Manyo builds its image around a witch from a fairy tale. It is a Korean skincare brand, and its Korean name, 마녀공장, is made up of the words "witch" and "factory". The brand develops that image in the story it tells about itself. Just as the fairy-tale witch worked small miracles with hand-picked raw materials and potions of her own, Manyo uses carefully selected ingredients and persistent research to help skin regain its natural strength. Hence the slogan "Everyday magic for your skin". MANYO FACTORY, the Seoul company that owns the brand, dates its launch to 2012 in its news posts and has its products made under contract by factories in Korea. In spring 2026 the brand refreshed its look: it dropped the colon from its former spelling, ma:nyo (it is now simply manyo), and announced a shift from "clean beauty" to "active beauty". According to the brand, this means building on its clean, gentle formulas to offer more active solutions to specific skin concerns. It sums up its approach in three principles: products that target specific concerns (blackheads, dark spots, marks and pores), balanced formulations, and gentle formulas designed with sensitive skin in mind. According to the brand, its entire range has passed a low-irritation test, and some products carry EVE VEGAN certification.
Three recipes from the witch's workshop
Manyo has three signature ingredients: Bifida Biome, galactomyces and 14 plant oils. Bifida Biome is the brand's own recipe. It combines bifida ferment lysate, which is what remains of bifidobacteria after fermentation, with what the brand calls a microbiome: the part of the recipe that, in its description, supports a healthy skin environment. The brand links this recipe to a strong skin barrier, the top layer of the skin that keeps it from losing water, and says that the more sensitive the skin, the more important the barrier. The brand's blog offers a simple comparison: the probiotics in yogurt are not the same as those in skincare, but the principle is the same. The Bifida Biome line is built on this recipe. Galactomyces is a yeast that forms during sake fermentation; the brand retells the legend that it was noticed thanks to the smooth hands of elderly sake brewers. According to the brand, galactomyces ferment filtrate contains amino acids and B vitamins; it helps even out skin tone and texture and brings out radiance. Galactomyces is the basis of Galac, the brand's signature brightening line: in its Galac Niacin essences, this filtrate comes first in the ingredient list at over 80%, and niacinamide is among the first three ingredients. The third recipe is 14 plant oils, including argan and wild soybean oil. They are the basis of the brand's cleansing oil, and the brand says they keep moisture in the skin even after deep cleansing.
Cleansing oil, Manyo's calling card
Manyo's best-known product is Pure Cleansing Oil, a cleansing oil that turns milky with water and rinses off. It took first place in the cleansing category at the Olive Young Awards, run by the Korean beauty retail chain Olive Young, five years in a row, from 2021 to 2025. According to the brand, 22 million units had been sold by the end of 2025. It now comes in new packaging under the name Pure Soybean Cleansing Oil, and the brand stresses that the formula, size and effect are unchanged. The formula is based on wild soybean oil, which makes up 67% of it and comes first in the ingredient list. The oil dissolves makeup, sunscreen, sebum and blackheads. With dry hands, spread it over a dry face and massage gently, spending longer around the nose, where blackheads show. Then wet your hands and massage for about 30 seconds more, until the oil turns milky white, and rinse with lukewarm water. This step is called emulsifying, and the brand considers it essential. After the oil, the brand recommends washing again with a foam cleanser; this two-step routine is known as double cleansing. The oil has passed a non-comedogenic test, which checks that it does not clog pores, and the brand says it suits all skin types, including acne-prone skin. The brand compares Pure with another of its oils, Herb Green Cleansing Oil with herbal extracts: Pure is hydrating and suits all skin types, while Herb Green is for oily and sensitive skin. For blackheads, the brand suggests a three-step set: the cleansing oil, the Blackhead & Pore Toner and the Blackhead & Pore Cream. Cleansing oils and balms from other brands are in our makeup removal section.
Potions for every need: barrier, tone and pores
For sensitive skin with a weakened barrier, Manyo has its Bifida line. Bifida Biome Complex Ampoule is essentially a serum in a dropper bottle (in Japan the brand calls it Complex Serum). Manyo describes it as a barrier "booster" that strengthens the barrier and supports what the brand calls "slow aging". In Korea it has passed review as a functional cosmetic for wrinkles and brightening. Apply it after toner and before cream: use the dropper to put two or three drops on your cheeks and spread them over your face, which adds up to about a coin-sized amount per use. The brand recommends one layer in the morning and two in the evening. Bifida Biome Aqua Barrier Cream is made for skin that is oily on the surface but dehydrated underneath: it looks shiny, yet the feeling of dryness does not go away. Dot it on your forehead, cheeks, nose and chin, one or two pearl-sized amounts on each area, then spread it over the whole face and pat it in lightly. Bifida Biome Ampoule Pad is a set of double-sided toner pads soaked in an essence with gentle exfoliating acids, PHA and LHA. Wipe your face with the textured side, avoiding the eyes: this side removes dead skin cells and excess sebum. Then go over it again with the smooth side to give the skin moisture. Bifida Cica Herb Serum is for skin that has become sensitive and also struggles with clogged pores and oily shine: it combines centella, bifida and 12 herbs that, the brand says, refresh the pores. Ampoules and serums from different brands are in our serums & ampoules section.
For smooth texture and even tone, Manyo turns to galactomyces. Galactomy Enzyme Peeling Gel is a gentle gommage with galactomyces and the enzyme papain: as you massage, the gel balls up into tiny crumbs that carry dead skin cells away with them. Apply a coin-sized amount to a dry face and roll it gently from the centre of the face outwards, avoiding the eyes, lips and hairline, then rinse with lukewarm water. The brand recommends using it once or twice a week and following it with Galac Niacin essence. At Korea's Glowpick Awards the gel came first among peeling gels three years in a row, from 2022 to 2024. You will find other exfoliating products in our peelings & enzyme powders section. For pores and oily shine, Manyo has Blackhead & Pore Cream, designed for combination and oily skin. It contains four types of acids that remove dead skin cells and clear pores: AHA, BHA, LHA and PHA, including salicylic acid; the cream itself is mildly acidic, with a pH of about 5.5. The brand suggests using it in the morning instead of a primer, as a base under makeup, and during the day instead of blotting papers to tame shine. The general order the brand recommends goes like this: cleanser, then toner or a pad, then ampoule, essence or serum, then cream, with sunscreen last. The rule is simple: from the thinnest texture to the thickest. To pick a cream from another brand, see our face creams & gels section.
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