I’ve seen a lot of people online saying this is a toner, however, I beg to differ. Exfoliating solutions such as this one is something you typically use after a toner, but it wouldn’t be a sin if you skipped the toning part, in my opinion. Ingredients Having tried, used, and liked both BHAs mentioned, several factors helped determine which one of these is a little bit better than the other, so this is what I will be talking about in this article. My recommendation is to apply it directly on the face instead of applying it on a cotton pad first as this saves you from wasting more of the product. Scent I love Niacinamide and it is one of my favorite ingredients in skincare products. It is a super-effective, skin-restoring ingredient that offers multiple benefits for all skin types. Water, Methylpropanediol (hydrator/penetration enhancer), Butylene Glycol (slip agents/penetration enhancers), Salicylic Acid (beta hydroxy acid/exfoliant), Camellia Oleifera (Green Tea) Leaf Extract (anti-irritant/antioxidant), Polysorbate-20 (solubilizing agent), Sodium Hydroxide (pH balancer), Tetrasodium EDTA (chelating agent)

This one is a plant extract that contains salicin, a substance that when taken orally is converted by the digestive process to salicylic acid (beta hydroxy acid). Salicylic acid is used as the gold standard in skincare products intended for oily and acne-prone skins.COSRX claims that the product provides chemical exfoliation to achieve clear, acne-free skin. Instead of plain mineral water, it contains willow bark water (a natural exfoliant) to maximize exfoliating and clearing benefits without irritation.

It feels like pure decadence when applied on the skin as it coats it with a nice layer of hydration due to the big drop of Methylpropanediol, which is an excellent moisture magnet but a little heavier than hyaluronic acid, for example.Camellia Oleifera has antioxidantand anti-inflammatoryproperties as well as skin-soothingproperties that show a significant promise for improving the appearance of damaged skin, according to research. This is an alternative ingredient to salicylic acid, primarily used in countries where the usage of salicylic acid is prohibited (such as Korea). I had a breakout on my forehead that consisted of a few smaller pimples and one slightly bigger, angry cyst towards my left temple so I decided it was the perfect time to put it to a test and see how this product will handle them. After double-cleansing, I’ll use a Muji cotton pad and do 2-3 pumps across mainly my t zone area ( please avoid your eye and lip area). Some people prefer to pat this on using their fingertips, but I find if I use a cotton pad I can see that there’s still either makeup or dead skin after application so I use it as a last step cleansing method. It is important to be careful around the eyes and mouth. You can also pump a few drops onto a cotton pad instead of applying the product directly onto the face.

Salicylic acid is known to be drying for the skin. The addition of betaine makes it much gentler on the skin as betaine itself has skin-smoothing action.However, when used in cosmetics, salicin has to be converted into salicylic acid with the help of enzymes and it remains stable only under acidic conditions. This is the salt form of the skin-replenishing ingredient hyaluronic acid. It is considered more effective for the skin than pure hyaluronic acid due to its greater compatibility. Consistency