first. [R-SEP-OIL] [R-SEP-FOAM] [A2]

Skip First Care if your skin reacts easily: alcohol and fragrance are on its list, and 9% of its reviewers report a reaction. Skip the oil as your only makeup remover if you wear heavy eye makeup, since 17% say it left makeup behind. And if you break out easily, note that 9% of oil reviewers and 7% of foam reviewers report breakouts. [R-SEP-FC] [R-SEP-OIL] [R-SEP-FOAM]

Keep reading

• Dr.Jart+ Ceramidin vs Cicapair vs Vital Hydra: 430 Sephora reviews
• Three Korean cleansing balms compared
• Reading K-beauty reviews? Check these three things first

Frequently asked questions

Is the Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum worth it?

For many reviewers, yes: 29% of the 162 usable Sephora reviews describe a glow or healthier look and 21% call it a staple. But 19% call it expensive, 13 say the price or amount is not worth it and 9% saw no difference. It is a $89 step at Sephora for the 2.2 oz size.

Does the Sulwhasoo First Care serum have alcohol and fragrance?

Yes. The ingredient list Sephora shows puts alcohol denat. second and also lists fragrance and walnut seed extract. Fifteen of 162 usable reviewers (9%) describe burning, hives or a reaction, 6 of them within minutes or at the first use, so a patch test makes sense.

Does the Sulwhasoo cleansing oil remove waterproof mascara?

Reviews are split. Twenty-one of 151 usable reviewers say waterproof or eye makeup comes off, while 25 say it left makeup or mascara behind and 6 say it stung or blurred their eyes.

Do you need both the Sulwhasoo cleansing oil and foam?

Sulwhasoo sells them as a double cleanse: the oil first on dry skin, then the foam on damp skin. Eight oil reviewers and 11 foam reviewers use them together, and 6 oil reviewers say a second cleanse is needed to finish. If you wear little makeup, the foam alone may do: 34% of its reviewers praise the clean feeling or say it removes makeup, though 8 say it left residue or makeup behind.

Is the Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Foam good for sensitive skin?

Twenty of 135 usable reviewers (15%) say it suits their sensitive, rosacea-prone or acne-prone skin, and 44% call it gentle or not stripping. Still, 7% report a reaction and 7% breakouts, and fragrance is on its list.