Dr.Althea 345 Relief Milky Cleansing Oil Review
BeautyBrief™
Brand
Dr.Althea
Product
345 Relief Milky Cleansing Oil
Claims check
The oil-and-emulsifier system strongly supports makeup, sunscreen, sebum, and pore-buildup removal, while the undisclosed acid and enzyme concentrations keep the exfoliating and pore-refining story in a supporting rather than treatment-level role.
Shopper fit
- Normal
- Combination
- Oily
- Acne-Prone
Formula flags
- Exfoliating acids
Shopper preferences
- None Found
Key ingredients
| Ethylhexyl Stearate | Provides much of the oil-soluble cleansing and slip needed to dissolve sunscreen, makeup, and sebum. |
|---|---|
| Rice Bran Oil | Adds emollient support and helps keep the cleansing step from feeling overly stripped. |
| Meadowfoam Seed Oil | Adds lightweight emollience and supports a softer post-rinse feel. |
| Gluconolactone | Adds a PHA exfoliating pathway, but the undisclosed concentration and rinse-off use keep it in a supporting role. |
| Mandelic Acid | Adds another exfoliating pathway without enough dose or pH information to treat the cleanser as a leave-on acid treatment. |
Price tier
$ Budget
Value check
At the Budget tier, the value is strongest if you want an emulsifying first cleanse with added pore- and texture-focused ingredients rather than a basic oil-only makeup remover.
Where to buy
We may earn a commission through these links at no additional cost to you. This does not affect our BeautyBrief.
Bottom line
This is best aligned with normal, combination, oily, or acne-prone skin that wants an emulsifying first cleanse for makeup, sunscreen, sebum, and pore buildup. The cleansing system is the main strength, while the undisclosed acid and enzyme concentrations keep the exfoliating story in a supporting role.
Dr.Althea 345 Relief Milky Cleansing Oil is a lightweight first cleanser designed to dissolve sunscreen, makeup, excess sebum, and pore buildup, then emulsify with water for a cleaner rinse than a plain facial oil. Its main strength is the oil-and-emulsifier cleansing system; the acids and enzymes are secondary because their concentrations, finished-product pH, and free-acid levels are not disclosed and the formula is rinsed away.
That makes this most useful when you want makeup and sunscreen removal plus some supporting pore-focused cleansing in one Budget step, not when you want a cleanser to replace a leave-on acne or exfoliating treatment.
What it claims
Current exact-product materials position 345 Relief Milky Cleansing Oil as a lightweight oil-to-milk cleanser for makeup, sunscreen, excess sebum, and pore buildup. The formula also highlights rice bran, meadowfoam, Job’s tears, and avocado oils together with papain, bromelain, gluconolactone, capryloyl salicylic acid, mandelic acid, tea tree, and lactobacillus ferment lysate.[1]
Claims vs. formula
The makeup- and sunscreen-removal story is well aligned with the formula. Ethylhexyl stearate and cetyl ethylhexanoate form the main oil-soluble cleansing phase, while polyglyceryl-10 diisostearate, polyglyceryl-6 dicaprate, and polyglyceryl-10 laurate help the oil emulsify with water and rinse away. Rice bran, meadowfoam, Job’s tears, and avocado oils add emollient support around that cleansing system.[2]
Clinical cleansing research supports the basic format: in a 20-person study, cleansing oil removed water-resistant sunscreen more effectively than water or a foaming cleanser and produced fewer reports of post-wash dryness than the cleanser group.[3] That study did not test this Dr.Althea product, so it supports the cleansing-oil approach rather than proving this finished formula’s performance.
The formula also contains gluconolactone, mandelic acid, capryloyl salicylic acid, papain, and bromelain. Capryloyl salicylic acid is a separate ingredient from salicylic acid. Because the concentrations, finished-product pH, and free-acid levels are not disclosed and contact time is brief, BB treats this blend as supporting pore- and texture-focused cleansing rather than as a stand-alone acne, blackhead, or resurfacing treatment.
Ingredients that matter
Ethylhexyl Stearate: Provides much of the oil-soluble cleansing and slip needed to dissolve sunscreen, makeup, and sebum.
Rice Bran Oil: Adds emollient support and helps keep the cleansing step from feeling overly stripped.
Meadowfoam Seed Oil: Adds lightweight emollience and supports a softer post-rinse feel.
Gluconolactone: Adds a PHA exfoliating pathway, but the undisclosed concentration and rinse-off use keep it in a supporting role.
Mandelic Acid: Adds another exfoliating pathway without enough dose or pH information to treat the cleanser as a leave-on acid treatment.
Meadowfoam Seed Oil
Meadowfoam seed oil is a stable plant-derived emollient and occlusive that softens dry-feeling skin and adds richness to moisturizing formulas. Its basic moisturizing role is established, but stronger treatment claims…
Read the IngredientBrief
Gluconolactone
Gluconolactone is a PHA with some human evidence for mild exfoliation and smoother-looking texture in specific formulas. Concentration, pH, format, other acids, and the finished formula determine how gentle or…
Read the IngredientBrief
Mandelic Acid
Mandelic acid is an AHA exfoliant with some human evidence for mild acne, comedones, and superficial discoloration. Its reputation as a gentle acid is not a guarantee; concentration, pH, format,…
Read the IngredientBrief
Salicylic Acid
If blackheads or mild breakouts are your concern, salicylic acid can help unclog pores. Choose one cleanser or leave-on treatment your skin tolerates; 2% isn't automatically better.
Read the IngredientBriefWhat to expect in the short term
Expect a low-friction oil phase that loosens sunscreen, makeup, and oily residue, then turns milky when water is added and rinses more cleanly than a non-emulsifying facial oil. The plant-oil base supports slip and softness, while the acid-and-enzyme blend is not expected to behave like a strong peel during ordinary cleansing contact.
What to expect over time
The most dependable repeat-use benefit is effective first-step cleansing with less oily residue than a plain facial oil. The acids and enzymes can support surface smoothing and pore-focused cleansing, but the formula does not justify a predictable acne, blackhead, or pigmentation timeline without disclosed concentrations, pH, or finished-product clinical data.
Who it fits
This is best aligned with normal, combination, oily, and acne-prone skin that wants an emulsifying first cleanse with some supporting exfoliation. It can also work in drier routines when the skin tolerates the acid, enzyme, tea-tree, and wintergreen components, but very reactive skin or routines already using multiple leave-on acids or retinoids may prefer a simpler cleansing oil.
No controlled Shopper Preference currently qualifies under BB’s source rules, so the BeautyBrief remains None Found.
Compare before you buy
At the Budget tier, the value is strongest if you specifically want an emulsifying cleansing oil with added pore- and texture-focused ingredients. If makeup and sunscreen removal are the only jobs you need done, a simpler cleansing oil without multiple acids, enzymes, tea tree, and wintergreen is easier to justify and gives you fewer tolerance variables.
Final Assessment
Dr.Althea 345 Relief Milky Cleansing Oil makes the most sense for normal, combination, oily, or acne-prone skin that wants a Budget first cleanser for makeup, sunscreen, sebum, and pore buildup. The oil-and-emulsifier system is the real strength, while the PHA/AHA/LHA and enzyme blend is better treated as a secondary feature than as a treatment step. The main limitation is dose transparency: the acid and enzyme concentrations and finished-product pH are not disclosed.
Where to buy
Choose a retailer to view current pricing and availability.
We may earn a commission through these links at no additional cost to you.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Sources
Dr.Althea. 345 Relief Milky Cleansing Oil product materials. Current exact-product materials supplied for editorial verification October 8, 2026, with current authorized-retailer product materials reviewed the same date.
Used to verify the exact product identity, 145 mL size, oil-to-milk format, directions, and current cleansing and pore-focused positioning.
Dr.Althea. 345 Relief Milky Cleansing Oil ingredient panel. Current exact-product ingredient image supplied for editorial verification October 8, 2026.
Used as BB’s formula source of record for the complete ordered INCI.
Chen W, He M, Xie L, Li L. The optimal cleansing method for the removal of sunscreen: Water, cleanser or cleansing oil? Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2020;19(1):180-184. PMID: 31157512.
In a 20-person study, cleansing oil removed water-resistant sunscreen more effectively than water or a foaming cleanser and produced fewer reports of post-cleansing dryness than the cleanser group. The study did not test Dr.Althea 345 Relief Milky Cleansing Oil.
