Versus

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser Versus Dermalogica Acne Clearing Skin Wash

Face Cleanser
Face Cleanser
Korean Brand South Korea
American Brand United States

Updated on July 19, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 6 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain BHA

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, parabens, silicones or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances and oils

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

What's inside (and what isn't)

What's inside (and what isn't)

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser
Acne Clearing Skin Wash

Salicylic Acid 0.5%

Masking
BHA IconPreservative IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Water

Skin Conditioning

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate

Cleansing

Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate

Cleansing
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Cleansing
May worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Hydroxypropyl Bis-Hydroxyethyldimonium Chloride

Humectant

PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate

Emulsifying
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Sodium PCA

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Phytic Acid

AHA IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Fucus Vesiculosus Extract

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Masking
Fragrance Icon

Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract

Emollient

Allium Sativum Bulb Extract

Skin Conditioning

Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Passiflora Incarnata Extract

Astringent

Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract

Cleansing

Camphor

Masking
May cause irritation IconEU Allergen IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Menthol

Masking
May cause irritation IconEU Allergen IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract

Perfuming
Fragrance Icon

Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning
Can worsen Dry Skin Icon

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine

Emulsifying

Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate

Cleansing

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Humectant
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Polysorbate 80

Emulsifying
0 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconFragrance IconOil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Oily Skin IconMay worsen Eczema Icon

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Skin Conditioning

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Melissa Officinalis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Soothing

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Angelica Archangelica Extract

Skin Conditioning

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Masking
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Citrus Limon Fruit Extract

Masking
May cause irritation Icon

Echinacea Angustifolia Leaf Extract

Moisturising

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract

Tonic

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning
Good for Dark Spots Icon

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract

Masking
Fragrance IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Ascorbic Acid

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Antimicrobial
Antioxidant IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Maltodextrin

Absorbent
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Silica

Abrasive
Exfoliant IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Palmitic Acid

Emollient
2 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Zinc PCA

Humectant
Good for Oily Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps fight Acne Icon

Kaolin

Abrasive
0 / 0 Exfoliant IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps fight Acne Icon

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Aminomethyl Propanol

Buffering

Sodium Chloride

Masking
Can worsen Dry Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Sodium Hydroxide

Buffering

Benzyl PCA

Humectant

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.

This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.

Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.

While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.

Learn more about Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Masking

Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt.

This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.

You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.

There is much debate on whether this ingredient is comedogenic. The short answer - comedogenic ratings don't tell the whole story. Learn more about comegodenic ratings here.

The concensus about this ingredient causing acne seems to be divided. Research is needed to understand if this ingredient does cause acne.

Scrubs may use salt as the primary exfoliating ingredient.

Learn more about Sodium Chloride
Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Learn more about Butylene Glycol
Antioxidant, Perfuming

This tea tree oil comes from the leaves of the Tea Tree plant. Tea tree oil has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.

According to the book Journal of Profiles of Drug Substances, tea tree helps in reducing acne-causing bacteria such as Propionibacterium acnes. This is due to the Terpinen components of tea tree oil.

Tea tree may cause sensitivity and irritation for some people. This oil naturally contains fragrance such as linalool and limonene.

However, research shows irritation usually occurs when using pure tea tree oil and not in cosmetic products.

Tea tree oil was found to help relieve the symptoms of psoriasis in one study.

Tea tree oil is toxic when ingested. Another study showed it to caused damage to the nervous system of dogs and cats when applied to their skin or given orally.

Learn more about Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Skin Conditioning

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

When to use

5,634 Routines
55% use in am
45% use in pm
97% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
57 Routines
51% use in am
49% use in pm
81% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser 25 ingredients

2.9 /5
from 101 ratings
Drying (33) Light Scent (21) Great Value (20)
Roseblushbliss's avatar

Roseblushbliss

1 year ago
Review

You will find better things out there.

This wasn’t completely destructive to my skin back in my late teens (dehydrated oily-combo skin with hormonal acne I assume) but there’s a reason why I only aimed to finish my tube of this. Doesn’t cleanse very deeply so I felt I needed to use more product (I was oily, sweaty, and in a very place with very polluted air), and tends to leave me more dry Show more

#drying
#broke me out
#irritating
#strong scent
katrina1's avatar

katrina1

1 year ago
Review

works great on my oily skin, cleanses while not being stripping, so it doesn’t leave my skin feeling tight. 10/10 :)

#great value
#strong scent

Dermalogica Acne Clearing Skin Wash 56 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 1 rating
BiaB's avatar

BiaB

1 year ago
Review

Love it!
It keeps my outbreaks under control.
Even though I have dehydrated skin, it does not strip my skin from its moisture.
This product is amazing!