COSRX One Step Moisture Up Pad

Lately, there’s been a lot of COSRX reviews from my side, so let’s top it off with another one – one of my first Korean beauty products.

When I first started buying Korean skin care products, this was the first product I grabbed. Why? Cause my skin was super dry at the moment and I kinda needed instant moisture to fix things up. This isn’t an exfoliator, but it’s a genius way to hydrate and smoothen skin.

These pads contain propolis extract naturally-occurring antiseptic, the resin-like substance is made by bees and mainly used to fill in honeycomb crevices for protection. But it turns out propolis is also an amazing ingredient for your skin. This is also known as the Korean skin care ingredient that fights acne! It does not only fight acne, but it is known for its ability to fight against a lot of powerful bacteria, providing moisture to the skin while soften and soothes it, and also – it controls oil production. Also included in the formula is hyaluronic acid, another Korean skincare favorite that provided long-lasting moisture benefits. But to these pads stand up to the test?

The first time I tried them, my skin was severely dried out and hydration was basically something that didn’t exist. So I had big hopes, especially since it was my first product. However, I couldn’t use it since I used to go tanning – why? You cant use acids if you are going to be under the sun unless you use sunscreen. So, I ended up deciding to go back to my natural skin tone (a combination between fair and olive),  and ta-da suddenly after a while I could try testing these pads – and I loved them! The softy embossed texture of these pads makes them gentle enough for everyday use, and are perfect for prepping the skin for makeup so that you don’t have any flaky skin making your face look dry and cakey. They are also great for an easy exfoliation, however, the COSRX One Step Moisture Up pads arent exfoliators, they work like it and it does remove things you thought you got away when you did the double cleansing process. But its insane, there’s still stuff left on your face && this removes it! Like, I think that my face is clean, but then I swipe one of these across my face and the embossed side manages to remove all of the things that my cleansers didn’t manage to remove.  The pads are more like a hydrating toner, than exfoliator – but it does both things.

They hydrate pretty well, but my skin feels a bit sticky for a few minutes coming after I’m done using them. They do remove dead skin cells and provide deep moisture while smoothing the skin texture. So there’s actually nothing bad to say about them! First, I gently swipe it over my face with the embossed side, avoiding the mouth and eye area. Then I flip it over and use the other side to wipe away any remaining impurities before the pad goes into the trash. I love that you can use this pad every day as part of your routine, it’s not too rough so its suitable for sensitive skin and after a few uses you will notice a difference. Personally, I can admit that my skin felt softer after a few uses, and it also makes my now recently oily forehead less oily.

However, I have stopped using them daily, and I kinda use them 1-3 times a week after I exfoliate my skin just to apply some extra hydration afterward. But before I apply my Beauty Water and COSRX toner. I highly recommend these pads for all skin types, not just dry and sensitive. All skin types need hydration and these are versatile enough to fit in most routines. I even highly recommend these for those that are acne prone, because of the ingredients! These pads are super affordable, especially if you cut them in two (with a clean scissor), a pack contains 70 pads so cutting them in half makes it 140. So, there you go, something super easy and cheap you can use 140 times!