Cosrx Bha

The COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid (100ml) is the flagship product of the range and one of the most referenced Korean skincare products in online communities globally. It contains 4% betaine salicylate - a gentler derivative of salicylic acid that carries the same BHA exfoliation mechanism but with slightly less irritation potential. The low-pH formula (around pH 4.0) maintains the active in its effective ionized state, which is critical for BHA to work at the pore level. Apply a few drops to a cotton pad after toning on nights you use it, pressing and patting it gently across the T-zone or full face depending on your blackhead distribution. It works best used consistently two to three times per week rather than every day, allowing the skin to shed loosened debris without over-stripping the barrier. Within two to four weeks of regular use, blackhead plugs begin to loosen and the visible texture of pores improves.

The COSRX One Step Original Clear Pads are pre-soaked cotton pads with the BHA and AHA treatment formula already applied, eliminating the need for a separate cotton pad and treatment liquid. The 70-sheet and 90-sheet formats both contain the same formula - one sheet is used per treatment session, swept across the face after cleansing. The dual-surface pad design has a textured side for light physical sweep and a smooth side for pressing the soaked active into skin. The One Step format is the more convenient daily routine option versus the BHA Power Liquid, as it condenses the toner-and-acid step into a single product. It is slightly lower concentration than the standalone Power Liquid, making it more appropriate for daily or near-daily use in an ongoing maintenance routine rather than intensive treatment sessions.

The COSRX AHA BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner (150ml) combines both alpha hydroxy acid (surface exfoliation, targeting dull and uneven tone) and beta hydroxy acid (pore exfoliation, targeting blackheads and sebum plugs) in one toner-format step. This makes it the most comprehensive exfoliating step in the COSRX BHA range - suited for skin that has both surface dullness from dead cell buildup and pore congestion from sebum. The toner format means it applies more broadly and at lower concentration than a dedicated acid treatment liquid, which suits daily use or every-other-day use as a maintenance exfoliating toner rather than an intensive spot treatment. Apply after cleansing with a cotton pad, swiping gently across the face. It sits before serums and moisturizers in the routine sequence.

The COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser (150ml) incorporates 0.5% salicylic acid into the cleansing step. At this low concentration, the salicylic acid delivers a mild daily exfoliating action during the wash - not intensive enough to replace a dedicated BHA treatment liquid, but enough to keep pores from clogging between acid treatment days. The "Daily Gentle" designation means it is formulated for twice-daily use without the barrier disruption associated with higher-acid or surfactant-heavy cleansers. It is the right cleanser to pair with the BHA Power Liquid or Clear Pads if you want consistent mild BHA exposure across both your cleansing and treatment steps. Do not combine it with a separate daily-use acid toner on the same days - the cumulative acid load can irritate the barrier in sensitive skin types.

The COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser (50ml) is not primarily a BHA product - it is a low-pH cleanser designed to preserve the skin's acid mantle at around pH 5-6 rather than disrupting it with high-pH soap cleansers. Maintaining low post-cleanse pH is especially important before applying acid actives (BHA, AHA) because these actives work best on skin at their own low pH - if the skin is temporarily alkaline after cleansing with a high-pH face wash, the BHA effectiveness is reduced until the skin re-acidifies. The 50ml size is a travel-friendly version of a popular COSRX formula. It is the morning cleanser complement to an evening BHA routine - no exfoliating actives in the morning, pH-friendly cleanse to set up for SPF and daytime products.

The COSRX One-Step Green Calming Pad adds centella asiatica (cica) extract to the BHA pad formula, making it the version suited for reactive, sensitive, or post-blemish skin that needs both exfoliation and soothing in the same step. The green color and "calming" positioning reflects the centella content - it provides anti-inflammatory action alongside the BHA's pore-clearing activity, which helps reduce the redness and irritation that some people experience from standard BHA pads. At 140ml in the jar with 70 sheets, this pad format is slightly more liquid-generous per sheet than some competitors. It is the pad version to reach for on days your skin is visibly red or reactive while still needing the clearing effect of BHA.

The COSRX Weakly Acidic Goodnight Soft Peeling Gel (120ml) is an overnight leave-on exfoliant in gel format. "Weakly acidic" means it is formulated at the skin's natural acid mantle pH rather than at the lower pH of intensive acid treatments, making it gentle enough for nightly use without the sensitivity risk of regular BHA power liquids used every evening. The gel texture is applied before sleep as the last skincare step - the peeling mechanism is enzymatic and gentle enough to work gradually through the night rather than delivering a concentrated immediate exfoliation. It is positioned for those who want continuous mild exfoliation as part of a sleep routine rather than two-to-three-times-per-week intensive treatment sessions. Apply a thin layer to clean skin at bedtime and rinse off in the morning.

The COSRX 2-in-1 Poreless Power Liquid combines pore-tightening BHA action with a secondary active layer - the dual-action formula targets both visible pore size and skin texture in one step. Apply it in place of or alongside the standalone BHA Blackhead Power Liquid depending on whether your skin's primary concern is blackhead clearance (Power Liquid) or visible pore size and texture refinement (2-in-1). Like the standard Power Liquid, it is used after cleansing and toning on exfoliation nights, applied to a cotton pad and gently pressed across pore-dense areas like the nose, chin, and forehead. The poreless focus makes it the most relevant option for those whose main BHA concern is enlarged-pore appearance rather than active blackhead plugs specifically.