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While red might be the joyful, festive color of Santa hats, stockings, candy canes and Christmas tree ornaments, it’s also the color of acne. My hatred of pimples is perennial, but during the holidays, I especially dread showing up to gatherings with an unsightly zit. This December, I decided to try two of COSRX’s spot treatments – the AC CollectionBlemish Spot Drying Lotion Kit for nighttime use and the Master Patch Intensive for daily use – hoping for double the power and efficiency. Housed in sleek and bold red packaging, they rescue skin from breakouts by reducing acne size and relieving redness. Both are gentle on skin, as the AC Collection Blemish Spot Drying Lotion Kit is clinically tested for skin irritation while the Master Patch Intensive is made free of toxic substances.
If a new spot pops up the day before your big Christmas party, will this combo be able to get rid of it in time? That’s the question I’ll try to answer.
AC Collection Blemish Spot Drying Lotion Kit
While the frequently bought AC Collection Ultimate Spot Cream offers gentle acne care for the daytime, the COSRX AC Collection Blemish Spot Drying Lotion Kit offers intensive, immediate treatment for the nighttime. Its dual-layered formula is infused with key ingredients such as pink calamine powder and Vitamin B12 essence to soothe, brighten and revitalize troubled skin. The liquid layer is further enriched with zinc oxide, ethanol, salicylic acid, willow bark extract and Centella AC-RX to cleanse the affected area and control sebum production. The kit also comes with a reusable textured silicone swab housed in an EVA pouch. After use, simply wash it with water or clean it with soap or disinfectant.
To use, dip the swab in the bottle, fully coating it with product, and then dab onto areas of concern. Make sure not to shake the bottle, as that will cause the powder to melt into the fluid and be unable to stick onto the swab.
Due to the high alcohol content in the drying lotion, I was worried it would have a strong smell. Thankfully, there wasn’t much of a scent after application. My biggest qualm with the formula was that after the pink liquid dried on skin, it became very flakey. A few minutes after application, pink powder was falling from my face and landing all over the floor. Despite being quite messy to use, the drying lotion was effective in treating troubled skin. It suppressed and soothed pimples, making them less red and inflamed overnight. However, I didn’t notice significant differences in the control of sebum production and brightening of acne scars.
My favorite thing about this kit is the silicone swab as it’s environmentally friendly, innovative and convenient. I love that I didn’t have to use and dispose of a new cotton swab every night. Furthermore, regular cotton swabs tend to absorb solutions quickly, but the silicone material and bumpy texture of COSRX’s reusable swab helped the drying lotion apply easily and smoothly on skin.
Master Patch Intensive
COSRX acne patches are cult faves that require no introduction. The brand recently launched a new Master Patch collection coming in three versions: Basic, X-Large and Intensive, as well as a Master Patch Set containing all three. When it comes to getting rid of zits, I can be quite impatient, so when I read about how the Master Patch Intensive promises prompt pimple-healing by reducing inflammation, it sounded like the ideal quick fix.
The Master Patch Intensive is an oval-shaped hydrocolloid patch with ultra-thin tapered edges. It comes in two different sizes to treat and protect blemishes. Thanks to the ultra-thin design, the patch looks almost invisible on skin and it adheres well to curved surfaces like the jawline and hairline. This product is made of 100% A.D.F hydrocolloid to absorb moisture from acne and reduce the size of the pimple. It’s further infused with tea tree oil to relieve redness.
If you’re looking for a subtle pimple patch that will cover your troubled skin inconspicuously for everyday wear, this is a great pick. Personally, since my patches are usually hidden under my mask, visibility (or lack thereof) is not a major deciding factor for me.
This spot patch from COSRX felt a little flimsy and was harder to put on and take off compared to my usual go-to acne patch. I also found that if I left the Master Patch Intensive on too long, the material felt very sticky, like it had somewhat dissolved. I also wasn’t a huge fan of its oval design, as the longer shape fit awkwardly on most of my pimples.
I appreciate that the Master Patch Intensive Full Size comes with such a large quantity of patches (90 pieces!), as having to continuously repurchase a daily must-have can get annoying. The patches did a great job of relieving redness, reducing the size of pimples and treating acne swiftly. They also worked well as a blemish cover, protecting my pimples during the day to hasten the healing process.
Conclusion
I had high hopes for these two products since COSRX is well-known for its pimple patches and spot solutions from the AC Collection. I had some issues with usage of both items, as the AC Collection Blemish Spot Drying Lotion Kit was very messy with its fallout, while the Master Patch Intensive was hard to put on and take off due to its ultra-thin design. As such, they didn’t tick all of my boxes, since I prefer low-maintenance skin care that incorporates seamlessly into my everyday life. However, I was impressed that they both rapidly reduced the size and redness of spots with soothing effects. Although these products aren’t miracle workers, they are effective, efficient and reliable in treating troubled skin – perfect stocking stuffers for friends and family with acne-prone skin type.