All scans / Cleansers / COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser
COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser ingredients: is it worth it?
Solid acne-fighting cleanser that cleans gently without barrier damage, boosted by contact-active salicylic acid.
Solid acne-fighting cleanser that cleans gently without barrier damage, boosted by contact-active salicylic acid.
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Efficacy score of 3.8 reflects excellent gentle surfactant base (Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine as primary cleansers, no harsh sulfates), 0.5% salicylic acid positioned mid-list for effective contact exfoliation in rinse-off format, plus tea tree oil and lauric acid for anti-acne synergy; pH likely adjusted to 5-6 via Potassium Hydroxide/Citric Acid for mildness.
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DemythSkin rates COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser 3.8/5 for efficacy and 4.1/5 for safety.
CONTAINS COMMON SENSITISERS⌄
Fragrance components and essential oils that more often cause reactions in sensitive skin: Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil. Most people tolerate them; patch test if your skin reacts easily.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFULL 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, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Oil, Sodium Chloride, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethyl Hexanediol, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (23)⌄
- Water
- Solvent
- Glycerin
- Humectant
- Myristic Acid
- Surfactant / Emulsifier
- Stearic Acid
- Emulsifier / Emollient
- Potassium Hydroxide
- pH Adjuster
- Lauric Acid
- Surfactant / Anti-acne
- Butylene Glycol
- Humectant / Solvent
- Glycol Distearate
- Emulsifier / Opacifier
- Polysorbate 80
- Emulsifier / Surfactant
- Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
- Gentle Surfactant
- Salicylic Acid
- Exfoliant / Anti-acne
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- Gentle Surfactant
- PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
- Emulsifier
- Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Oil
- Fragrance / Astringent
- Sodium Chloride
- Viscosity Controller
- Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil
- Anti-acne / Antimicrobial
- Caprylyl Glycol
- Humectant / Preservative
- Ethylhexylglycerin
- Preservative
- Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Water
- Soothing
- 1,2-Hexanediol
- Solvent / Preservative
- Ethyl Hexanediol
- Solvent / Preservative
- Citric Acid
- pH Adjuster / Chelator
- Disodium EDTA
- Chelating Agent
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Salicylic Acid: Effective at 0.5-2% in rinse-off for acne (J Am Acad Dermatol, 1990)
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate: Mild, non-drying surfactant (Int J Cosmet Sci, 2012)
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil: Anti-acne via terpinen-4-ol (Clin Microbiol Rev, 2006)
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
A cheaper cleanser that scores as high or higher
A different formula for the same concern (acne / oil control) that scores at least as high on both efficacy and safety.
COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser: common questions
Is COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser worth it?
COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser scores 3.8 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Modest) and 4.1 out of 5.0 for safety (Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. Solid acne-fighting cleanser that cleans gently without barrier damage, boosted by contact-active salicylic acid.
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 documented irritants: Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin.
How is COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser scored?
DemythSkin grades every product on two independent scores: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are graded S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. Brand and price are not part of the score, and no brand pays for one.
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