COSRX REVIEW: One Step Pimple Clear Pads and One Step Moisture Up Pads
Hello everyone, today I shall review two products that have been one of the few I have bought a million times and have been a cult favourite in the kbeauty world the past couple years. I have gone through at least 4 tubs of each of these products and they were the first few products that really made me love the brand!
I remember first hearing about cosrx about over a year and a half ago and was immediately intrigued. The brand was everything I loved: good ingredients that are geared toward those with sensitive and acne prone skin, quirky, minimal and cruelty free! As a person with dry, sensitive and acne prone skin finding something to combat all three concerns is nearly impossible. If you find something to fight acne it's too harsh and drying, if you find something that's hydrating and good for sensitive skin it doesn't do anything for acne or if you find something that's hydrating and good for acne it's loaded with ingredients that aggravate your skin sensitivities. It's been a true struggle, especially with western products because personally I find that too many drugstore brands are far too harsh on my skin (a lot of alcohol or other ingredients that aren't hydrating) and the few brands out there that are geared towards sensitive skin are extremely expensive (ahem.. Drunk Elephant...). Stumbling upon kbeauty has been a blessing because I love how they emphasize hydration (not sucking the living life out of your face to get rid of your acne..for the most part) and have good price points. Cosrx is definitely one of my all time favourite brands because their whole philosophy is less is more and taking care of acne in a way that isn't harsh or irritating. Enough rambling, let me introduce these products to you!
ONE STEP PIMPLE CLEAR PADS
Thoughts
This was my first cosrx product and it's what made me want to try all of their products. It was the first ever acne pad I tried that didn't have crazy harsh ingredients that destroyed my skin (shout out to clearasil acne pads ! 15 year old me loved having a burning face every night). Due to my terrible experiences in the past with really harsh pads I was super scared to use these but was so so so relieved that I did. The smell threw me off at first since I'm not a huge fan of tea tree scents but you get used to it and it doesn't linger on your skin after using it (this is coming from someone who is very scent sensitive). It helped keep my acne at bay (I started using these during my worst ever major breakout that persisted for almost 2 years) and didn't irritate my skin or cause anymore break outs. I bought 4 tubs of these bad guys and used them all up. However, I realized that I could only really use these during the warmer months because they weren't moisturizing for the dry winters here in Alberta. I'm also not the hugest fan of tea tree oil to be completely honest. In small amounts it's alright but at times it irritates my skin and eyes and I prefer other acne ingredients like centella over it. I didn't have a bad reaction to the tea tree oil in these pads per se but I noticed that when I used them too heavily and wasn't applying heaps of moisturizing products alongside it, my skin would feel tight and dry. So if you have oily or normal skin these would be great and like I said earlier people with dry skin could really benefit from these during spring and summer. I especially loved using these after working out because I could quickly wash off all the sweat and gunk on my skin without having to pull out a cleanser or rinsing with water (both of which make my skin super tight and dry after). I would also rotate between using it or rinsing my face with water in mornings (I don't use a cleanser in the morning unless I didn't remove make up the night before or if my skin feels gross and greasy when I wake up) to quickly wash off any debris and gunk from the night. I did use it as a toner for awhile but like I said earlier it's not ideal for those with dry skin. I would say using it as a way to cleanse face without stripping it and as an acne treatment is better than a toner (so using it before toner in the morning or on nights where you didn't wear make up or sunscreen during the day to just get any gunk off). I also used it as a first step cleanser at times too when my skin felt dry and using two traditional cleansers seemed like it would be too much for my skin to handle, so I would use it all over my face then use an oil or gel cleanser after to remove remaining make up. It's very versatile so you can definitely pick and choose what you want to use it for or when you want to use it.
Ingredients
Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Betaine Salicylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Arginine, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Panthenol, Allantoin, Ethyl Hexanediol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil*, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil*, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate
*Not great for sensitive skin
What I liked about it
+ Helped calm my skin during break outs
+ Helped prevent future break outs
+ Great to use in the morning instead of a harsh cleanser, felt like it got gunk off my face well (but wouldn't use it alone to remove makeup)
+ Skin felt smoother after using it for awhile
+ Loved to take to the gym and use it to wipe my face after
What I disliked about it
- Not moisturizing so in the winter it dried my skin out a bit
- ^ Make up didn't go on as well after because my skin wasn't moisturized enough (not entirely the product alone though)
- Took awhile to get used to the scent (strong tea tree fragrance, not irritating though)
Vegan? Cruelty free?
Cosrx is cruelty free and this product is vegan (not all of Cosrx's products are vegan though).
Repurchase?
Yes, if I don't find something better
ONE STEP MOISTURE UP PADS
Thoughts
This came out a little while after I used a couple tubs of the pimple pads and I was thrilled to try something that was meant for moisturizing so I could use something that wouldn't make my face feel tight. I bought it as soon as it became available and fell in love with it as fast as I first fell in love with the pimple pads (maybe even faster). It made my skin feel plump without irritating it and it smelled great. I have to admit although I am very scent sensitive and try to have fragrance free products as much as possible, I do like light citrus scents and can handle them quite well. These pads smelled faintly like limes and it was glorious because I love limes. I noticed my skin looked plump and bright after using this and I went through 4 tubs of these too. My skin looked pretty nice (could have been the combination of products I was using during this time) and I was quite happy. However, I did note that unlike the pimple pads they weren't as good for light cleansing in the morning or after the gym. They also didn't do much for acne which is fair because they weren't really targeting acne (although they do have ingredients that help heal and treat acne). I noticed that compared to the pimple pads I did break out a little more with these but it wasn't because of the pads themselves it was just because I didn't have the same ingredients to fight the acne and keep my break outs under control. However, these pads did aide in the healing process and I noticed that my acne wasn't taking forever to heal like in the past (seriously.... it would take WEEKS for one pimple to go away..). These also sat under make up well, I wouldn't say they make a perfect canvas for make up like they advertise but certainly don't sit weird under it or break it down faster. I loved using these all year round, in the summer I could get away with less steps because of this and in the colder months I could use this to amp up my moisture game. I find that my skin tolerates lemon peel oil better than orange peel oil too so that may have been a factor with my skin enjoying this slightly more than the pimple pads too. I would say using these in the colder months and use the pimple pads in the warmer months and after the gym/as a quick cleanse if you wanted to use both.
Ingredients
Propolis Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Betaine, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine Salicylate, Panthenol, Allantoin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil*, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil*. * Not great for sensitive skin
What I liked about it
+ Moisturizing
+ Made my skin feel smooth and soft (made make up look nice)
+ Great to use in the morning instead of a harsh cleanser
+ Skin felt brighter after using it for awhile
+ Smells delicious (I normally like fragrance free products but the lime scent was very pleasant)
What I disliked about it
- Sometimes it felt like there was a film left on my face after using it
- Couldn't tell how much it cleansed, definitely can't be used alone to remove makeup
- Didn't help with acne
Vegan? Cruelty free?
Cosrx is cruelty free but this product is not vegan because it contains propolis.
Repurchase?
Yes, if I don't find something better.
Where to buy
Stylekorean: moisture
Contact
Beauty Instagram: lavelena_beauty
Personal (food and travel) Instagram: _acafune
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