COSRX
COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser 150ml
A proper dense-lather wash for oily mornings.
Saponified myristic, stearic and lauric acids — soap chemistry, not detergent thinness.
Dense, cushioned lather.
What this cleanser does
A 150 ml saponified foaming cleanser with tea tree leaf oil, willow bark water and a seven-part botanical complex, carrying salicylic acid at position eleven.
Reading positions three to six
Myristic Acid, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid. Three fatty acids and an alkali, in the top six. That is soap being made inside the tube — saponification — and it is what gives this its dense, squeaky lather.
Soap only exists at a high pH. Push a potassium-soap cleanser toward acidic and the fatty acids fall out of solution; the product stops being what it is. So a saponified cleanser sits alkaline, and there is no way around that.
Why that matters for the salicylic acid
Salicylic acid works as an exfoliant only in its free acid form, which requires an acidic formula. Raise the pH and it converts to its salt — potassium salicylate — which does not behave the same way on skin.
In an alkaline soap base, the salicylic acid on this label is largely present as that salt. Add to that the ordinary arithmetic of a rinse-off product — thirty to sixty seconds of contact, then it goes down the drain — and the honest conclusion is that the salicylic acid here is not doing meaningful BHA work. It is still useful: salicylates are antimicrobial and the ingredient contributes to the product in that way. It is just not exfoliation.
We sell this cleanser. We would rather you bought it knowing what it is.
If you want a BHA cleanser from this brand
COSRX makes one that can actually deliver it: the Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser. That formula uses no hydroxide, uses citric acid to set an acidic pH, and carries betaine salicylate instead. Same brand, same idea, and the chemistry lines up.
Buy this one because you want a thorough foaming wash with tea tree in it. That is a real reason.
The botanical block, and where else it appears
Positions 20 to 26 are Saccharomyces Ferment, Cryptomeria Japonica Leaf, Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf, Pinus Palustris Leaf, Ulmus Davidiana Root, Oenothera Biennis Flower and Pueraria Lobata Root.
The same seven appear in the same order in the Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser, higher up its list. It is one prepared complex COSRX uses across products, not seven separate decisions — which is more useful to know than seven individual claims about it.
Two things to be aware of
Fragrance is at position fourteen, and Tea Tree Leaf Oil at sixteen. Both are relatively high. A soap base with an essential oil and added fragrance is a lot for skin that is already inflamed — which is often exactly the skin that reaches for a product named after salicylic acid.
Key ingredients
Ingredient · What it is, and what it is used for
- Myristic Acid
- C14 saturated fatty acid. Does the cleansing — becomes soap when neutralised.
- Potassium Hydroxide
- Alkali. Sets the pH — what turns the three fatty acids into soap.
- Lauric Acid
- C12 saturated fatty acid. Does the cleansing — the fastest-foaming of the three.
- Salicylic Acid
- Beta hydroxy acid, oil-soluble. Needs an acidic formula to act as an exfoliant; in a soap base it is mostly present as its salt.
- Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
- Taurate surfactant of coconut origin. Does the cleansing — added to soften the soap.
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- Betaine surfactant. Does the cleansing — the other softener.
- Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil
- Essential oil of tea tree leaf. Carries scent.
- Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Water
- Distillate of white willow bark. Contains salicin — a precursor to salicylic acid, not the acid itself.
- Saccharomyces Ferment
- Yeast ferment. First entry of the seven-part botanical block.
- Cryptomeria Japonica Leaf Extract
- Extract of Japanese cedar leaf. Pulls water into the surface and holds it there.
- Pueraria Lobata Root Extract
- Extract of kudzu root. Pulls water into the surface and holds it there.
- Glycol Distearate
- Glycol ester of stearic acid. Gives the cream body and the pearly look.
Who it is for
Worth checking before you buy: Salicylic acid does little in a soap base at this pH and contact time, so buy this as a cleanser rather than as your BHA step.
Labelled for all skin types, daily. In practice: oily skin that likes a thorough, squeaky wash and tolerates soap. Not for a compromised barrier, and not the product to rely on for exfoliation. Do not use it around the eyes.
How to use it
- Dispense a moderate amount into your hand.
- Add water and lather before it touches your face.
- Massage over face and neck, avoiding the eye area.
- Rinse with warm water, and follow with something hydrating while skin is damp.
Details
- Size
- 150 ml
- Made in
- Korea
- Cleansing system
- Soap-based (saponified) — necessarily alkaline
- Contains
- Fragrance and tea tree oil
- Ingredients
- 30, published in full below
Full ingredient list
Water, Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Butylene Glycol, Glycol Distearate, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Salicylic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Water, Saccharomyces Ferment, Cryptomeria Japonica Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethyl Hexanediol, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA
In label order. Our source had two printing errors — the first entry was cut to "ater" and the tea tree species was spelled "Alternigolia". We have restored both. Nothing has been added, removed or reordered.
Ships from Korea.
