Cosrx AHA BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner Review

Cosrx is a cult-fave brand that people gravitate to. Their products are very high-quality, but the price doesn’t break the bank. Cosrx has released promising products that are effective and perform really well. It might get a bit confusing and overwhelming to choose which products to buy, so I’ll help you with that.  My finger just ran randomly and landed on the Cosrx AHA BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner. I’ve heard quite a lot of good news about this product. Perhaps, it’s time to play with this toner. Let’s see if she’ll become my best friend or not.

The toner’s primary purpose is to lightly eliminate dead skin cells and pore-clogging impurities and minimize whiteheads, blackheads, and blemishes—a sort of enhancing the works of exfoliator. The numerous components of exfoliants in this toner are AHA and BHA used.

AHA stands for alpha hydroxy acid. AHAs are water-soluble acids often made from sugary fruits. They help eliminate dead skin cells on the skin surface by cleaving the retained bonds between dead skin cells, and promote new skin cells production, making your skin smoother and more evenly pigmented. Because AHAs stimulate collagen production, it can also help reduce wrinkles and fine lines.

BHA stands for beta hydroxy acids. The most common form of BHA is Salicylic acid (SA), a fat-soluble substance. Unlike AHAs, BHAs can penetrate pores to remove excess sebum and fight bacteria so that they can unclog pores, diminishing whiteheads, blackheads, and acne.

As we all know, the skin has an automatic mechanism of excreting billions of cells every day. However, due to various factors, such as frequent exposure to environmental pollution or chronic stress, this mechanism is weakened and slowed down. If you don’t want a dull and acne-prone skin, exfoliating is a must.

A toner offers extra help for exfoliating your skin. In cleansing and exfoliating, you are removing the oil, dirt, and dead skin cells off your face. Initially, after washing your face, you will get a dry surface unto your skin. This is where the toner comes in and hydrates your skin.

Essentially, a toner will restore your pH’s balance since your soap has an alkaline (basic) nature to it. Your skin will work to bring back natural oils, but with using a toner, it can help make the process faster.

By using a toner, you can minimize your pores, leaving less room for clogged pores. Minimal clogged pores mean minimal whiteheads and blackheads. It also acts as protection from the minerals and chlorine found in water, which can be harmful to your face.

Not only that, but it can also help your skin absorb other products that you will be adding during your skincare routine.

Claims

It claims to be a mild daily toner for clear, supple skin. Formulated with AHA, BHA, and purifying botanical ingredients, the AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner works to soothe, refresh, and soften the skin.

Ingredients

Water, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Water, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Water, Butylene Glycol, 1,2 Hexanediol, Sodium Lactate, Glycolic Acid, Betaine Salicylate, Allantoin, Panthenol, Ethyl Hexanediol

The ingredients listed are not harmful, but if there are ingredients that you are allergic to, refrain from using this. In my opinion, these ingredients will definitely help you treat and minimize the appearance of your whiteheads, blackheads, blemishes, and textures on your skin.

Knowing that BHA contains Salicylic Acid, it wouldn’t work for everyone, especially if your allergic to Salicylic Acid. It might cause you redness, stinging, and irritation to your face. Always patch test first on your chin or cheeks before applying it to your whole face.

It’s fragrance-free but the ingredients might give off a faint smell naturally. Something to note, if you’re sensitive to smells.

The Toner’s Function

• Daily exfoliation

To get rid of built-up dead surface skin cells and leave you with smoother skin.

• Enhance Skin Vitality

Enriched with mineral water and vitamins to revive dry and dull skin.

• Skin Balance

To maintain a healthy balance skin by removing makeup residue and dead skin cells after using a facial wash.

Packaging

It comes in a frosted spray bottle, which very hygienic. Also, perfect for people on the go! Very lightweight, literally, you can slip this through your bag and use it anytime when needed. You will not worry if it will break or shatter inside your bag because the bottle is made from plastic. The packaging also indicated a list of ingredients and how to use it. Plus, it is written both in English and in Korean.

Application

You can apply it in different ways. There’s no right or wrong method of using it, so go for whatever works for you.

• Based on Cosrx’s website, they recommend to spritz the product onto a cotton pad then gently apply it to your face.
• Some prefer to spray it on their hand and then tap the product onto their skin. If you prefer this method, be sure that your hands are clean, okay?
• For some, they directly spray it to their face. Be very careful when you spray this directly unto your face, especially to your eyes. This will definitely sting a lot. Keep a good distance of at least 6 inches away from your face.

You can apply this toner day and night. Just make sure to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen if you use this during the day. The sunscreen should be SPF 30 and up. The sun and acids on this product are rivals! You might end up troubling your skin even more.

Formulation

It claims it has a Low pH formula from 4-5, which means the formula is not very acidic. Ideally, healthy skin has a pH balance of 4-5.5. If you go down to below 4, your skin will be reddish, irritated, and become acne-prone. If you go higher than 6, your skin will be drier, sensitive, and prone to wrinkles.

The water and soap you use for washing your face are naturally leaning more on the basic/alkaline side. As I’ve mentioned, you need to use a product that can balance your pH level, an example is a toner.

Here’s a chart to better understand what I mean.

So, let’s see how this toner will perform on my skin.

How I Apply The COSRX AHA BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner

I use it after cleansing and, at times, after exfoliating my face. The AHA and BHA work best in a low-ph condition, so I try to use a low-ph cleanser to make sure my skin ph level is not too high. My water-based cleanser is the PyunKang Yul Cleansing Foam.

After cleansing, I gently pat on my face to remove excess water instead of wiping it with a towel. (I do this because gently patting on the face can promote the circulation of blood, which makes the skin firmer. And it also helps avoid the evaporation of water from the skin surface, reserving the skin moisture).

After that, I spray the toner on my hand and gently rub it a little bit before applying it on the face. I leave my hand on my face for a few seconds and pat it so that it can absorb the toner better.

When applying it, I can feel that my skin is so refreshed and soothing. This toner has a watery lightweight texture, so it absorbs rather quickly into the skin and leaves a glowy look. It cools down my skin.  I leave my face like that for about 5 minutes to make sure the product fully absorbs into my skin before moving to the next skincare steps.

My Take On The Cosrx AHA BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner

After a month using it, I can notice my skin has become smoother, my complexion is brighter, and there are fewer blackheads in my nose. I think Cosrx AHA BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner has done its work well as a toner.

It not only balances the skin PH level but also makes the skin smoother and less oily (oily skin is always one of my nightmares). And it is super economical too! If you want to reduce your pores, you can use it with other active products with higher concentrations.

If you have sensitive skin and new to chemical exfoliation, you can apply Cosrx AHA BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner right after you use an exfoliator as a trial product to minimize the adverse effects in case any irritation happens.

Conclusion

Test it out for at least a month or two before judging if it really works for you or not. People have different kinds of skin types and skin conditions. You might start seeing less texture to your face for about 2 weeks (lucky you!), but your friend might get the same results after a month of daily use.

Cosrx is an excellent company with great products, so you know you’re in good hands. Remember that skin care is always a trial and error phase. It is not the same for everyone. This might not work for others but might work for you. You wouldn’t know if you don’t try. Clear, glowy, glass skin doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a lot of patience to achieve that, so don’t stress too much! SHOP NOW

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