Cosrx is a Korean skincare brand that is known for its effective skincare formulations with potent and no-nonsense ingredients. I have always been curious to try out this brand but hesitated due to the international shipping and customs involved. Luckily, I recently won a giveaway where I received the Cosrx Centella Cleansing Powder, the Two in One Poreless Power Liquid Toner, and the Hydrogel Very Simple Pack from the brand. I have been testing out these products for more than 3 weeks now, and here are my thoughts on this trio.
The Cosrx Centella Cleansing Powder has to be my favourite product out of the lot. I was a huge fan of chemistry experiments as a kid and using this product is like a fun chemistry project in itself. This cleansing powder comes in a cardboard box with 30 individual drop-shaped packs containing the product required for a single use each. I know that the individual packs may seem a little wasteful in terms of how much material goes into the packaging but with a cleansing powder, having individual packs helps prevent wastage of the actual product and also makes the usage mess-free.
This cleansing powder has a mildly acidic pH, which protects the acid mantle of the skin, and also claims to gently exfoliate the skin while soothing it. All the powder-based cleansers that I have used in the past were non-foaming, but this one produces a generous lather when a few drops of water are mixed in the powder and the paste is gently massaged on the skin. This product has to be one of the gentlest cleansers I have ever used, and despite being a foaming cleanser, it does not strip the skin dry at all. In fact, it leaves the skin feeling quite hydrated and adds a subtle radiance to the face. I think that this cleanser is best suited for dry to normal skin, and can also be a good second cleanser for a double cleanse regimen for all skin types. It is able to remove all the dirt and grease from the skin without making it feel dehydrated, but might be a little too gentle for extremely oily skin. If you are someone with sensitive or dry skin who is looking for a very mild cleanser then this product will be the right pick for you. It is priced at INR 1200 for 30 capsules, click here to buy.
Moving on to the Cosrx Two in One Poreless Power Liquid, which is a toner that claims to cleanse the pores and tighten them with the BHA and tannin present in the formulation. This toner has a mild medicinal scent that reminds me of homeopathic medicines. Cosrx products do not contain any artificial fragrance, so as to suit sensitive skin, and this is the natural scent of the ingredients, which I personally do not mind. The formula contains 0.1% BHA along with 88% willow bark water, which is a natural source of salicylic acid and helps to thoroughly cleanse the pores. Since the product contains a low percentage of salicylic acid, it can be used by those who are new to this ingredient or in conjunction with other products that contain AHA and BHA.
You are supposed to pat in a few drops of this clear liquid on your cleansed skin or use it as a toner with a cotton pad. I personally use it with a cotton pad after using the cleansing powder to wash my face. The product feels quite gentle on my skin and I do not experience any tingling or irritation post-application, but I will recommend doing a patch test especially if you are new to BHA. It does help to cleanse the skin and the pores and my cotton pad grabs a fair amount of residual dirt that may have been left behind on my skin after washing. I also feel my pores tighten right after using this product, so it definitely lives up to its claims. With regular use over a few weeks, I have noticed that it has improved the texture of my skin, and I will highly recommend it to those who are venturing into the domain of chemical exfoliation for the first time. This product is priced at INR 1450 for a 100ml bottle that should last you for 4-5 months at least, click here to buy from Beauty Barn.
Last but not the least, let us talk about the Hydrogel Very Simple Pack, which contains 60 gel patches drenched in a nourishing essence to provide instant hydration to dry patches of skin. Essentially it seems like a sheet mask in a gel-patch form. The product also comes with a plastic tweezer to lift one patch at a time in a hygienic manner.
While these hydrogel patches are loved by a lot of people, I personally have a few issues with them. First of all, they do not seem to carry enough essence to provide a burst of hydration to extremely dry skin, secondly, something about this product causes a slight tingling sensation on my skin. The tingling is possibly caused by the citrus extracts in the formula, so if you are sensitive to citrus extracts then this product may irritate your skin. I will also not recommend using this product after the BHA toner because that could irritate your skin even more. These patches do, however, offer a cooling sensation and plump up the skin within 10 to 15 minutes and offer some hydration too, but not as much as sheet masks. If you are someone who does not have extremely dry or sensitive skin then you might enjoy this product.
Overall, I am quite impressed with the formula of all the products and will definitely be repurchasing the Centella Cleansing Powder. The prices are a little up their but the ingredients make up for it in my opinion. You can buy Cosrx products from BeautyBarn or StyleKorean.com. Beauty Barn is an Indian website, so you won’t be charged any customs, and if you will purchase one product at a time from an international website such as StyleKorean then the chances of you being charged customs will go down. Have you tried any Cosrx products yet or would you like me to review any particular product from the brand? Let me know in the comments below!
I would avoid these due to the aspartame – do you know that aspartame causes all manner of problems, from epileptic seizures to depression, abdominal pain to hair loss, severe pms, lyme disease, alzheimer’s disease, fibromyalgia, insomnia, high blood pressure, and the list goes on and on and on.
I’d avoid them if you value your health.
Hi Louise, these products do not contain Aspartame. I know of the dangers of aspartame as an artificial sweetener but I haven’t come across it as a skincare ingredient. The cleansing powder contains SODIUM LAUROYL ASPARTATE which is a surfactant that is declared safe for use in skincare in the permissible limits. Hope this answers your concerns.
Accha hai ki international brands ab yehan easily available hain 👍👍
Product accha result deta hai to price matter nahi karta na 😊
Sahi kaha aapne 🙂