Powered by Blogger.
cremetint

The winter season is a jolly time for me, but... not so much for my skin. As the air gets drier and chillier, my skin goes through a roller coaster, literally. Going from oily skin to extremely dry skin, I was on the hunt for a moisturizer to replenish and protect my skin's moisture barrier-- particularly a hyaluronic-acid based moisturizer. I had heard great things about hyaluronic acid, reading that it works very very very well in retaining moisture (per usual as it is a humectant). While perusing my choices, I decided to give the Cosrx Hyaluronic Acid Intensive Cream a try. Cosrx is a skincare brand that I trust, with its simple, yet effective ingredients, working well for those with acne-prone skin, so I was inclined to try it. But did it preform well?? (dun, dun, DUN) We'll see...

Claims: Helps the dry skin hydrated all day and night with an invisible veil of moisture.

Price: ~$16 (However, I bought this on sale at Jolse for ~$13)

Ingredients:  Hippophae Rhamnoides Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Betaine, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Arginine, Panthenol, Dimethicone, Ethyhexylglycerine, Carbomer, Allaintoin, Xanathan Gum Panthenol, Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex, Ethyl Hexanediol

Notable Ingredients:
  • Hippophae Rhamnoides Water: also known as sea buckthorn, it is a berry extract that works well in improving skin hydration when combined with an oil 
  • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride: deriving from coconut oil and glycerin, its an emollient whose fatty acids are excellent in preventing moisture loss
  • Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil: an emollient with fatty acids that helps to improve and soothe the skin; great for dry skin
  • Sodium Hyaluronate: made of molecules found naturally in the skin, it is the salt form of hyaluronic acid; it is considered to be more effective than pure hyaluronic acid due to its smaller molecular size, allowing it to penetrate easily into the skin
The Hyaluronic Acid Intensive Cream contains a lot of great ingredients that provide the moisture and fatty acids to help your skin barrier. It's interesting to note that the Sodium Hyaluronate (the Hyaluronic Acid of this product) is in the middle of the list. Since it's a Hyaluronic Acid-based moisturizer, I would assume it would have been higher up on the list. I'm not a chemist, so perhaps having the Sodium Hyaluronate in the middle of the list is the best place to put it for maximum results. 

My thoughts:

For those with dry skin, this moisturizer is great in keeping the moisture sealed. In fact, it works well as a last step moisturizer. During the time when my skin was extremely dry, applying this moisturizer over the Cosrx Snail 96 All-In-One Cream (a review on this is coming soon!) helped in containing the moisture in my skin during those winter days. Since the texture of this product is a cross between a thick cream and a gel, it helped to provide an excellent layer for my skin's barrier.

The texture is of hybrid between a gel and a cream.

However, since my skin is generally oily (meaning, my skin type is oily and changes only during the winter season), I found this moisturizer to be a bit heavy on the skin. Nevertheless, it is manageable. By using just a tiny amount of product, enough to cover my whole face and neck, it doesn't feel as heavy on the skin. Plus, a small amount is enough for your skin to be hydrated. With this advantage of having to use only a small amount of product at a time, the Hyaluronic Acid Intensive Cream lasts for a loooong time. I've had this product for more than 6 months, and I'm halfway done. Also, around $16 (or even less depending on where you purchase it), the price is not too bad considering how much product I still have left. In terms of the the container, it appears small at a glance, but it is dense with product, filled to the brim. Additionally, it comes with a small spoon and a lid to keep the product sanitary.

The lid has a little edge so you can lift it with ease. Also comes with a spoon!

For those with acne-prone skin, this product has not effected my acne. Of course, everyone's skin is different and reacts differently to different products, but for me, this product has not triggered my acne. But just as a cautionary rule, always patch test new products!

Pros: 
  • Provides hydration and seals moisture 
  • Excellent fatty acid and moisturizing ingredients 
  • Great when layering with other hydrating products
  • Seals skin barrier 
  • Reasonably priced considering the amount of product 
  • Lasts for a long time
Cons:
  • Can be heavy for oily and acne-prone skin

Overall, the Cosrx Hyaluronic Acid Intensive Cream is a good, solid moisturizer that does it's job-- it provides the hydration and seals your skin barrier. It works nicely when layering during the winter season. Great for those with dry skin. A possible, good moisturizer for oily skin. This product isn't a holy grail, nor does it drastically transform your skin. It simply performs it's job in protecting one's skin barrier from moisture loss. And that is enough for me.

3.75 out of 5 stars
Share
Tweet
Pin
Share
No comments

Yes, part of the packaging broke... more on that in the post...

Hello everyone! It's been a while since I last made a post, but I'm back with another skincare review. Today, I will be sharing my thoughts on the Cosrx Natural BHA Skin Returning A-Sol and whether or not it is worth checking out. Spoiler alert: it is.

So what exactly is the Cosrx Natural BHA Skin Returning A-Sol and what does it do? Well, it's essentially a spot-treatment solution that works to prevent and control acne. With its key ingredients such as BHA, AHA, and propolis, this product chemically exfoliates the skin, helping to manage and eliminate acne. The product itself is clear and thin, similar to water.

Price: ~$15 (I bought this on sale at Jolse for ~$13).

Ingredients: Propolis extract, alcohol, butylene glycol, soduim lactate, lactic acid, glycolic acid, betaine salicylate, sodium hyaluronate, panthenol, allaintoin, cassia obtusifolia seed extract, 1,2-hexanediol, ethyl hexanediol, melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) leaf oil, PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil

Notable Ingredients:
  • Interestingly, even though BHA is in the name of this product, it actually contains more AHA. Both lactic acid and glycolic acid (the AHA's in this product) come up on the ingredient list before the BHA ingredient, betaine salicylate. *Note: when looking at ingredient lists, ingredients are in order according to it's amount, from greatest to least. The A-Sol contains 1% of betain salicylate (BHA), but the percentage for AHA is not provided. 
  • Propolis, a wonderful ingredient for acne, is the main ingredient in this product. Produced by bees, propolis is known for its antibacterial properties, working to fight acne germs and heal wounds. 
  • Cassia obtusifolia seed extract is said to be great for reducing red, inflamed skin. 
  • Another thing I found interesting about the ingredients is that there are many moisturizing ingredients in this list: butylene glycol, panthenol, 1,2-hexanediol, and ethyl hexanediol. My guess is that without these ingredients, the solution can dry out the skin. This hypothesis may be correct since I find that the A-Sol does not dry out the skin compared to other BHA and AHA products I have tried.
Directions:
  1. In mornings/evenings, after facial wash, apply product thinly on troubled areas (areas with many dead skin cells or sebum).
  2. Tap gently with finger tips to absorb the product into the skin.
In my skincare routine, I apply the A-Sol after my toner. This way, I can get the most out of the product, without having layers of other products for the A-Sol to work through. Although some people use the A-Sol as a toner, I personally apply it to the areas of my face where I'm breaking out. I also apply it to rising spots and bumps that are on the process of becoming pimples.

Claims: Controls oil while helping to clear recurring pimples. 


My thoughts:

I got to say, this product is fantastic. I find that it works extremely well in combating and controlling acne. I use it on spots where I see they are on the beginning stages of forming into major pimples. I apply the A-Sol twice a day (morning and night) for a couple of days, and these spots go away. Amazing right? I also apply it areas of my face  where I tend to breakout the most (such as the forehead), and it has prevented my acne on those areas from worsening. Interestingly, I find that the A-Sol works very well on cyst pimples. I don't get cyst pimples often, but when they do, I simply apply the A-Sol (again, twice a day for a couple of days) and they start to decrease in size and redness. After using this product for around five months, I find that this product eliminates pimples 7 out of 10 times. There are a couple of instances when the A-Sol has not helped in preventing a pimple from forming, but it has worked to prevent and eliminate most of the time.

Additionally, I like how the A-Sol is made up of chemical exfoliants (AHA and BHA). Having both types of chemical exfoliates in a product has benefits: you get the exfoliation benefit of AHA's and the deep-cleaning-of-the-pores benefit of the BHA. However, I can see how the name of the product can be misleading: it is advertised as a BHA product, but in actuality, it has both...which can pose a problem for those who simply want a BHA-only product. AHA's and BHA's are both classified as chemical exfoliants, but they both have different functions on the skin. So, if you're looking for a BHA-only product, the A-Sol may not be the best choice. For me personally, I don't mind using a combination of both as my skin needs both AHA's and BHA's.

I also love that propolis is the main ingredient of this product. Propolis has many great benefits to the skin, especially for acne-prone skin. It's antibacterial, which eliminates bacteria from mixing with dead skin cells to form those unwanted pimples. Plus, it heals acne too.

Another pro is that the A-Sol lasts for a long time. I've been using this twice a day (morning and night) for the past 6 months and I still have some product left. Which is great for my wallet I must say.

One claim that this product states is that it controls oil. Although I do find my overall oil production has decreased, I do not think the A-Sol was the only factor that helped in decreasing the oiliness. I think other factors, such as an improved skin barrier also helped to decrease oil production. Another claim is that it is suitable for sensitive skin. I personally don't have sensitive skin, but on a few accounts, this product did sting. It doesn't happen with every use, but it did stung on a number of occasions. It does contain tea tree oil, which may be the cause of its stinginess, but overall, this product doesn't sting too often.

An ingredient to point out though, is the addition of alcohol in the ingredient lists. I am aware that many people are wary of alcohol in their skincare, fearing that it may worsen acne-prone skin. However, as someone who also has acne-prone skin, using this product has not dried out my skin or worsen my acne. As with most products with alcohol in it, it is used to increase the absorption of the product. However, you know your skin the best: if your skin is okay with it, use it; if not, don't use it.

Also to note, the packaging is easily breakable. I have the tendency to drop things, and when dropping things, I've dropped this product multiple times. In these cases, some of the packaging broke off, piece by piece (as seen in the photo). So, to all the people with clumsy hands like myself, be wary of dropping the bottle! I need to take this advice myself too. Interesting enough though, this product has the nicest bottle/packaging compared to all the Cosrx products I own. But, I do wish I could visibly see how much product I still have left from looking at the bottle.

In terms of scent, it has a herbal-medical scent to it (perhaps because of the added tea tree oil to the ingredients?). The scent is not pleasant, but bearable.

Pros:
  • Eliminates pimples/acne (at its beginning stages) most of the time
  • Helps to prevent acne from worsening
  • Product lasts for a long time 
Cons:
  • Stings (on a few occasions)
  • Packaging is some-what poor
  • Doesn't necessarily control oil


Overall, I found that the A-Sol eliminated most of my pimples. It has been extremely helpful for my skin, as it prevented my acne from worsening. It is such a staple in my routine that I actually have ordered another bottle. It is a great product for those with acne-prone skin. IT'S DEFINITELY A RECOMMEND.


4 out of 5


**Update 3/4/19: This product is my Holy Grail! I am still using this product, but not for daily use. I apply this every few days or when a pimple appears. This products works wonders in preventing pimples from appearing and also reducing inflamed acne. I now give this product a 5 out of 5. 



Share
Tweet
Pin
Share
1 comments
Newer Posts
Older Posts
I've been using Korean skincare since 2016, and I post reviews on K-beauty. I hope my reviews are of help to you!

Skin Type

Combo (oily and dry), acne-prone skin

Categories

  • acne
  • aha
  • beauty
  • bha
  • cleanser
  • cosrx
  • essence
  • etude house
  • lip tints
  • moisturizer
  • review
  • scinic
  • skincare
  • toner

recent posts

Blog Archive

  • ►  2019 (1)
    • ►  March (1)
  • ▼  2017 (5)
    • ►  June (1)
    • ▼  May (2)
      • Cosrx Hyaluronic Acid Intensive Cream Review
      • Cosrx Natural BHA Skin Returning A-Sol Review
    • ►  March (2)

Created with by ThemeXpose | Distributed By Gooyaabi Templates