My skin and the whole blackhead situation

My skin is pretty steady overall : not super dry, not super oily, just normal with a very annoying habit of collecting little black dots around my nose and nearby pores. When I look in the mirror up close, that is the first thing I notice. I did not want to jump straight into harsh peeling solutions, but I also did not want to pretend those blackheads were just “skin texture” forever.

That is what pushed me toward Cosrx Bha Blackhead Power Liquid. I had seen it mentioned everywhere, but anything labeled BHA sounded intense in my head. I expected burning, dry patches, and waking up with my skin angry at me. Instead, it turned out to feel almost strangely gentle, a bit hydrating, and actually useful for loosening those stubborn little plugs in my pores.

First tries : what it feels like on the skin

The first surprise was the texture. It feels thicker than plain toner but lighter than a serum, like a very thin gel-water. When I press it into my skin, it does not sting, does not make my face heat up, and does not instantly leave red patches. The first night I used it, I honestly thought, That is all? This is supposed to be the scary acid step?

The second surprise was how comfortable it is. A lot of exfoliating products leave my skin tight or dry, especially around my nose when the air is drier. This one does not do that on me. After I apply it, my skin feels soft and a little bouncy instead of stripped. That is one of my favorite things about it: I can let it sit on my skin for a while before the rest of my routine without feeling like my cheeks are turning into cardboard.

When the weather is cold or indoor heating is blasting and my skin starts to flake but my pores are still clogged, this is pretty much the only acid step I feel okay reaching for. It gives the exfoliating effect I want without ripping even more moisture away.

How it fits into my night routine

My BHA nights are simple on purpose. I do not stack a lot of other actives with it.

Cleanser : a gentle face wash with no scrubs.

Cosrx Bha Blackhead Power Liquid : I pump a small amount into my hands and pat it over my face, focusing on my nose, T-zone, and areas that feel rough.

Then I leave it alone for a bit.

After that, a basic, comfortable moisturizer.

The waiting part is important. I try to give it around twenty minutes before adding anything else. That sounds long when you read it, but in real life it is just “scroll, brush teeth, get tomorrow’s stuff ready” time. Because the liquid does not dry my skin out, that gap does not feel like a punishment. My face just feels lightly moisturized and normal while it sits.

I do not use it every single night. For my skin, two to four times a week is enough. If I get excited and push exfoliating products too often, my skin definitely lets me know, so I try to be consistent without going overboard.

What actually changed with my blackheads

This is the part that keeps the bottle in my routine. Over a few weeks, I started noticing real changes, not just wishful thinking.

The dark dots on my nose look less intense. They are not magically gone, but they do not look as deep or as dark as before.

The skin around my nose and on my chin feels smoother when I touch it. There are fewer tiny bumps and less overall congestion.

I am less tempted to dig at my pores in the mirror, which always makes things worse.

It is not an overnight fix. One use does not erase everything. But with regular use, my pores look more “cleared out” and less stubborn. It feels like the liquid slowly softens and loosens whatever is stuck in there so my skin does not look as clogged all the time.

Where it sits on the strength scale

On the ingredient list it says there is 4% betaine salicylate, which is a gentler BHA. I am not a chemist, but on my face it translates like this: strong enough to do something noticeable, not so strong that my skin freaks out.

For me, it hits the middle ground between does basically nothing and oops, destroyed my barrier. I do not get big sheets of peeling or that shiny, over-exfoliated look. I just get steady, gradual improvement in texture and blackheads. My skin still feels like itself, just a bit smoother and less congested.

That balance is also why I think it works well in colder or drier conditions. When the air is dry, my skin can feel a bit more fragile, but my pores do not stop filling up just because the weather changed. This is one of the few BHA products I can use without making any dry patches around my nose worse.

Who it makes sense for (and who should slow down)

On me, COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid behaves like a very kind exfoliator. It keeps my pores under control, does not wreck my moisture barrier, and actually feels comfortable while it is on my skin.

I think it makes the most sense if you

✨️struggle with blackheads or clogged pores,

✨️do not want to scrub your face raw with physical exfoliants,

✨️and have skin that is not extremely reactive.

In that situation, it is a great option to try, as long as you are sensible about how often you use it and you keep up with sunscreen during the day.

If your skin is very sensitive, already irritated, or you are on strong treatments like prescription retinoids or heavy peels, I would definitely move more slowly. It is gentle for a BHA, but it is still an active exfoliant, not a hydrating toner. In that case, starting once or twice a week and watching your skin’s reaction would make more sense than jumping straight into several nights a week.

So, will I keep using it?

For me, COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid has become the one acid step I am not nervous about. It is gentle enough that I am not scared to put it on, but effective enough that I can actually see a difference in my pores over time.

It keeps the blackheads on my nose from taking over my whole face, it does not make my skin peel off in dry weather, and it leaves my skin soft enough that the waiting period before moisturizer is totally manageable. With the 4% betaine salicylate, it feels like a just right level of exfoliation for someone who wants clearer pores without wrecking their skin barrier to get there.

Out of everything I have tried specifically for blackheads, this is the product that has earned a regular place on my shelf, and I do not see that changing any time soon.