COSRX

AHA/BHA/PHA/LHA 35 Peel.

Masks & Peels

About this product

A chemical exfoliating peel combining AHA, BHA, PHA, and LHA acids at 35% concentration, designed to remove dead skin and improve skin texture.

Full ingredients

Water, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Gluconolactone, Mandelic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Panthenol, Salicylic Acid (2%), Methylpropanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Octyldodeceth-16, Citric Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Cyanocobalamin, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Polysorbate 60, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Guru Score

65%

Mixed

Early verdict · Few reviews so far

2Gurus

1Yay

0Mixed

1Nay

What they liked

Affordable price point

What they flagged

Concentration too high for daily or frequent use
Difficult to squeeze from the tube

What the gurus are saying

The 35% acid concentration is the sticking point here. Gurus find it unusually potent, even by peel standards, and those without resilient or very congested skin may want to start with a gentler option or use it sparingly at first. One reviewer notes this is actually stronger than other COSRX offerings, so it is worth knowing what you are signing up for before you patch test.

Synthesized from 2 expert reviews · most recent take July 2024

Best for

Oily skin Acne-prone skin

Type

Masks & PeelsLiquid

Key actives

Hyaluronic acid Salicylic acid (BHA)AHAVitamin E

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Amazon → Google → iHerb →

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What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

No BS Beauty

89k subs

~Yay

"This one is a nice peel you're going to leave it on. For me I only use this on my nose and I use a little bit on my chin. This is kind of a more gentle dupe to the one from the Ordinary which tends to be too harsh. If I use this on my whole face I will not be happy, but if I just use it where I'm prone to get blackheads or clogged pores then it's great. Some people maybe use it on your T-Zone, forehead, nose, or for some people maybe the whole face, but just be careful with it because it is on the stronger side. But those PHA and LHA, those are much more gentle exfoliants. They say use once a week, leave on for no more than 10 minutes, and then when you rinse it off apply moisturizer afterwards."

All 4 takes from No BS Beauty

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"Coming at 11 bucks, the COSRX AHA/BHA/PHA/LHA 35 Peel has all the HAs in it, so it's got a lot going on. At first when I picked this one up I thought it was going to be too much, too strong. I mean it's got HAs, PHAs, BHAs and LHAs, it's going to be strong, but it is gentle enough. I was surprised it's not super irritating. It's just a rinse-off peel; they say use once a week, leave on for no more than 10 minutes and rinse off. So we've got glycolic acid, lactic acid, mandelic acid, gluconolactone and then salicylic acid. Overall it's nice and it's more gentle than I expected. A lot of the other peels, like the one from The Ordinary, the red peel, my skin doesn't tolerate it at all and I thought maybe this would be too much, but it wasn't. So I was impressed and happy with that."

Under $11 K-Beauty's Best Skincare Products- All Full Size! Creams * Toners * Cleansers * Serums *

"I don't find this one to be harsh although I don't apply it over my entire face. I typically apply it to problem areas, my forehead which can always use as much exfoliation as it can get, my nose, and then sometimes my chin. I don't typically apply to my cheeks or anything like that, just to trouble zones. It's gentle but effective and efficient and it does a nice job. And it's really affordable. A lot of other brands have peels out there that have some similarities to this and many of those are multiple times the price, so you can't beat the price of this one."

Cosrx Coming After The Ordinary's Most Popular Product - Cosrx New! The AHA BHA PHA LHA 35 Peel Demo

"COSRX recently released a peel, and the one from COSRX is actually a little bit stronger. They say it's 35% peel with AHA, BHA, PHA, and LHA all going on here."

Hyram

4.34M subs

~Nay

"This one is 35% which is just way too high in my opinion. I know a lot of times when we're shopping for skincare it may look like a higher percentage is a better thing but it's not. Skincare is about moderation and often times the best results come with a long-term use of a gentle product. 35% I was like that's just too much and even the ordinary peel gave so many people reactions because it's not made for sensitive skin but I feel like 35% even if it does have a good ingredient list is just way too excessive. I think for 2024 we're in our healing era we don't need these super powerful actives but rather just like a good consistent gentle skincare routine. Also this product is $19 and at that point I'm like just buy the ordinary peel it's way cheaper more gentle and a really innovative product."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Salicylic acid

Salicylic acid dissolves in oil, so it can get into a pore rather than just working on the surface. That is why it has long-standing evidence for blackheads and milder acne.

Source: DermNet

Alpha hydroxy acids

Alpha hydroxy acids loosen the bonds holding dead cells at the surface. The evidence supports smoother texture and more even tone over time, and they can leave skin more sensitive to sun.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is COSRX AHA/BHA/PHA/LHA 35 Peel?

A chemical exfoliating peel combining AHA, BHA, PHA, and LHA acids at 35% concentration, designed to remove dead skin and improve skin texture.

Is COSRX AHA/BHA/PHA/LHA 35 Peel worth it?

The gurus mostly approve it, but with enough reservations to keep it in the middle at a Guru Score of 65%.

What is COSRX AHA/BHA/PHA/LHA 35 Peel's Guru Score?

COSRX AHA/BHA/PHA/LHA 35 Peel holds a Guru Score of 65%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 2 expert reviewers we have collected.