At first glance, the COSRX One Step Pimple Clear Pad seems like those flimsy OXY pads that make your eyes water and can strip paint. The pads I’m talking about today are nothing like that. These are far more sophisticated — less abrasive and far less irritating to the skin.
The pads are pre-soaked in a formula featuring betaine salicylate which is significantly milder to the skin than salicylic acid. But here’s the thing: a quick swipe over with one of these pads and you feel absolutely nothing. They are as gentle as can be — I can give a cursory swipe over the entire face, even near my eye area! Perfect if you’re new to facial pads or if normal BHA is simply too potent for your skin. It’s almost just an exfoliating “gesture” where most, if not all, of the sloughing and clarifying actions are from the swiping with the bumpy side of the pad.
The formulation is more hydrating than exfoliating or cleansing —skin feels moisturised and plumped out rather than freshened, clarified, and clean. They’re not just useful for acne-prone or oily skin (I personally am neither) — these are handy for pretty much any skin type. On my normal skin, I actually find that I don’t need extra hydration afterwards. I like to use it as a morning ‘cleansing-moisturising’ step — just swipe on and follow with a serum, then sunscreen.
The One Step Pimple Clear Pad from COSRX comes with 70 pads and it’s US$16.77 at Amazon.com.
