I think I have finally found holy grail skincare products for my nasty excessively oily and acne-prone skin type. It was a gamble to purchase so many products from one brand in one go, but it's a gamble worth taking.
COSRX is a brand that is rarely mentioned in the Singapore beauty blogosphere. I follow quite a number of Korean beauty youtubers and bloggers and many of them who used to suffer from hormonal acne trouble highly recommended COSRX products. I was thoroughly intrigued and after many months of contemplating, I took the plunge and bought these four products via RoseRoseShop. These four products are not pricey at all. I was really shocked when I saw the prices online because I was expecting a much higher price point. What a pleasant surprise!
Also, I think it's worth mentioning that I have tried a sample of the COSRX Natural BHA Skin Returning Emulsion before making my purchase. I was able to get around 6 applications out of that tiny sachet and I really could feel my skin getting a little bit more manageable after the 6 applications, hence I made the decision to get the full sized product and more products from the same line. Therefore, please get a sample first before buying the products below because they contain natural chemical exfoliants (BHA: beta-hydroxy acids) and some people may have allergic reactions.
Here are the products that I bought:
- Natural BHA Skin Returning Emulsion (100ml for USD11.09)
- Natural BHA Skin Returning A-Sol (100ml for USD10.39)
- One Step Pimple Clear Pad (70 pieces for USD12.28)
- Centella Blemish Ampule (20ml for USD16.47)
Very reasonable prices right? Especially reasonable for Natural BHA Skin Returning A-Sol. It's my favourite product out of the lot and it's the cheapest!
Starting with the product that has shown the least effectiveness out of the four - the One Step Pimple Clear Pad.
Let me explain myself - by saying that it's least effective does not mean that it's a rubbish product. I like it! But it just didn't provide as much improvement as the other 3 products in the same period of time.
The One Step Pimple Clear Pad is a product that I use after toning at night. It's recommended to use one to three times daily, but I think once a day is good enough if you have less severe acne problems. This can dry your skin if used too long or too frequent.
The product scent may be a little off-putting for some people, but you will get used to it. All the COSRX products that I bought have the similar herbal, briny smell. I actually much prefer this scent than artificially scented skincare products. Those products are really bad for acne-prone skin so please stay away! Especially heavy floral scented skincare products - NO! 안돼 ANDWAE!
Such humorous packaging lol. I really laughed out when I saw the cover design.
The One Step Pimple Clear Pad has two sides with different textures. One side with coarser texture for better exfoliation, and one side with smoother texture if you just want to wipe the product on your skin with minimal exfoliation.
Getting the pad out can be a problem though since they are pre-moistened and all stacked together. Perhaps an addition of a tiny plastic tong will be better? More hygienic too!
After almost a month of using this, I find that it works best when I have really painful pimples on my face. Wiping this somehow calmed down the throbbing part and after a while those pimples didn't hurt anymore. The pimples will still ripen, but with much less pain - I prefer this than an excruciatingly painful ripening. In the past, the pain was so bad that even smiling aggravated the pain (since smiling = skin stretched). So now, I still get the occasional pimples, but with less pain, so it is much better. Aiyoh, write until want to cry already. Reminded me of those dark times.
The Centella Blemish Ampule is a product that I will definitely recommend to those of you who always get acne before your periods.
I really hesitated getting this product because I was afraid of ampules. In my mind, I equated ampules with oils, and hence I thought ampules were super oily and would cause breakouts. Fortunately I got the Centella Blemish Ampule and now I learn that some ampules have mattifying and oil-controlling effects.
Before I start raving about this product, can I please bring your attention to the short ingredients list? 13 components leh. Even some The Body Shop products have double the components for a supposedly natural product.
I use this every morning after toning and before my moisturiser.
A tiny amount goes a long long way. I thought 20ml was too stingy of an amount, but I have been using this for a month and I still have a significant amount of product left.
A dabbing motion works the best for the application of this ampule Don't just wipe the product on your skin and continue with other priducts - slowly dab your skin with your palms to quicken the absorption of product. It doesn't take very long - one to two minutes later, the product is absorped completely and you don't feel any uncomfortable, sticky residue on your skin.
As abovementioned, the Centella Blemish Ampule works very well for those who suffer from PMS acne. This really works well in controlling sebum production. Those few days before your period starts, your hormones go out of whack and the increased sebum production causes more pimples. With this consistently applied every morning, I saw a huge difference in the number of PMS acne that I get. Usually, I have A LOT on my jaw and chin area, but this month I counted maybe ... three? And they were pop-able by the second day!
Yes, I pop my pimples, but using the correct method okay. Not anyhow use fingers and squeeze squeeze one. But yes, that's a story for another day.
This is definitely a product that I will continue and repurchase!
Ah, my favourite product - the Natural BHA Skin Returning A-Sol.
It's a very confusing product at first because I was accustomed to the cleanse-tone-moisturise regimen. I didn't know where to fit this in! It's not a toner, it's not a moisturiser and it's not a serum, so I was very intimidated. Too scared that it will break me out haha.
But it turned out to be the best performing product! Oh I love this so much, I will keep repurchasing until my skin decides to stop loving it!
This was truly the product that made the most difference to my skin. I think this and the Alpha-H Liquid Gold really prove to me that my skin loves chemical exfoliants. If you are someone who gets a lot of tiny bumps on your cheek and jawline area, THIS IS THE PRODUCT FOR YOU (of course please try a sample first ah before committing to a full-size product). The difference is night and day. My pores get clogged really easily - even from the slightest application of BB Cream or powder foundation. Clogged pores will give you those disgusting tiny bumps that really make your skin look rough and dirty. They are not even painful and they are not going to be pop-able pimples, they are just...THERE.... hanging out.
After a month of the Natural BHA Skin Returning A-Sol and Emulsion, the number of tiny bumps on my skin was greatly reduced. I still have them but not as uncontrollable as before. It's like magic! I think my skin really loves natural BHA and also natural propolis extract.
I use this every night before the Natural BHA Skin Returning Emulsion.
The Natural BHA Skin Returning Emulsion is now my go-to moisturiser. I use it in the morning before makeup and also at night as the last step of my skincare routine. It works very well with the A-Sol, hence I strongly recommend purchasing both products at once. This also contains centella extract hence it's fantastic for keeping oil production at bay.
It is incredibly moisturising. One pump is enough for the entire face. I love applying this in the mornings before makeup because it really makes the skin supple and smooth - perfect canvas for face makeup.
I have completely stopped using The Body Shop Tea Tree moisturisers and converted to this. My skin loves it! But I still prefer the tea tree scent from TBS Tea Tree products.
These 4 COSRX products really worked for me and I'm very thankful that they worked this well. I always am scared of changing my skincare products because my skin is a whiny brat who throws tantrum at any form of imbalance.
I didn't start using all 4 products at one go. I started using the pimple pads first, then the blemish ampule and after 2 weeks on those products, I incorporated the natural BHA products into my routine. I did not have any allergic reactions to the 4 products and I also did not encounter any extreme dryness issue. Therefore, I'm a firm believer of COSRX products now! I have plans in getting the Whitehead Power Liquid and the Blackhead Power Liquid.
Any of you used any of the COSRX products too? I would like to hear mini product reviews from you too! :) Hopefully experiences as positive as mine!
Note: I bought these products with my own money. No sponsorships involved. I truly love these products and all opinions are genuine. But of course, if COSRX reads this post and decides to sponsor me, I'm more than willing to accept. HEHEHE. #auntiemaximum #buaypaiseh #skinthickuntillikebrick
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