COSRX

Really wanted to love this one and got very excited when I saw it in the store. I have dry, sensitive, acne-prone skin and thought this would be a gentle enough cleanser for me. I didn't notice anything in the ingredient list that I am sensitive to, and yet my skin broke out quite a bit after using this product twice in two days. It foamed up very gently and left a squeaky clean finish to my skin, so I imagine it was stripping my skin a bit too much of its natural oils. I always use a hydrating toner and a fairly rich moisturizer after cleansing, but I suppose I still needed more moisture.

My skin: 41, normal/combination, leaning normal/dry in the winter, combination in the summer. Prone to acne and dehydration. Usual morning routine: splash of water, Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Lotion, Vit C serum mixed up from The Ordinary L-Ascorbic Acid powder + The Ordinary Resveratrol + Ferulic Acid + Vichy Mineral 89 serum, then sunscreen. So I've been using Skin79 Non-Chemical Sunblock for a couple of years now, and it really works for me, especially in the summer. It has a bit of a white cast, but I'm pale, so I can live with that. It's a very matte silicone-based formula, though, and sometime in the fall I felt like I had to start adding an extra layer of heavier moisturizer under it in the morning, or my face would feel kind of tight and dry. I prefer keeping the number of steps down in the morning, so I decided to get a more hydrating sunscreen for the winter, when I'm always much more dry. Enter this product. I switched to physical sunscreens a few years ago, when I got a hold on my acne. I felt that some chemical sunscreen agents clogged my pores and caused acne, they also sting my eyes, and I want to be able to wear sunscreen around my eye area as well - that's delicate skin that needs protection, too. I couldn't be bothered to figure out exactly which ingredients caused eye irritation and clogged pores, and the physical sunscreen I settled on worked on both counts, anyway, so I just stuck with it. Sunscreen is tricky to figure out, so many of them contain alcohol or feel heavy. I have good experiences with CosRX, I've liked everything I've tried from the brand and they have a lot of great products for acne treatment, so a moisturizing sunscreen from them felt worth a shot. This is a combination sunscreen, it has both chemical and physical filters (octinoxate, tinosorb s, ensulizole, amiloxate and titanium dioxide, quite low on the list) but it lacks avobenzone, the one I think may be the main culprit when it comes to stinging and clogged pores. That checks out, I find, because I haven't experienced any stinging in my eyes when wearing this, and it doesn't seem to clog my pores either. It's also very moisturzing, so I'm happy with it, it does pretty much what I wanted it to do. The texture feels nice, creamy and light, very moisturizing, not heavy. I wouldn't say that it's greasy, but it is so moisturizing that the more dewy and hydrating foundations I normally gravitate towards in the winter (MAC F&B, Pixi H20 tint) slide around a bit on top of it. It's fantastic under drier, more long-lasting formulas, though (primarily Estée Lauder DW Light, the new version). I might try powdering down the sunscreen before applying foundation. I don't experience any white cast at all with it, but I'm pale. It's a solid moisturizing sunscreen. I don't really need spf 50 in the dead of winter in Sweden, but I can get away with lighter application, and that's nice. I really like it, and I will repurchase.

This product has a nice, short ingredient list that would probably work for most people's skin without causing breakouts or irritation. My own skin is dry, sensitive and prone to dehydration so this product is just one layer of many in my hydration routine. I use two large drops for my full face and the product sinks in without leaving any tacky feeling. This is the first product I've used containing propolis extract, an ingredient that is described as being healing and soothing to problematic skin by being anti-inflammatory and a natural antiseptic. I honestly can't say that I notice anything amazing with this ampoule in regards to these suggested benefits but perhaps those with more irritated or acne-prone skin would notice these benefits more readily. What I do get from the product is a nice, light layer of hydration that is easy to incorporate into my skincare routine and the extra hydration is particularly needed given the dry, cold winter air. This product is easy to obtain from authorized dealers such as Dermstore and the price is relatively low, however, even only using a couple drops each night, a bottle only lasts a couple of months for me. I notice that sometimes product leaks from the top when I close the bottle after use...not sure if that's just me being careless and in a hurry or if the dropper design/packaging is faulty. Overall, this is a good, affordable product to add a bit of hydration to the skin although I'm unsure if it truly offers much benefit beyond that.