COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser — Efficacy 3.4/5.0, Safety 4.0/5.0 | DemythSkin
++++
[ DemythSkin Verdict ]
COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser
COSRX

COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser

CleanserAcne / Oil Control
Efficacy
Basic
3.4 / 5.0
Safety
Mostly Safe
4.0 / 5.0
System Verdict
This is a reasonably effective but slightly aggressive BHA acne cleanser with fussy fragrance choices and a soapier surfactant system than truly gentle options. Efficacy is driven by salicylic acid plus willow bark water and a contact time–friendly surfactant base, but with SA mid-list the likely concentration is modest (good for daily acne maintenance, not a high-strength treatment), and the formula leans on classic fatty-acid/alkali surfactants rather than the softest amino-acid systems, while lemon and tea tree oils add unnecessary irritation risk for sensitive skin.
Active Ingredients Detected
S Tier: Gold StandardsHigh Clinical Proof | Skin-Transformative
Salicylic Acid
A Tier: Good BasicsProven Results
Glycerin
B Tier: Supporting IngredientsPromising Ingredients
Sodium ChlorideSodium Methyl Cocoyl TauratePEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor OilLauric AcidGlycol DistearateThis list of ingredients represents all options or variants of this product. Actual ingredients in a given product option may vary from this list. Ingredients subject to change at manufacturer&
D Tier: Potential IrritantsBe Cautious
Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit OilMelaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil
What Each Ingredient Does
Water
Solvent for ingredients
Myristic Acid
Fatty acid cleansing agent
Sodium Chloride
Viscosity control and stabilizer
Ethyl Hexanediol
Solvent and humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Amphoteric co-surfactant cleanser
Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Oil
Fragrant essential oil component
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Mild anionic surfactant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Preservative booster and humectant
Stearic Acid
Fatty acid, structure and cleansing
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Solubilizer for oils and fragrance
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifier and solubilizer
Caprylyl Glycol
Humectant and preservative booster
Glycerin
Humectant for skin hydration
Potassium Hydroxide
pH adjuster and soap forming base
Salicylic Acid
Beta-hydroxy acid exfoliant
Lauric Acid
Fatty acid, cleansing and foam
Butylene Glycol
Humectant and solvent
Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Water
Botanical extract, soothing/keratolytic
1,2-Hexanediol
Solvent and preservative component
Disodium EDTA
Chelating agent for stability
Glycol Distearate
Opacifier and texture enhancer
Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil
Fragrance and antimicrobial oil
Citric Acid
pH adjuster and mild chelator
This list of ingredients represents all options or variants of this product. Actual ingredients in a given product option may vary from this list. Ingredients subject to change at manufacturer&
Non-ingredient text from label
Full Ingredient List (INCI)

Water, Myristic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Ethyl Hexanediol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Oil, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Stearic Acid, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polysorbate 80, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Salicylic Acid, Lauric Acid, Butylene Glycol, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Glycol Distearate, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Citric Acid This list of ingredients represents all options or variants of this product. Actual ingredients in a given product option may vary from this list. Ingredients subject to change at manufacturer&

Frequently Asked

Is COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser worth it?

COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser scores 3.4 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Basic) and 4.0 out of 5.0 for safety (Mostly Safe) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. This is a reasonably effective but slightly aggressive BHA acne cleanser with fussy fragrance choices and a soapier surfactant system than truly gentle options. Efficacy is driven by salicylic acid plus willow bark water

What are the key active ingredients in COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser?

COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser contains these gold-standard actives with strong clinical evidence: Salicylic Acid.

Does COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser contain fragrance or known irritants?

DemythSkin flags these ingredients in COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser as potential irritants: Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil.

How is COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser scored?

DemythSkin grades every product on two independent axes: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are classified S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. No brand pays for a score.

Analyze on DemythSkin

Analysis last updated: 2026-08-18. DemythSkin is an independent ingredient analyzer. Scores are computed by a deterministic rubric from published clinical evidence — no brand pays for a score.