COSRX AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid for acne-prone skin
Glycolic Acid
Niacinamide
Pyrus Malus Fruit Water
Sodium Hyaluronate
Panthenol
Average
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other products fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate exfoliation for your combination skin, as glycolic acid works to smooth texture and niacinamide helps regulate oil production. Panthenol and sodium hyaluronate provide hydration, supporting overall skin comfort.
- This formula is safe for your acne-prone skin, with no harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
- The product is safe for your skin, as it contains no prohibited or harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
How to apply
- Use this exfoliant PM once a week to start, and gradually increase if your combination skin tolerates it well. Always apply SPF the next morning to protect your clear skin.
- Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toning, but right before your moisturizer step. This ensures the treatment targets blemishes effectively.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin without rubbing. Let it absorb for a minute before moving to the next step.
- Apply the exfoliant on clean, dry skin to help control breakouts safely. Since your skin is not sensitive, this dry application method ensures good product absorption.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a patch test before your first use. Do not mix this exfoliant with other strong acids in the same routine.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 6.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with dry, acne-prone, and textured skin frequently praise this exfoliant for effectively clearing closed comedones and "tiny bumps" while leaving the face noticeably smoother and brighter. Some users note that results require patience due to an initial purging phase, and the product has a strong, distinct scent.
Highlights
Clears comedones Mostly Mentioned
- “colony of tiny closed comedones vanishing”
- “erased bumps on forehead”
- “finally cleared my whiteheads”
- “got rid of flesh-colored bumps”
Smooths texture Mostly Mentioned
- “skin feels like glass”
- “dramatically refined texture”
- “bye bye rough patches”
- “face is super soft”
Brightens skin Often Mentioned
- “gave me a glow”
- “faded acne scars”
- “skin looks more radiant”
- “evened out my skin tone”
Unpleasant smell Often Mentioned
- “smells like rotting apples”
- “has a fishy scent”
- “smells like burnt tires”
- “odor is truly heinous”
Gentle, hydrating Sometimes Noted
- “didn't dry me out”
- “gentle enough for sensitive skin”
- “feels moisturizing for an acid”
- “no tight feeling afterwards”
Initial purging Sometimes Noted
- “broke out for two weeks”
- “caused red bumps at first”
- “had a bad purge phase”
- “worse before it got better”
Sticky residue Sometimes Noted
- “feels tacky after applying”
- “left a sticky film”
- “takes forever to absorb”
- “hair sticks to my face”
Stinging/irritation Rarely Noted
- “burned upon application”
- “tingled too much”
- “caused redness on cheeks”
- “too strong for daily use”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, ulta.com, dermstore.com, yesstyle.com, stylekorean.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does COSRX AHA 7 work for acne-prone skin?
This exfoliant treatment works decently for acne-prone skin, though other products fit it better. Glycolic acid smooths texture while niacinamide helps control oil, and this formula needs ingredients like propolis, zinc PCA, or antioxidants to better target breakouts and keep combination skin balanced.
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Glycolic acid helps smooth texture while niacinamide regulates oil production, and panthenol along with sodium hyaluronate provides comfort and hydration for acne-prone skin. To fit this skin even better, an exfoliant treatment needs ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, or zinc PCA that tackle breakouts while keeping the skin balanced and calm.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
What does Glycolic Acid do for acne-prone skin?
Glycolic acid helps clear acne-prone skin by reducing pimples and breakouts. It also helps fade dark spots left behind by acne and controls skin oiliness, with very few side effects when used properly.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Dermatologic Surgery, 2014
What does Niacinamide do for acne-prone skin?
Niacinamide helps acne-prone skin by reducing both inflamed and uninflamed breakouts and calming redness. It is also very helpful for keeping oily skin balanced by cutting down on excess oil production, and it is well tolerated by most people.
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This exfoliant goes in your evening routine, applied after cleansing and before moisturizing. Acne-prone skin needs a gentle exfoliating treatment with glycolic acid to smooth texture and niacinamide to help regulate oil, along with hydrating ingredients like panthenol to keep skin comfortable.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this exfoliant with retinol by applying them on different nights or spacing them well apart to help avoid irritation. When combining them in your routine, use this treatment after cleansing and before your moisturizer, but make sure to give your skin time to adjust to both active ingredients.
How often should I use it?
Start by using this exfoliant once a week in your evening routine, and carefully use it more often only if your skin handles it well and shows good results. This type of skin needs a product that provides gentle chemical exfoliation along with soothing and hydrating ingredients to keep the skin calm and smooth.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
Yes, this exfoliant may cause initial purging as it works to smooth texture and clear out pores for acne-prone skin. It is unlikely to cause severe irritation because it avoids harsh ingredients, but an acne-prone skin type needs gentle, non-clogging hydration and oil-balancing ingredients like niacinamide and panthenol to stay calm.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017A panthenol-enriched mask significantly decreased erythema and hyperpigmentation, increased sebum and stratum corneum moisture, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to a saline dressing in 60 subjects undergoing facial laser treatment.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A cosmetic cream with 6% wild apple fruit water extract showed good stability, antioxidant activity, no skin irritation, increased skin hydration, and a bleaching effect on artificially induced skin hyperpigmentation in human volunteers.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2018Topical treatment of nicotinamide, alone or in combination with other active ingredients, reduces the progression of skin aging and hyperpigmentation in clinical trials while being well tolerated.
Antioxidants, 2021Repeated short-contact 70% glycolic acid peels provided superior results in atrophic acne scars compared to daily low-strength glycolic acid cream or placebo in 58 women over 24 weeks.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2000Serial glycolic acid peels combined with a modified Kligman formula significantly reduced facial PIH severity in Indian patients compared to the modified Kligman formula alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2017Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005Topical formulations containing 1.25% Malus sp. extract or 0.75% rutin protected against UVB-induced sunburn cells, caspase-3 activation, cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers, lipid peroxidation, and metalloproteinase formation in ex vivo skin explants and 3D tissue-engineered skin.
Rejuvenation Research, 2020Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000Hyaluronic acid, hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol, and isotonic saline nasal sprays all significantly improved dry nose symptoms over four weeks in 240 patients, with hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol providing superior nasal moisturisation compared to the other two.
Auris, Nasus, Larynx, 2020
Ingredients
Pyrus Malus Fruit Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycolic Acid, Niacinamide, Sodium Hydroxide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Ethyl Hexanediol
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
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