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All my conversations about K-beauty products seem to lead to one specific brand: Cosrx. Whether it's my best friends, co-workers, or even strangers, the Korean skin-care brand inevitably comes up. "Have you tried its pimple patches?" Someone will ask. "What's the deal with the snail stuff?"
Over the past couple years, Cosrx has built up a cult following — not only in America but also Korea. In fact, it's not even a mainstream brand over there, Soko Glam's Charlotte Cho tells Allure. She compares its popularity to American beauty brand Paula's Choice. "They both focus on well-formulated products," she explains. "Their packaging is also very basic, and I mean basic in a good way because their philosophies are to focus on the ingredients."
She's right. With minimalist packaging, Cosrx is able to put its key elements (i.e. the ingredients) in the spotlight. This ideology also makes products easier to navigate. Looking for a salicylic acid cleanser? There's a product literally called Salicylic Gentle Daily Cleanser. Need a hydrating eye cream? Look for the Honey Ceramide Eye Cream.
The ingredients aren't playing around either. Cho says Cosrx is dedicated to creating products with high concentrations of actives — "all while maintaining an accessible price point." You can anticipate spending no more than $30 on a single product from the K-beauty brand.
Cosrx's results are seriously kickass, too. "When I started dealing with hormonal acne, it was Cosrx products that really made a difference in my skin," Cho says. I second that. I've experienced the same issue and now rely on a couple Cosrx products when monthly breakouts strike.
Taking all this into consideration, here are five products worth checking out from Cosrx. Many are Allure editors and Cho's tried-and-true favorites, as well best sellers on Soko Glam.
The top product people associate with Cosrx are these hydrocolloid bandages. When a whitehead pops up, pack one of the tiny circular stickers on top of it right before bed. The pimple patch will keep you from picking at your skin and absorb all the nasty stuff. When you wake up, the zit will be gone. Trust. The Acne Pimple Master Patches even won the Soko Glam's Best of K-Beauty for best way to control hormonal acne breakouts, Cho notes.
Cho's love for Cosrx is so real she collaborated with it on this powerful vitamin C serum. It's one of the most concentrated vitamin C products in the game with a whopping 20.5 percent of the brightening ingredient. She says it's Soko Glam's best-selling product to date. At one point, it even had a 10,000-person waitlist. Allure editors live for it, too. I'm personally a fan of the Triple C Lightning Liquid because it doesn't weirdly smell like bologna, and its thin formula is easy to layer makeup over.
If you have oily or acne-prone skin, Cho says this is the cleanser for you. It contains 0.5 percent salicylic acid, which helps dissolve dirt, grime, and buildup on skin that clogs pores — including blackheads. Tea tree oil and willow bark water keep the salicylic acid from drying out your skin and bolster its acne-fighting powers.
I'm convinced there is nothing snail mucin can't do. Once you get past its origins, you're bound to swear by it. I use the Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence after applying toner to help lighten my acne scars and reduce underlying redness. It's also awesome for evening out hyperpigmentation and adding moisture to skin.
Acids may seem like they are off-limits for sensitive skin, but this product is perfect for easing into the harsh exfoliators. This one gently exfoliates skin with three percent PHA, a trendy acid at the moment, and brightens with two percent niacinamide. At the same time, it helps hydrate and soften skin. Or as Cho puts it, the PHA Moisture Renewal Power Cream "cocoons your skin with 50 percent coconut extract."
You can shop all of these Cosrx products and the rest of the line now on sokoglam.com, ulta.com, and amazon.com.
Related stories:
- Sorry, But Korean Sunscreens Are Better Than Western Ones
- People Are OBSESSED With This $6 Korean Nude Lip Tint
- 17 Korean Beauty Products You'll Love for Fall
Now, see the viral Hanacure mask from Korea in action:
