A novel and eco-friendly approach for synthesizing two salicylaldehyde-based Schiff bases (2HPP and BHBD) in aqueous environments has been successfully conducted. These synthesized Schiff bases were subjected to a range of physicochemical analyses, including CHNS elemental analyses, molar conductivity measurements, and spectroscopic techniques like IR, electronic, 1HNMR, and mass spectra, to ascertain their properties. The research also involved investigating the inhibitory properties of these Schiff bases against mild steel corrosion in hydrochloric acid solutions at a temperature of 30°C. The results obtained from this study revealed the remarkable inhibitory potential of 2HPP and BHBD on mild steel corrosion in HCl solution. The inhibition efficiency was found to increase with increasing concentration, ultimately reaching an impressive maximum inhibition efficiency of 91.50% and 94.54 % for 2HPP and BHBD, respectively. The adsorption behavior of 2HPP and BHBD followed the Langmuir isotherm, indicating a favorable interaction with the metal surface. Moreover, the investigations included the use of quantum chemical parameters, which were computed utilizing the Density Functional Theory (DFT) method. These calculations included energy gap assessments, which lent support to the excellent inhibiting performance of both Schiff basses. However, BHBD appeared to be a more efficient inhibitor than 2APP.