Hero Worship: Spa Cleansing Water

Written by LAURA REGENSDORF
Illustrated by LYDIA McKEE

In 1986, a Japanese actress weary of the heavy makeup and harsh lights on set decided to create her own solution: a foundation that would deliver professional-grade performance while tending to the canvas underneath. The rise of skin care–infused cosmetics was still far on the horizon, so Koh Gen Do’s Moisture Foundation arrived as a bonafide pioneer in its now-familiar red tube. When the company made its way to the United States, its earliest admirers were the makeup artists working in film and TV, where increasingly high-definition footage put products to the test. By the early aughts, the company found inspiration in another high-stakes scene—backstage at the Paris fashion shows—and decided to put its stamp on the micellar-cleanser category. Here’s how the best-selling Spa Cleansing Water was born.

THE GENESIS

It was fitting that Paris would provide a creative spark for Koh Gen Do’s next genre-defining product. This was the land of couture houses and ready-to-wear labels, where the models in each season’s défilés routinely sat for a flurry of makeup looks. These quick changes set the stage for potential wear and tear, though it helped that the city’s ubiquitous pharmacies approached skin care with a health-forward slant. A type of gentle, rinse-free cleanser known as micellar water had migrated from the drugstore shelves into makeup artists’ kits backstage, enabling an easygoing way to reset the complexion between shows. Koh Gen Do’s brand director at the time decided to develop a Japanese version, one that would feature traditional ingredients from nature in a pro-level formulation. As with the Moisture Foundation, the aim was efficacy without disruption. “It’s really about leaving the skin in a perfect state,” says Michelle Klavon, the brand’s senior vice president of sales, marketing, and promotions. As she recounts, this glimpse of the backstage makeup landscape was a “light bulb moment” for innovation.

THE FORMULA

It seems almost too good to be true that a weightless, clear formula splashed onto a cotton pad can remove heavy-duty makeup, eyeliner, and sunscreen. The trick is in the micelles: the spheres of cleansing oil that float invisibly within an aqueous solution. In Koh Gen Do’s version, the difference is in the base water, which is sourced from Japan’s Izumo onsen—part of the country’s vast network of mineral-rich hot springs. Another consideration is the slightly acidic pH of the Spa Cleansing Water, which is calibrated to avoid stripping the skin. With some other cleansers, says Klavon, “that squeaky-clean feeling comes from alkalinity, so it disturbs your moisture barrier.” The goal here is a subtle refresh. The formula includes lactic acid to gently exfoliate and refine the skin texture. White birch sap, which is harvested just a few weeks of the year, contains beneficial sugars that act as a humectant. And there’s a collection of botanical extracts—ranging from sage and rosemary to ginger root—that reflects the cultural embrace of natural ingredients. The cleansing water folds into the larger Koh Gen Do interest in supplying the fundamental building blocks. “It just is an essential part of healthy, happy skin,” says Klavon.

THE MOMENTUM

The first bottles of the Spa Cleansing Water arrived in 2008. In keeping with the founder’s original vision, they found an enthusiastic audience among film and TV makeup artists. On the set of the FX crime drama Sons of Anarchy at the time, the cleansing water made speedy work of removing the actors’ temporary tattoos. Decades later, the product is still a fixture—whether prepping a fictional Truman Capote in Ryan Murphy’s Feud: Capote vs. the Swans or a real-life Dakota Johnson in Celine Song’s Materialists. Koh Gen Do’s best-selling formula also comes in portable, generously sized cloths, made with organic cotton certified in Japan. “One sheet removes every stitch of makeup,” says Klavon, describing a folding technique that guarantees a clean segment for every portion of the face. The brand recommends using the Spa Cleansing Water as the first step in a double cleanse—a cleansing milk or foaming wash is suggested as a follow-up—but its utility as an anywhere, anytime refresh is undeniable. The Spa Cleansing Water is a staple: at the beach, on a plane, post-gym, on the set of your home movie. “Everybody is the star of their own life,” Klavon says. “You should have beautiful skin.”