COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser

COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser

Clear away excess oil, dead skin buildup, and daily impurities with the COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser, a foaming facial cleanser designed to help purify pores while leaving skin feeling fresh, smooth, and comfortably clean. This daily cleanser is especially well suited for oily, combination, and blemish-prone skin that needs a deeper cleanse without an overly stripped finish.

Formulated with 0.5% salicylic acid, tea tree leaf oil, and willow bark water, this purifying cleanser helps remove excess sebum, lift away dead skin cells, and support a clearer-looking complexion. Salicylic acid helps exfoliate inside the pores and improve the look of blackheads and congestion, while tea tree leaf oil helps refresh the skin and support blemish care. Willow bark water provides a natural BHA component that helps dissolve oils and keep skin feeling balanced. Its creamy foam texture helps cleanse thoroughly while keeping skin feeling comfortable rather than stripped.

The COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser is a great choice for anyone looking for a K-beauty acne cleanser, salicylic acid face wash, or a daily foaming Korean skincare cleanser for oily skin. With regular use, skin can look cleaner, smoother, and less congested, making it a helpful step in routines focused on pore care and breakout-prone skin.

Size: 150ml / 5.07 fl. oz

Overview

The COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser is a daily foaming cleanser created to help wash away impurities, excess oil, and pore buildup while supporting smoother-looking skin. Designed for skin that struggles with congestion, blackheads, and blemishes, it helps leave the complexion feeling refreshed and clarified after cleansing.

Key benefits

• Helps remove excess oil and daily impurities
• Supports cleaner-looking pores
• Helps improve the look of blackheads and congestion
• Formulated with 0.5% salicylic acid, tea tree leaf oil, and willow bark water
• Creamy foam texture for a deep, refreshing cleanse
• Great for oily, combination, and blemish-prone skin

How to use

Dispense an appropriate amount into wet hands and work into a rich foam. Gently massage over damp skin, avoiding the eye area, then rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. Suitable for morning and evening use.

Why we love it

Blemish-prone skin has a particularly narrow window in a cleanser: it needs enough active exfoliation to clear congestion without the dryness and irritation that harsh acne cleansers cause. The COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser finds that window and stays in it. The 0.5% salicylic acid concentration is effective enough to penetrate pores and break down the sebum and dead skin buildup behind blackheads and congestion, but gentle enough for daily use without stripping or sensitizing the skin. Willow bark water adds a natural BHA layer alongside the synthetic salicylic acid, while tea tree oil brings its well-documented antibacterial and clarifying properties to the rinse-off process. The creamy foam texture is a deliberate design choice — it cleanses thoroughly without the post-wash tightness that gel and foaming acne cleansers often leave behind. At BestSkincareUSA.com, this is our top recommendation from COSRX for oily and blemish-prone skin that wants a genuinely effective daily cleanse without compromising the skin barrier.

Key ingredients deeper dive

• 0.5% salicylic acid for pore-penetrating exfoliation — A lipophilic (oil-loving) BHA that dissolves into the sebum inside pores rather than just working on the skin's surface — exfoliating from within to clear blackheads, reduce congestion, and prevent new blemishes from forming. At 0.5%, it delivers meaningful daily exfoliation without the irritation that higher concentrations cause in a leave-on product — making it one of the most practical active percentages for a daily-use cleanser across Korean skincare brands.
• Willow bark water for natural BHA support — A botanical extract that contains salicin, a natural precursor to salicylic acid, which provides supplementary exfoliating and oil-dissolving action alongside the synthetic salicylic acid. Used in place of plain water in some Korean formulations to add a gentle secondary BHA layer without additional irritation risk.
• Tea tree leaf oil for antibacterial blemish care — Melaleuca alternifolia leaf oil is one of the most extensively studied natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients in skincare. In this cleanser, it adds a clarifying, freshening effect that targets blemish-causing bacteria while the formula is in contact with the skin — complementing salicylic acid's pore-clearing work with surface-level microbial control.
• Lemon peel oil for brightness and freshness — Adds a brightening note to the cleanser that contributes to the fresh, clean-skin feeling after rinsing, without the photosensitizing concentration of lemon extract that would be concerning in a leave-on product.
• Creamy foam texture — non-drying, non-stripping cleanse — Unlike harsh foaming acne cleansers that leave skin feeling squeaky-clean and tight, the COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser's creamy formula preserves the skin's moisture balance during cleansing — delivering effective exfoliation and oil removal without the post-wash dryness that makes many acne cleansers unsustainable for daily use.
• Vegan and cruelty-free — COSRX's commitment to clean, animal-friendly formulation. Dermatologist-tested and reef-safe.

Who it's for

The COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser is designed for oily, combination, and blemish-prone skin that wants a daily cleanser with genuine pore-clearing action — not just surface cleansing. It's particularly well-suited for anyone dealing with blackheads, congested pores, or recurring breakouts who has found standard acne cleansers too drying or irritating for daily use. Because it's formulated to be gentle enough for everyday use morning and night, it fits naturally as the water-based cleanse step in a double-cleansing Korean face routine focused on pore care and clarity.

Pro tips and pairings

For maximum pore-clearing effect, let the COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser sit on the skin for 30–60 seconds before rinsing in the evening — the extra contact time allows the salicylic acid to work more thoroughly on congested areas. Follow with the COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner for an additional exfoliation step that complements rather than duplicates the cleanser's BHA action. Pair with the COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence as your hydration step to ensure the skin barrier stays healthy while the BHA does its clarifying work — an essential balance for anyone using salicylic acid daily.

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