# COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid vs Sunday Riley Good Genes: Which to Choose?

**Question answered:** What is the difference between COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid and Sunday Riley Good Genes?

Published 2026-10-13, updated 2026-10-13. Data is taken from manufacturer labels; the products have not been tested.

These two exfoliating treatments use different acids and very different formulas. COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid is a short, water-thin list of 10 ingredients built on willow bark water and betaine salicylate, with no fragrance. Sunday Riley Good Genes lists 35 ingredients, uses lactic acid, has a cream-style base of oils and emulsifiers, and lists lemongrass oil with three fragrance allergens.

## How the labels differ

[COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid](/products/cosrx-bha-blackhead-power-liquid/) lists 10 ingredients. Its top five are [willow bark water](/ingredients/salix-alba-willow-bark-water/), butylene glycol, [betaine salicylate](/ingredients/betaine-salicylate/), [niacinamide](/ingredients/niacinamide/) and 1,2-hexanediol. COSRX sells it as fragrance free, and the list contains no fragrance allergens. The bottle is 100 ml.

[Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment](/products/sunday-riley-good-genes-all-in-one-lactic-acid-treatment/) lists 35 ingredients. Its top five are water, prickly pear (opuntia tuna) fruit extract, cypripedium pubescens extract, opuntia vulgaris leaf extract and agave leaf extract. [Lactic acid](/ingredients/lactic-acid/) is twelfth. It also lists arnica flower extract, aloe, [squalane](/ingredients/squalane/) and licorice root extract. It lists lemongrass oil, [citral](/ingredients/citral/), [geraniol](/ingredients/geraniol/) and [limonene](/ingredients/limonene/). The bottle is 30 ml.

The labels share 2 ingredients, butylene glycol and xanthan gum. Neither product file states a percentage for its acid or names skin types.

| Product | Key ingredients | Skin types | Fragrance | Flagged ingredients | Size | Source | Buy |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid](https://dermalguide.com/products/cosrx-bha-blackhead-power-liquid/) | Betaine Salicylate (BHA) | Brand doesn't say | Sold as fragrance free | Nothing flagged | 100 ml | [Manufacturer label](https://www.cosrx.com/products/bha-blackhead-power-liquid), checked 2026-10-10 | [Amazon (affiliate)](https://amzn.to/4dtWdqu) |
| [Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment](https://dermalguide.com/products/sunday-riley-good-genes-all-in-one-lactic-acid-treatment/) | Lactic Acid | Brand doesn't say | Scent ingredients on the label | Limonene, Citral, Geraniol | 30 ml | [Manufacturer label](https://sundayriley.com/products/good-genes-lactic-acid-treatment), checked 2026-10-10 | [Amazon (affiliate)](https://amzn.to/4jctr1b) |

## Which to choose

Choose COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid if you want: A BHA (betaine salicylate) rather than an AHA; No essential oils or fragrance allergens on the label; A short ingredient list.

Choose Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment if you want: An AHA (lactic acid) rather than a BHA.


## Questions

### Which acid does each one use?

COSRX lists betaine salicylate, a BHA, as its headline active. Sunday Riley Good Genes lists lactic acid, an AHA. Neither product file states a percentage for its acid.

### Which one lists fragrance ingredients?

Good Genes lists lemongrass oil plus citral, geraniol and limonene. The COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid lists no fragrance, essential oils or fragrance allergens.

### Do they share ingredients?

Only two ingredients appear on both labels: butylene glycol and xanthan gum.