Anti-blemish

COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser Review

By Maychiri's Thoughts - July 04, 2024

Hello, here’s the first of two full reviews for today, the COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser. 

 
I had my eye on this cleanser for the longest time, but I hesitated to buy it because it was a bit expensive for my tastes and I was worried whether my skin would accept it. And I have had a ton of positive experiences with Korean skincare, it almost always turned out to be way better than western skincare products. It is made specifically for oily and acne-prone skin, so it should be good, right? 
 
 
Packaging: it’s rather simple looking, just a white plastic tube with black text. There is a red rectangle which breaks up the monotony of the rest of the tube. All in all, it’s quite modern in its simplicity.
 

Ingredients: glycerin, white willow (Salix alba) bark water, salicylic acid, lemon (Citrus limon) peel oil, tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) for improving the condition of the skin. White willow water already contains salicylic acid naturally, so you are getting an extra strong dose of salicylic acid to help fight blemishes. Tea tree has also been proven to help soothe the skin, helping to reduce inflammation and the occurrence of acne. Myristic acid creates foam, but can be slightly drying, which can be worrying, as salicylic acid is already slightly drying. I must say I like the ingredient list, it really looks like it was made especially for acne-prone skin! The scent is a bit uncomfortable though, at least for me. It smells quite medicinal at first but then it turns into this strong lemony smell that I really don’t like and sometimes makes me a bit nauseous. It should be noted that this scent is natural, coming from the lemon peel oil, so it is not a synthetic perfume, which should be gentle enough for sensitive skin. I am just not a fan of citrusy scents in general. The expiration date is 12 months after opening.
 
 
The formula of this cleanser is really, really thick. Squeezed out the tube it looks more like a rich night cream than a cleanser. And it is pretty greasy, too. 
 
 
On my skin it feels creamy, thick, greasy and a bit heavy. I thought it would be a lighter formula, and I would’ve preferred that. This is a bit heavy but it doesn’t feel like it is suffocating my skin. It is really easy to spread across the skin though, despite the thick, creamy formula.
 
 
Given the thick formula, it takes some time to wash it off. I use a konjac sponge to wash my face and I noticed that it does take longer to wash this cleanser off than my previous one. It’s not that big of a difference though, but it is noticeable.
 
 
As for how it affects the skin, I can say that my skin looks totally matte and very clean and even after washing it with this cleanser. It also feels deeply cleansed. You should note that this cleanser is not really hydrating, which isn’t really surprising when you look at the ingredients. Salicylic acid has been know to make the skin drier, and there aren’t really any emollients present, which leads to my skin feeling a bit dry after washing. It also feels squeaky and like I used an astringent. It’s a really hard thing to properly explain, and I am not entirely too sure whether I like it. I just assume that that means my skin has been deeply cleansed and is now totally clean. 
 
 
 
This is the first cleanser that caused this astringent feeling on my skin, even though I have been using both salicylic acid and tea tree for years now. I do think that my skin condition is slowly improving while using this cleanser as my blemishes seem a bit smaller and less inflamed. It also did not cause any irritations on my skin, although people allergic to aspirin (which itself is salicylic acid) will most likely react negatively to this cleanser.
 
 
It’s too soon to tell just how my skin will look after months of using it, but first results seem promising. 
 
EDIT: after a few months of using it, my skin seems to have responded positively to this cleanser. My skin produces less sebum throughout the day, and it looks more even and with less redness or blemishes. It did not lead to my skin becoming too dry, despite feeling astringent when used. In combination with other products containing salicylic acid (and tea tree and witch hazel). It looks like a good first step in my skincare routine.
 
 
 
Conclusion: I have mixed emotions regarding this cleanser. I like how even and clean my skin looks after cleansing, and it seems like I have fewer acne, but the thick, heavy and greasy formula coupled with the weird astringent feeling left on my skin really bring down the overall opinion. The lemony smell is not pleasant either, but that’s just because I don’t like those kind of fragrances anyways. My skin seems to like this cleanser though, and it looks like it might make a real difference given enough time. I will still recommend it, with the caveat that you must not be allergic to aspirin. 
 
 
 
Rating: 7/10
 
 
Would buy again? Maybe YES
 
 
 

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