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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser versus COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser .

Last updated on September 20, 2023. Published on November 30, 2020

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 11 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain BHA

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, 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 need an update? Let us know.

Face Cleanser South Korean Brand South Korea
Face Cleanser South Korean Brand South Korea

Face Cleanser

Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).

Face Cleanser

Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).

Price

Shop

Buy Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser

Starts at $6.59
Shop

Buy Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser

Starts at $6.49

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
ph level
9.5
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
ph level
5.3

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

BHA

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Reduces Large Pores
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying (2)
May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger (3)
Irritating
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

BHA

Benefits

Good For Oily Skin (3)
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation
Reduces Large Pores
Scar Healing

Concerns

Drying
Acne Trigger
Rosacea (2)
Eczema
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Masking
Community Rating: Very Disliked

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

COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 3.

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 4.

3
What it does: Solvent
Community Rating: Liked

Ethyl Hexanediol is an aliphatic alcohol. It is a solvent.

Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.

COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 4.

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 21.

4
What it does: Cleansing
Community Rating: Disliked

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

Cocamidopropyl Betaine 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

COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 5.

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 2.

5
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

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.

COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 8.

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 18.

6
What it does: Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol

COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 12.

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 17.

7
What it does: Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

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

  • It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
  • It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
  • It helps improve product application.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.

COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 17.

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 7.

8
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

1,2-Hexanediol is a multi-tasker ingredient. It acts as a preservative to increase shelf-life and can aid other preservatives in preventing microbe growth. 1,2-Hexanediol also helps the skin retain moisture as a humectant.

In products that are water-based, this ingredient can help stabilize perfumes and fragrances. It can also help make the texture of products softer and more smooth.

COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 19.

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 22.

9
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA

COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 20.

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 25.

10
What it does: Antioxidant, Perfuming
Community Rating: Mixed

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

COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 22.

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 15.

11
What it does: Buffering, Masking
Community Rating: Disliked

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.

As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid

COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 23.

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 20.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

26% are loved or liked
17% have mixed ratings
57% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet
40% are loved or liked
24% have mixed ratings
24% are disliked or very disliked
12% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser 23 ingredients

3.0 /5
from 12 reviews
skinogre's Avatar'
Feb 13, 2024

I used to think it was good because of how it really goes DEEP into cleaning your skin, it feels like it’s been scraped out. It’s good if you haven’t washed your face in a week, other than that it’s really bad. And that’s coming from...

I used to think it was good because of how it really goes DEEP into cleaning your skin, it feels like it’s been scraped out. It’s good if you haven’t washed your face in a week, other than that it’s really bad. And that’s coming from someone who has oily skin and uses Paula’s choice BHA every other day. There are so many better cleansing products than this, I highly advise getting the Etude house foam 6.5 whip cleaner instead and using an exfoliant alongside it. One thing I do like about this cleanser is its consistency, I always loved how it would squirt out but on the downside was it’s drying out of skin. It never “ruined” my skin per se, but there are a lot better products than this for daily cleansing. If you want your skin to feel EXTREMELY scraped of all oils and its essence, sure use this.

Drying
Strong Scent
princessmelody2010's Avatar'
Jan 1, 2024

Okay.. but NO.. not safe for fungal acne.

Okay.. but NO.. not safe for fungal acne.

YSLDave's Avatar'
Nov 7, 2023

Too Harsh for the skin
PH Level is wayy too high on this, it feel like you washed your face with soap, i only use it at night with double cleanse on exfoliation days, but i will not cop another bootle for sure

Too Harsh for the skin
PH Level is wayy too high on this, it feel like you washed your face with soap, i only use it at night with double cleanse on exfoliation days, but i will not cop another bootle for sure

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser 25 ingredients

3.3 /5
from 55 reviews
Roseblushbliss's Avatar'
Feb 9, 2024

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....

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 after use. I think I remember it being mildly stinging and irritating, leaving my skin feel more raw afterwards rather than just refreshed and clean. May have also left a residue after washing.

Just, please look for something else. You can find something better, even for a lower price point.

Drying
Broke Me Out
Irritating
Strong Scent
Doesn't Work
katrina1's Avatar'
Jan 20, 2024

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

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
GabriellaStewart_704's Avatar'
Jun 3, 2023

Destroyed my skin barrier
I have combination skin and this product just destroyed my skin barrier. There are better products out there. I love COSRX but this product is a no go

Destroyed my skin barrier
I have combination skin and this product just destroyed my skin barrier. There are better products out there. I love COSRX but this product is a no go

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