Last Updated on July 18, 2026 by omgbart
Since picking up my first ever powdered face wash, the concept has become a solid staple in my grooming routine. It started with a rare find of Komenuka Bijin mono-dose rice bran packettes at a super cute apothecary called The Bathroom downtown New York City circa 2005 or so. Sadly, the adorable store shuttered and the Japanese brand phased out this particular gem. My point? I’ve always loved a good powdered face wash.
On to some good news… The AMOREPACIFIC Treatment Enzyme Peel has been a K-beauty cult favorite for years. I originally reviewed it back in 2019, right after AMOREPACIFIC gave the loose powder cleanser a shower-friendly flip-top redesign and launched a matching Treatment Enzyme Masque alongside it.
A quick update since then: the Treatment Enzyme Masque has since been discontinued. It’s no longer sold by AMOREPACIFIC directly, though you can occasionally still find old stock on resale sites like eBay or Poshmark. I’m keeping my original thoughts on it below since the photos in this post still feature it, but don’t expect to be able to buy it new anymore.
The Classic
The AMOREPACIFIC Treatment Enzyme Peel is a loose powder that fuses face cleansing and exfoliating agents. It is also gentle enough to be used daily. The beauty of fruit enzymes is that, unlike acids, they deactivate on their own without the need to be neutralized. After enzymes digest the dead cells from the surface of your skin, they stop working. Read: it’s impossible to leave an enzyme peel on too long.
The Treatment Enzyme Peel is an excellent morning cleanser or a second step to follow up an oil-based formula that removes your makeup or heavy-duty SPF. This is especially true for those with oily or combination skin who can benefit from a touch of resurfacing. Keep in mind that the powder turns into silky foam upon contact and there is absolutely no grit nor any friction. What is the magic? The green tea-derived probiotic enzyme and papaya enzyme help speed up cellular turnover and reveal glowing complexion in a single application. Beyond that, your skin will feel insanely smooth. I’m talking glass.
About the upgrades…
The new Treatment Enzyme Peel has a new flip top cap to make it more shower-friendly. The old container had a screw on cap and was a bit sleeker, which IMHO did seem more luxurious. Thankfully, the formula is unchanged. And since I’m all for calling a spade a spade, the recent upgrade comes in a 50g container while the older one was 75g in weight. The $60 price tag remains the same. Why?
Another update, this one more recent: since I wrote this, AMOREPACIFIC renamed the Treatment Enzyme Peel entirely. It’s now sold as the Refining Powder-to-Foam Cleanser ($68, 55g), and the enzyme story has changed along with the name. Instead of the papaya and green tea probiotic enzyme blend I describe above, the current formula uses what AMOREPACIFIC calls a patented phytobiotics-derived enzyme (claimed to be 11x more effective than papaya enzyme alone), plus kaolin clay and a multi-weight hyaluronic acid complex, none of which were part of the original formula. So everything above reflects my experience with the original Treatment Enzyme Peel. If you’re shopping today, you’re actually buying a different, newer formula under a new name.
The Masque
Love love love this new mask! Excuse me, masque. It’s creamy, hydrating, exfoliating, soft-drying, and effective. All I want in a mask, really. Keep in mind, however, that it’s not the deep-cleansing solution I normally gravitate to (like the original Glamglow) but it’s an excellent gentle option when I’m seeking an AHA moment without the tingle.
The first ingredient is green tea leaf water, which means a mega dose of antioxidant goodness. Creamy in texture, the formula includes encapsulated papaya enzyme which activates as you apply the product to dry (and cleansed) skin. There is also glycolic acid, to help smooth out any minor bumps without causing redness or irritation. Upon application, the mask moves from a gel cream consistency to a soft cream with a slightly iridescent hue. It dries within minutes but doesn’t flake off the skin, which is a much appreciated perk as you sip your morning coffee. Yes, there is a fragrance (which is added and most likely not all natural) but I find the floral notes, an AMOREPACIFIC signature, always pleasant. It was $70 for 50ml when I reviewed it.
Since I’ve been exfoliating for… forever, I used to use both the masque and peel back-to-back. If your skin is dry or sensitive, introduce one formula at a time to your regimen. And be sure always to hydrate and to moisturize immediately after you exfoliate. If you feel like splurging, pick up a bottle of the Vintage Single Extract Essence. It’s seriously one of the best products in my stash.
The AMOREPAICIFIC Refining Powder-to-Foam Cleanser is $68 and can be found at us.amorepacific.com and bergdorfgoodman.com.
For my most recent roundup of powder face cleansers click here.
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