Review: COSRX AHA BHA Vitamin C Daily Toner
I went back and forth on whether to write an extended review on this product. Obviously, I decided it was necessary.
This product neither hurt nor did it enhance my skincare routine.
However, it’s still a super interesting product. I think it has a place in skincare and may be a good purchase for someone with extremely sensitive skin or those that like to add in extra steps to your skincare routine for #selfcare!
What is it?
Check out the CosRX product page to get deep into the details of this product.
Here is my short summary: This is a lightweight watery toner intended for daily use. It has antioxidants (vitamin C), exfoliation (AHA/BHA) and ingredients to lighten dark spots (Niacinimide). The overall goal of this product is to brighten and resurface the skin and enhance the absorption of the products you follow up with.
EXCUSE ME, WHAT?!
You’re not supposed to use all of these ingredients together! Kelsey has told us all of the rules in our AHA episode, BHA Episode and Vitamin C Episode.
Korean Beauty formulates their products using very small amounts of each ingredient. They also load their products with ingredients great for sensitive skin. This is a different approach from a lot of U.S products. Most products made in the United States market a specific product that has a high percentage of one active ingredient.
The curiousity of this not to be mixed unicorn blend had me adding it to my cart immediately! I was willing to take a total skin breakout in the name of sensitive skin baddies.
My Routine
Day 1: Tested it on my skin after cleansing. Waited 30 minutes for any immediate irritation. Waited another hour and applied SPF. Zero irritation all day!
Day 2-7: Used in the morning post cleanse and added in a 2nd time use after my post workout shower. I followed up with SPF each time. I wanted to make sure that I still did not have any irritation or dryness with extended use. Could I really use it daily? I’m a pusher so, then I have to ask myself 2x daily? I did not use my Vitamin C Serum this week. The Sunscreen I used is COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream
Week 2: My goal here is to add in the Vitamin C Serum. Will these two products work well together? Will my sensitive skin accept them? I used this with I Dew Care Brighten Up Vitamin C Serum. After 7 days, 1 X daily use with Vitamin C, I think we are in the clear. My skin is okay with this.
Week 3: For fun, I upped my COSRX Vitamin C Toner and Vitamin C Serum use to 2X a day and my skin was still balanced and happy.
Week 4 +: I used this daily or 2X daily and finished the botttle in 2 months.
Final Thoughts
Personally, I like to be minimal in my skincare routine. I enjoyed this product but I would like to switch to a hydrating toner before my Vitamin C. Now that I’ve finished this bottle, I’m going to give that a try with the COSRX Hydrium Watery Toner.
I would suggest this product to the following:
Anyone who has sensitive skin and needs a super efficient yet gentle product
Someone looking for a gentle effective way to enhance the benefits of their vitamin C Serum
The skincare enthusiast who has the time and the energy to layer on products and let it all soak in
For preteen skin! Check out our episode on Skincare for Preteens
COSRX Calming Foam Cleanser Review
Clicking on this image will take you to the Beauty Guides Podcast Amazon Affiliate Link
COSRX has an acne line and I’m trying all of the products and then some!
Hi! I’m Lauren, I’m a licensed cosmetologist and currently work as a freelance hair and makeup artist. I have a podcast with my Esty Bestie, Kelsey and we pass on all of our professional findings and product reviews to you! We do this in an effort to create informed consumers that shop smart, create less waste and see results from their products. We also just like to create community and talk with people who are interested in the same stuff as us. We don’t always have to be so serious! Here is a link to our podcast.
If you’re new here and want to read about my current COSRX Skin Journey, click here. You can also find a full lineup of the products that will be reviewed.
The main goal of our cleanser is to wash away dirt and impurities. If you are oily or more acne prone, we may need some ingredients added to unclog our pores. We also need calming and hydration. My generation was raised on Noxzema pads, witch hazel pads or anything that left the skin feeling tight and angry. It’s time for all of us to give ourselves a major upgrade and I think I found it.
Need help picking a cleanser? Listen to our Episode “How to Pick Your Cleanser”
Consistency: This starts as a paste and begins to foam when water is added. One of the claims is that the foam hugs the skin like a bed of clouds. I was not going to publicly admit this but I always have a little moment where I romanticize the act of washing my face because I feel really cute as the foam circles around the crevices of my face. I’m a fan of daily affirmations and connecting to the body and this takes me there. For the sake of science and validating that claim, this needed to be shared.
Key Ingredients: Salicylic Acid (11%), Centella Asiatica. This cleanser can be used both AM and PM without overdrying (I’ve used it up to 3 times a day). The ingredient blend is meant to cleanse the skin, reduce irritation and speed up the healing process from current breakouts. The skin is left feeling smooth, calm and primed to accept your skincare.
Price: $15
Lauren’s Thoughts:
This will be a repurchase for me and I will no longer be searching for a new cleanser. I struggle with the pores on my nose. It is a process to keep them clean and this has been such a major part in doing that! I love how smooth my face feels after using the cleanser. This has also made my T Zone less oily- I did not even know that was a possibility for me. I had kind of accepted that my skin will always “shine” in these areas, I am now using probably a quarter of the powder products I was using before.
The healing properties of this cleanser have been MAJOR for me. Marks from past breakouts lightened up. In my second month of using the cleanser, I still did get my common breakouts from hormonal changes (much less though) but they healed up in a few days. I am NOT PERFECT! I will always pick a few pimples and even the ones I have picked did heal up quicker. This is not encouraging you to take these actions though. Pimple Patch and velcro your hands to your side if you can.
I’ve genuinely started to love the way my skin is starting to look. Ultimately, it is the combination of the products I am using. However, I understand that my cleanser is the base for the acceptance of these products. This cleanser will rid your skin of oil, dirt, debris, sunscreen, cosmetics without making it feel stripped. It then leaves you with smooth, balanced skin that allows you to look in the mirror and ask your skin what it wants next.
BEAUTY GUIDES APPROVED
Calming and Healing my Acne Prone Skin with COSRX
Hey Everyone! This blog post is a work in progress so please keep checking back or follow us on the socials for updates!
My name is Lauren, I’m over 30, my skin is angry, inflamed and acne prone. We could easily just dry out this acne but that creates a hydration deficit in my skin goals. After all, I am in the beginning of the aging process … my days of skipping a moisturizer are now behind me. Do you ever notice when you up your hydration that now you’re breaking out AGAIN?! It’s a vicious cycle and balance is the key here. The key to skin and the key to life… balance. Search for it everywhere.
I’ll be recording my research on a variety of COSRX skin products in this blog post. I’m a licensed cosmotologist and I do a podcast with my esty besty, Kelsey Hayden. Kelsey is an aesthetics educator and has written a book on skincare (just one, for now). I’m letting you in on this information to let you know why I have a bit of a leg up on this acne product search. I’ve dug into my fair share of products, I’ve educated myself on the science of skin and I am lucky enough to have a friend on speed dial that immediately follows up on any emergency questions I have about ingredients, rules, techniques, routines or brands.
Kelsey and I are total K Beauty lovers. She is always reminding us that Korean Beauty has so many great calming and hydrating ingredients. We don’t focus a ton on calming in US products. Inflammation plays a major role in aging and skin that may aesthetically not be our best. When I saw COSRX had an entire line for acne prone skin I knew I had to give it a try. This line is the version of “proactiv” I wish I had in my teen years ( ELDER MILLENIALS, YOU KNOW YOU REMEMBER GETTING YOUR FIRST KIT).
It’s been about a month straight of digging into the line, trying everything alone and then combining it with other skincare actives, cosmetic products and trying different routines. I can’t contain my excitement but I’m forcing myself to go through this process slowly and thoroughly explain everything.
In the meantime, here are the products I have been testing. All pics are clickable links that will take you to the amazon link of the product.
*** Beauty Guides Podcast does earn a very small percentage if you purchase from our Amazon link
Calming Foam Cleanser
Price: $15
What it is: A cleanser that starts out as a paste and begins foaming when water is added.
Key Ingredients: Salicylic Acid and Centella Asiatica
Benefits: Removes impurities/dirt/oil/cosmetics/SPF, clears blackheads, lightly exfoliates and smooths rough or textured skin. The Centella Asiatica Complex reduces irritation and speeds up the healing process for past and current breakouts.
How to Use: AM/PM Use. I have used this cleanser 3X a day and have not felt that it dried out my skin.
BG Approved? YES! Click Here to read Lauren’s personal thoughts and the full review
Full Review for the AHA BHA Vitamin C Daily Toner can be found here.
Price: $22
What it is: A watery, liquid toner filled with antioxidants and exfoliation to lightly resurface the skin, add a glow, lighten up hyper pigmentation and enhance the benefits of your aftercare products.
Key Ingredients: Antioxidants, Nacinimide, AHA/BHA
Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream
I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream for Missha BB Cream!!
To Purchase, Click Here
Kelsey suggested this product to me back in 2019 and the two of them have been screaming about it to everyone!!
Here’s why we love it:
It’s a K Beauty Product. New to K Beauty?! Here’s an episode
Has SPF
Med/ Full Coverage
Luminous
Easy to apply pump (warm it up between your fingers and apply right to your skin)
Great for acne prone skin
Perfects and calms the skin but looks and feels like you’re not wearing makeup
Here is product information from the brand:
DAILY PROTECTION FOR FANTASTIC SKIN: A smooth tinted moisturizer, light concealer, and sunscreen all in one, this BB cream is the perfect everyday skin product.
REDUCE THE LOOK OF FINE LINES & WRINKLES: Hyaluronic acid and ceramide improve skin's elasticity and tone, giving you youthful skin and a smooth complexion.
POWERFUL, ALL-DAY SUNSCREEN: SPF 42 and a PA+++ rating mean that this MISSHA BB cream has the highest UV-ray protection for your face, reducing dryness and protecting your skin from sun damage.
NATURAL BOTANICALS: A blend of rosemary extract, chamomile extract, and nutrient-rich marine extracts helps skin feel conditioned, calm, and balanced.
MISSHA: We bring you the best of K-beauty products with the newest trendy, effective skin care coming out of Korea, based on the science of nature and formulated for all skin types.
How to Apply the Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream
If you’re fancy, you can use a brush! However, it’s really not necessary. This BB Cream applies best with the warmth of your own fingers. I usually find that 1 pump is enough for my entire face. Sometimes, I add a second pump if I would like to apply it to my neck and chest. Below is a video of me applying the product with my hands.
Picking Your Shade
This product is pretty close to perfect, right?! One major thing we need to discuss and that is the shade range. This is a Korean Beauty product and the shade range is geared to Korean skin tones. Don’t get frustrated! I’ve had 2 years of playing with this product and have a solution that may help!
For reference, I am wearing shade No.23 in the video above. When the product comes out of the pump and is applied to the skin, there is always a white/gray cast. By the time it has been fully rubbed into my skin, it has warmed up to my skin tone.
As we get into deeper/darker skin tones, they may not have a shade that suits you. Certain undertones may also find themselves have a difficulty matching to this product. You can still purchase this product and mix it with a liquid foundation in your shade. Fenty Beauty has an incredible shade range, I have used MISSHA BB Cream with the Fenty Eaze Drop and the Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation and they have mixed beautifully.
We talk about these products and the rest of the Fenty line in our Fenty Episode, Listen here.
Why would I purchase a BB Cream to mix it with another product?
I know, it sounds confusing, but I have my reasons! If you would join my cult of Missha BB Cream Lovers, you will get it!
The skincare benefits and formula of the product as a base is unmatched! It’s really fun to mix the BB Cream with other foundations to create different results based on your makeup goal.
Missha can be worn alone but by adding a friend you can increase the longevity or coverage of the product. I like to mix at a ratio of 1 big pump of Missha (pea size) and a dot or two of the foundation I’m adding.
When mixing, you can use your fingers but sometimes I like to switch to a brush and stiple the product onto my skin, especially if I’m suffering from a breakout and need extra coverage.
Being an acne prone person around my monthly cycle, this product has really been a lifesaver for me. The Missha BB Cream keeps my skin calm and clean. I have to fight against hot weather and humidity in the south, this is why I started adding the mattifying longwear foundation by Fenty. It allowed me to use Missha and add a little grip to my base for an all day wear.
On top of being acne prone, I’m out of my 20’s and into the aging process!! This BB Cream BLURS IMPERFECTIONS LIKE NOTHING ELSE!!! Foundation’s are starting to get tricky for me. There are fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation dehydration, acne. The wrong foundation has made me look older and covered up the glowing skin I purchase so many serums to achieve.
Basically…
Wearing this alone, or knowing its available to mix into a foundation gives me the confidence to know I can put my best face forward no matter what is being throw at me.
If you have any additional questions about this product or would like to see more ways that Lauren and Kelsey use and wear it, email us at
beautyguidespodcast@gmail.com