Review: COSRX AC Collection Calming Foam Cleanser

Hi Everyone!

I'm making a second review today that's still part of the COSRX AC Collection. This part 2 of the review is for the AC Collection Calming Foam Cleanser.

I haven't tried many of the COSRX cleansers, only their COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser, which I actually HATED, and their COSRX Salicylic Daily Gentle Cleanser, which I did like. I think the pH cleanser is literally the only product that I've ever actually hated from COSRX.

I had high expectations when it came to trying this cleanser out, especially since I didn't like the other cleanser. I've heard many great things about it, but I also know that I've heard so many great things about the pH cleanser, and I hated that one. So, while I had high expectations, I knew I can't get my hopes too high and potentially be let down.

I was selected to participate in the a Try Me;Review Me from Stylekorean. Here's everything I was given as part of their Try Me;Review Me. They were very generous to give full size products and a pack of the AC Collection Acne Patches.

This cleanser is designed for acne-prone skin, a hypoallergenic foam cleanser that gently removes dead skin cells, excess sebum and impurities, leaving skin soothed, clearer and plumper. It is also suppose to be fine to remove impurities and residue left from sunscreens, makeup and other environmental factors.

Contains plant-based ingredients such as salicylic acid to target the source of troubled skin. Provides excellent moisturizing and soothing effects for sensitive skin triggered by external aggressors.

This cleanser is suppose to be a "updated" version of the Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser.

Benefits:

👍Sebum Care

👍Exfoliating

👍Addresses acne-prone skin

👍Clinically tested

This cleanser has a special ingredient, the CentellAC-Rx Complex. Made up of a blend of three centella asiatica extracts:

🍃Madecassic Acid - Soothes and protects skin

🍃Asiaticoside - Promotes radiance, helps keep skin transparent and clear

🍃Asiatic Acid - Conditions and helps maintain skin balance while also strengthening the skin barrier

Also contains:

💥Lavender - an effective healing, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic ingredient

💥Pine Leaf Oil - an astringent and anti-bacterial

💥Salicylic Acid - a BHA, going deep into pores to unclog and clean out dirt and debris

Target Audience:

👫People looking for a cleanser to alleviate skin problems

👫People suffering from dry skin

👫People desiring sebum care and moisture care simultaneously

🐇Cruelty-Free & Vegan🐇

Here's a close-up of the cleanser. It's brightly white colored. It has a creamy, light, easily spreadable texture. It literally glides easily along the skin.

Size: 150 mL / 5.07 oz.

pH Level: 9.00

Color: White

Texture: Creamy, almost slightly gel-like. It creates a light lather/foam.

Fragrance: Has a really strong medicated, "green"/herbal and acidic smell to it.

Key Ingredients: 

🍃Salicylic Acid 0.5% - Removes dead skin cells and clears pores

🍃CentellAC-Rx Complex - Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, and Asiatic Acid

Free From: Paraben, Ethanol & Alcohol, Silicon, Steroid, Sulfates, Phthalates, Artificial Coloring, and Artificial Fragrance

Full Ingredients List: Water, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, PEG-32, Potassium Hydroxide, Palmitic Acid, Lauric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Lauramide DEA, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Pinus Sylvestris Leaf Oil, Potassium Cocoate, Salicylic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Disodium EDTA

How To Use:

Apply onto wet face and gently massage in circular motions, then rinse off with lukewarm water.

How I Use It:

I used this cleanser both morning and night because I wanted to see how effective it would be. I would wet my face and squeeze out about a nickle-sized amount and spread it all over my face. Then, I would massage it all over and sort of let it sit on my face for about a minute as I continued to massage it in. Once I felt clean enough, I rinse off the cleanser with warm water.

 Below are pictures of me trying out the cleanser

Overall, you can see it did a goof job removing all the oils off my face. There's no longer that overnight shine. However, my face feels slightly tight and dry.

Here's a close-up of my forehead. You can see it's no longer oily/shiny. My skin feels clean.

My cheek is now clean and pores are cleared out. However, you can see that my skin feels a little tight and dry. The redness towards the back of my cheek where I have a pimple is less after using the cleanser.

Here's a look at how the cleanser sort of foams. It's a light, soft foam.

My skin is no longer shiny and oily. My pores are clear and don't feel clogged. I do feel slight dry and tight skinned. There is NO change in pore size. The pimples at the back of my cheek has reduced in redness after using the cleanser.

1. Lorac Front of the line PRO Liquid Eyeliner

2. Ulta Dual Ended Pencil Eyeliner

3. ByBelle Let's Draw! Smudge Gel Eyeliner - Red Bean Cookie

Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara

5. Colourpop Supernove Shadow - LOML (18L2)

6. Almay Unapologetic Eyeshadow

I add some of the cleanser onto my hand. It's so brightly white!

The cleanser doesn't really product a big fluffy foam, it's more like a light barely there foam. 

While the cleanser it still on: It easily took off the eyeshadows, but it had a hard time removing the liquid eyeliner and the mascara. It didn't do anything to the pencil or gel eyeliner. 

When I washed off the cleanser: You can see the pencil and gel eyeliner are so very much present. I was rubbed quite hard trying to remove more but it wouldn't budge. I feel like the the only reason the liquid eyeliner and mascara came off was because of the warm water I used, not because of the cleanser.

When it was fully washed off, the cleanser made my hand feel really dry and tight. This cleanser is definitely drying.

Overall, this cleanser is okay. It's great at cleaning the skin and making me feel like my pores are fully cleaned out. However, it's not a great makeup remover and it does cause my skin to feel dry and tight. The good news is it doesn't cause me to break out.

🚨BE WARNED: This cleanser has a REALLY STRONG medicated, acidic smell.🚨

I think there will be many people that will comment that they don't like the smell of this cleanser or that they think it's too strong. I do agree, it's really strong. But, after using this cleanser for almost a week, I'm so used to the smell I don't really even recognize it anymore.

COSRX is saying this cleanser is moisturizing, but I have to disagree. It is NOT moisturizing at all. It actually caused my OILY skin to feel tight and dry. Not extremely tight and dry, but it was definitely there. If I'm already feeling this than anyone who isn't oily-skinned would think it was even ore drying and skin-tightening. They say anyone can use it, even though it's more for oily and acne-prone skin, but I really don't think dry or combination skin people should use it.

I did notice that whenever I use this cleanser, it helped to reduce the redness on my acne-problem areas. I really noticed a change when I looked at the before-after pictures.

Also, COSRX says this cleanser would be good for removing makeup. I would have to disagree again. I had 6 different makeup products on my hand and it only really easily removed the eyeshadows. It had trouble removing my liquid eyeliner and mascara, and they weren't even waterproof. I feel like the liquid eyeliner and mascara only came off because of the water when I was rinsing off the cleanser. It couldn't even really remove the pencil or gel eyeliner, both of which are still really present on my skin.

I wouldn't recommend this cleanser as a makeup remover. I don't think it's a great choice as a 2nd step cleanser either. I think this cleanser is better suited to be used in the mornings when you're washing your face off from the overnight skincare products.

Rate (out of 5 stars): ⭐⭐⭐⭐

While I do like this cleanser, it's a little too drying even for me, and I have oily skin! It does do a great job of cleaning my skin, but it's definitely not great for washing makeup off. I wouldn't recommend this cleanser to anyone that does NOT have oily skin, it would definitely be too drying for you.

Product Mentioned:

COSRX AC Collection Calming Foam Cleanser

     Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SyEWDv

     Yesstyle: http://shrsl.com/24dbx

     Stylekorean: https://bit.ly/37tKd3d

     Wishtrend: https://bit.ly/2Hsx6ok

FTC: This is not a sponsored post. I received this product for free from Stylekorean in return for my honest review. Some links are affiliate.