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COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser for oily skin

High

  • HighOily Skin Fit
  • HighEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

A great choice for oily skin; a few cleansers fit it even better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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

  • Highly suitable for your oily skin, this cleanser effectively addresses oily shine with salicylic acid and melaleuca alternifolia tree oil leaf, which offer keratolytic and antimicrobial actions to manage excess oil and breakouts.
  • The formula provides excellent cleansing and moderate exfoliation for your oily skin, as salicylic acid and glycerin work together to gently remove impurities and hydrate.
  • The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.

How to apply

  • Use your cleanser AM and PM every day to keep your skin fresh. Always make sure to follow with a good SPF in the morning.
  • Apply your cleanser as the first step in the morning or the second step in the evening before your toner.
  • Gently massage a small amount onto your face using circular motions, then rinse well with water .
  • You can apply this cleanser safely on damp skin for a refreshing and easy wash.
  • Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes and stop use if irritation occurs.

People Say

★4.6Overall rating based on 13.0k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, this creamy foaming cleanser is highly recommended for oily and acne-prone skin, effectively deep cleaning pores and reducing breakouts. Users with dry or sensitive skin, however, frequently find it to be drying or stripping, suggesting it is best suited as a targeted treatment rather than a daily hydrating cleanser.

Highlights

  • Clears acne Mostly Mentioned
    • “helped to improve my acne after only 2 weeks”
    • “prevents spots and black heads”
    • “shorten the life of some of my breakouts”
    • “dried down my acne”
  • Controls oil Often Mentioned
    • “whisking away that excess shine”
    • “ideal for oily skin”
    • “removes excess oil without making face entirely dry”
    • “keeps oil production balanced”
  • Deep cleansing Often Mentioned
    • “removes every trace of oil”
    • “squeaky clean feeling”
    • “gets rid of all the dirt and sebum”
    • “skin feels thoroughly clean”
  • Drying or stripping Often Mentioned
    • “leaves skin feeling tight”
    • “stripped of moisture”
    • “felt quite a bit of dryness”
    • “skin did feel more drier/tighter than usual”
  • Creamy lather Sometimes Noted
    • “creamy and makes a nice, thick lather”
    • “foams up quickly”
    • “rich and creamy”
    • “creates a really nice lather”
  • Gentle exfoliation Sometimes Noted
    • “gently exfoliate and remove impurities”
    • “skin feels so soft and smooth”
    • “buff away dead skin cells”
    • “refines pores”
  • Eye irritation Sometimes Noted
    • “stings really bad if it accidentally gets in the eyes”
    • “will sting if gets into eyes”
    • “can't use it to clean the skin around the eyes”
  • High pH Rarely Noted
    • “pH is 9”
    • “high pH”
    • “squeaky feeling implies high pH”
    • “stripping away your skin's natural moisture barrier”
  • Medicinal scent Rarely Noted
    • “smells of herbs and earth”
    • “medicinal smell”
    • “smells like tea tree”
    • “subtle citrus fragrance”
  • Skin irritation Rarely Noted
    • “minor irritation”
    • “redness appearing after use”
    • “broke me out”
    • “burning after using it”

Sources: lovi.care, yesstyle.com, nykaa.com, iherb.com, gopicky.com, skinsort.com, and more

Questions and answers

What makes COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser a great fit for oily skin?

This cleanser is a great fit for oily skin because it uses salicylic acid and tree oil leaf to manage extra shine and breakouts while gently washing away impurities. The formula provides moderate exfoliation and hydration with glycerin, and it is unlikely to cause irritation.

Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2007Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily skin?

Salicylic acid and oil tree leaf make this cleanser a great fit for oily skin because they help manage excess oil and breakouts. The formula also includes glycerin and willow water bark to gently remove impurities while keeping your skin calm, clean, and comfortable.

Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2007Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

What does Salicylic Acid do for oily skin?

Salicylic acid helps oily skin by reducing excess oil and keeping pores clear. It may also improve overall skin hydration while managing breakouts.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2019

What does Glycerin do for oily skin?

Glycerin helps keep oily skin hydrated without feeling heavy and supports the skin barrier. Because this product is a weak fit for your skin, an ideal product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and ingredients that balance oil while protecting the skin.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008International Journal of Toxicology, 2019

Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily skin?

This cleanser goes into both your morning and evening routine as a starting step before you apply your toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen. It is a great fit for your oily skin because it effectively helps manage excess oil and breakouts while keeping your face feeling clean and comfortable.

Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2007Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this cleanser in the same routine as retinol, but it is best to use them at different times of day to keep your skin calm. For instance, wash your face with this cleanser in the morning and apply your retinol at night to help avoid unwanted dryness or irritation.

How often should I use this cleanser?

You can use this cleanser daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine to help manage excess oil and breakouts. The formula is unlikely to cause irritation for your oily skin because it avoids harsh or prohibited ingredients.

Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2007Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?

This cleanser is a great fit because salicylic acid and oil tree leaf help manage excess oil and breakouts while gently removing impurities. It has a very safe formula with no harsh ingredients, though some shoppers do mention a drying or stripping feeling. Salicylic acid may also cause some initial purging as it clears out pores.

Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2007Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?

This cleanser is safe to use on the body to help manage excess oil, but the thin skin around the eyes should be avoided to prevent potential irritation. Its gentle ingredients cleanse effectively while maintaining good skin tolerance overall.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.

What the research says

  • Topical 5% tea tree oil gel significantly improved total acne lesions and acne severity index compared to placebo in 60 patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris, showing 3.55 times and 5.75 times greater efficacy respectively.

    Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2007
  • Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
  • The use of a salicylic acid-based dermocosmetic significantly reduces the needed quantity of benzoyl peroxide without impacting efficacy in mild to moderate acne, and as maintenance post-benzoyl peroxide allows a significant reduction of acne relapse compared to vehicle.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
  • A botanical face cleanser with hops and willow bark extract continuously reduced skin sebum levels without reactive seborrhea after treatment in 21 healthy volunteers compared to a sodium laureth sulfate cleanser, with neither cleanser causing skin irritation.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019
  • Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.

    CMAJ, 2010
  • A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.

    BioMed Research International, 2020
  • Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
  • A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.

    Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
  • The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020
  • Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001
  • Topical herbal treatments including lemon balm, olive leaf extract, propolis, and sage-rhubarb cream reduce pain, swelling, lesion size, and healing time in patients with herpes labialis compared with placebo or acyclovir.

    Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine, 2025
  • Topical oleuropein formulations reduced erythema, transepidermal water loss, and blood flow by approximately 22%, 35%, and 30% in healthy volunteers with UVB-induced erythema.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2008
  • An oil-in-serum formulation containing olive extract standardized in hydroxytyrosol improved skin barrier function and significantly reduced hyperpigmentation in participants with post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation after 45 days of application.

    AAPS PharmSciTech, 2026
  • Bioactive lipid nanocarriers co-loaded with willow bark or ivy leaf extracts and UV-filters provided pronounced UVA photoprotection up to an SPF-equivalent value of 13 and a maximum in vivo skin hydration effect of 97% when prepared with pomegranate oil.

    Nanomaterials, 2022
  • A topical serum containing 0.5% salicin applied twice daily reduced visible signs of skin aging, including wrinkles and tactile roughness, in 30 female subjects over 12 weeks compared to baseline.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2010
  • A novel emulsion containing niacinamide, lens esculenta seed extract, and white willow bark extract effectively improved acne, blackheads, and conspicuous facial pores in 30 subjects with oily skin.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

Ingredients

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, Sodium Chloride, Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Oil Leaf, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Willow Bark Water Bark, Saccharomyces Ferment, Cryptomeria Japonica Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethyl Hexanediol, Citric Acid, Disodium Edta

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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Prices checked 10 Oct – 6 Nov 2026

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