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My favorite CosRx products
- The 6 Peptide Skin Booster,
$25$16 - Vitamin E Vitalizing Sunscreen SPF 50+,
$23$16 - BHA Blackhead Power Liquid Treatment,
$25$14 - Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream,
$25$20 - Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence,
$25$13 - Peptide-132 Hair Care Set,
$69$47
More to consider
- The Peptide Collagen Hydrogel Eye Patch,
$23$16 - Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser,
$14$10 - Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream,
$26$14
Want more beauty on a budget? Check out our list of Prime Day must-haves, K-beauty deals, and Best of Beauty Award-winning steals to fill your cart without emptying your wallet.
As a budding Korean beauty fan a decade ago, the best CosRx products were my introduction into the industry that would upend my skin-care routine and, in some ways, influence my trajectory from general shopping writer to beauty editor. I’ve been impressed by the wave of Korean beauty brands entering Sephora and Ulta Beauty this year alone—but CosRx has always been ahead of the curve, launching stateside way back in 2017. You can even find the brand at your local CVS! The reach, folks! I’m almost positive all of you dear readers have heard of the Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, but CosRx offers so much more—including a new hair-care line we’ll get to later.
A quick rundown: I’m 32 and have combination-leaning skin, so my routine generally focuses on hydration and plumping—with exfoliating and sebum-curbing products peppered throughout. Does that mean I sometimes walk the line between glowy and greasy? Sure, but I don’t care! New York City life is fast-paced and relentless, and CosRx plays a big role in brightening, smoothing, and overall perking up my complexion. My favorite CosRx skin-care products (and one hair care!) below are a true blend of O.G. formulas and newcomers, proving that the brand continues to innovate and impress. Let’s dive in!
My Top CosRx Products
- Pep Talk: The 6 Peptide Skin Booster, $25
- Dewy & Protected: Vitamin E Vitalizing Sunscreen SPF 50+, $23
- Blast-Off: BHA Blackhead Power Liquid Treatment, $25
- Comfy & Cocooned: Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream, $23
- Snail Satisfaction: Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, $25
- Easy as 1, 2, 3: Peptide-132 Hair Care Set, $69
Pep Talk: The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum
Why I love it: Don’t tell hyaluronic acid, but peptides are my go-to for deep hydration and plumping. If both are in said product (as it is here), even better! But, as you can tell by the name, The 6 Peptide Skin Booster is alllll about elasticity-boosting peptides. I won’t bore you by breaking down each individual peptide—the TL;DR is that together, they address dullness, excess sebum, loss of firmness, and texture. While that’s all dandy, I like a bit of immediate satisfaction, and the glow I’m left with is unreal.
I’m also obsessed with the texture. I use this as a toner, a.k.a. the first step following cleansing, and I like that it’s not watery—more akin to a lightweight gel serum. I pump the booster into my palms and gently glide/pat it in without losing any precious product. In the mornings, I follow up with an antioxidant serum, and then I’ll go straight into sunscreen—because the formulas I love are inherently hydrating, and thanks to this toner, I’m loaded up on enough hydration to warrant skipping moisturizer. At nighttime, I like pairing it with a retinol serum to keep fine lines from creeping in and deepening. (I’m still relatively young at 32, but prevention is key!)
More to know
- Key ingredients: 6 peptides (including SH-Polypeptide-121, copper tripeptide-1, oligopeptide-68, and acetyl hexapeptide-8),niacinamide, sodium PCA
- Who it’s for: anyone with dry skin and/or dullness
- Fragrance-free: yes
Dewy & Protected: Vitamin E Vitalizing Sunscreen SPF 50+
Why I love it: Korean sunscreens are elite, and no, I will not be hearing any counterarguments. While the very best formulas are sold abroad—because the FDA hasn’t approved a new sunscreen filter since 19-freaking-99—the American formulas hold their own. However, CosRx doesn’t list out the active UV filters and their concentrations—but Vitamin E Vitalizing Sunscreen SPF 50+ does feature butyloctyl salicylate, “a commonly used SPF booster that’s an analog for approved chemical UV filter octisalate,” as we’ve previously reported. I mostly use chemical sunscreens, so this isn’t an issue for me, but it’s something to note if you’re interested.
Back to the review: It’s so moisturizing and dewy (I’m almost blinded post-application) that I skip my daytime cream and let this do double duty. It’s on the thicker side, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a tad too heavy for acne-prone skin or oily skin types. (The ingredient list boasts cotton extract, which supposedly absorbs and controls oil, but it’s buried as the third-to-last ingredient, so it’s probably at a negligible concentration.) As I mentioned, I have combo skin and I don’t see any oil-minimizing qualities in my T-zone, but that’s what face powder is for!
More to know
- Key ingredients: butyloctyl salicylate, silica, vitamin E
- Who it’s for: anyone who likes chemical sunscreens, doesn’t have sensitive skin, and/or has dry and/or mature skin
- Fragrance-free: no
Blast-Off: BHA Blackhead Power Liquid Treatment
Why I love it: One skin-care concern, no matter the season, has been my persistent blackheads. I have a years-long habit of stress-rubbing my nose that certainly doesn’t help, which is why I tap BHAs for an assist. In the case of CosRx’s BHA Blackhead Power Liquid Treatment, this means two BHAs—68% white willow bark water and 4% betain salysilate—that blast through clogged pores and improve texture, making blackheads less of a visible pain point…hallelujah. (Reminder: You can’t totally erase your blackheads. Don’t believe any products that claim to do so!) It’s a pretty unsexy product, I admit, but sometimes that’s the winning recipe. After I cleanse my skin, I take a beat to really work this exfoliating liquid into my T-zone and on/around my nose. A simple rub-and-pat won’t suffice! I’ll either apply CosRx in the morning after splashing my face with water, or at night when I’m not using a retinol serum.
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More to know
- Key ingredients: 68% willow bark extract, 2% niacinamide, 4% betain salysilate, sodium hyaluronate
- Who it’s for: anyone with noticeable pores and blackheads
- Fragrance-free: yes
Comfy & Cocooned: Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream
Why I love it: I prefer any packaging that doesn’t require me to dip my fingers into it—but let me temporarily eat my words, because with winter and chapped skin on the horizon, I’m all in on the behemoth (15.2 fl oz. is hefty to me!) that is the CosRx Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream. It’s just thick enough to give me juicy-looking skin but not too thick that it feels like a slick, greasy film has been left behind.
Even though I haven’t been using this new launch for long, I can confidently say it’ll be my go-to night cream in the winter—I’ll go as far as plop it onto my nightstand table—and I’ll only reach for it in the morning if my skin is feeling drier than usual, which could be the case over the next few months, especially with humidifiers blasting all around. This cushy lotion is chock-full of five types of nourishing ceramides to replenish your skin barrier, the outer layer that keeps your hydration levels in check and protects your skin from outside nasties. I’m the opposite of a winter person. I’ll avoid going out as much as possible, but when I inevitably have to, this tub makes me (or rather, my skin) feel a little more at ease.
More to know
- Key ingredients: 5 ceramides, 5 types of hyaluronic acid, glycerin, panthenol
- Who it’s for: anyone with dry and/or sensitive skin, or who wants to switch to a thicker night cream for the colder months
- Fragrance-free: yes
Snail Satisfaction: Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
Why I love it: The CosRx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence practically needs no introduction. Long before it achieved TikTok virality and consistent bestseller status, it was the very first CosRx product I ever got my hands on. I’m a sucker for a sensorial product, so this gooey essence has a special place in my heart—and skin-care routine. It’s definitely tacky straight out of the bottle, but dries down beautifully—no stickiness at all, just dewy skin. My usual skin concerns thankfully don’t include breakouts (occasionally, I get a rogue one), so I can’t speak to the many acne-scar-and-dark-spot-clearing reviews I’ve seen across the internet, but I deal with uneven tone and dullness, which increase exponentially when I get less sleep. After particularly restless nights, this essence and a vitamin C serum (my favorite is from fellow K-beauty brand Dr. Althea) is a dynamite a.m. duo for brightening skin.
If you’re fully on the snail mucin train, this product line also includes the CosRx Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream (I haven’t tried) and Advanced Snail Mucin Gel Cleanser (quite nice!).
P.S. Animal testing is illegal in South Korea. As for how Cosrx obtains snail mucin, there's this statement via the R&D team: "Snails are placed over a mesh net in a dark and quiet room. As nocturnal creatures, this provides them with a comfortable space to freely roam about. After about an hour, the snails are transferred back to their homes while the mucin is collected and processed for use."
More to know
- Key ingredients: snail secretion filtrate, panthenol, sodium hyaluronate, allantoin
- Who it’s for: anyone with discoloration, acne scars, and/or dullness
- Fragrance-free: yes
Easy as 1, 2, 3: Peptide-132 Hair Care Set
Why I love it: That’s right, CosRx has expanded beyond Korean skin care. I gave my initial samples to our shopping director, Shanna Shipin (simply because I have too much hair care to go through!), and she ended up loving them—so, of course, I had to give them a real shot. The Peptide 132 Ultra Perfect Hair Bonding Shampoo deep-cleansed my scalp without being as harsh as other “typical” clarifying shampoos, and left it feeling really gosh-darn soothed, rather than stripped. It was the ultimate test, as my scalp gets greasy pretty quickly and I hadn't washed my hair in over a week, so I think the zinc PCA did a great job minimizing sebum and irritation.
I followed up with the rather-thick Peptide 132 Ultra Perfect Bonding Treatment, which is more of a weekly treatment compared to a daily conditioner, and left it in to marinate for a few minutes to deep-condition my damaged, color-treated hair. My hair felt a little tangled after the shampoo, but that instantly melted away as soon as I applied the treatment. I didn't have to comb through my hair at all after stepping out of the shower (a small win).
After squeezing out any excess water, I went in with the Ultra Perfect Hair Bonding Oil Serum. I was worried that it'd be too rich for my thin (but dense) hair, but after letting it soak in and blow-drying, my strands felt as light as a feather. Overall, I love how well these products work together and complement one another. I tend to mix-and-match hair-care products, but this CosRx trio will be an exception!
More to know
- Key ingredients
- Shampoo: peptides, zinc PCA, caffeine
- Treatment: peptides, collagen, amino acids, hyaluronic acid, ceramides
- Oil Serum: peptides, argan and jojoba oils, vitamin E
- Who it’s for: people with damaged, tangle-prone hair and/or greasy scalps
- Fragrance-free: no
Frequently Asked Questions
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When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that's included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best CosRx products, we considered each product's performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from board-certified derms and K-beauty experts. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it's never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
Read more about our favorite skin care:
- 8 Best BHA Toners for Smoother, Clearer Skin in a Single Swipe
- 5 Best Cryotherapy Tools That Instantly Depuff and Soothe Skin
- 9 Best Retinal Serums and Creams to Level Up Your Retinoid Routine
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