Pimple/Blemish Toner Pads Showdown
(Feat. Peter Thomas Roth vs FirstAid Beauty vs Cosrx)
Pre-moistened
Toner Pads have been an uprising trend ever since the Cosrx One Step Pimple Clear Pad took over the whole beauty industry
by surprise in 2017 with its overall great performance and at the same time
reasonably priced. Also considering that K-beauty has recently hit the
global/international beauty industry, hence gaining this product more
recognition worldwide.
But little
does the world know that these pre-moistened toner pads has been around us
yearssssss ago. I would say at least 5 years or even more! And in this blog,
I’m only focusing on those toner pads mainly targeting for blemish-prone skin/containing
BHA or more known as salicylic acid. Peter
Thomas Roth (PTR) Max Complexion Correction Pads is one of the first few I’ve
came across 3 years ago and it wasn’t even a new release when I discovered it.
So I’m pretty sure this type of product have been longer in the beauty
industry. XD However, this PTR products hasn’t been getting much attention and
I totally understand why after trying it out which I’ll go through it in-depth
later.
Next
discovery was First Aid Beauty (F.A.B)
Blemish Patrol Pads also 3 years ago. I was more attracted to the brand’s
vision of producing products safe for those with even the most sensitive skin.
So, I decided to give it a try but does it stays true to the brand’s claim? We
shall see!
Let the SHOWDOWN begin! (For a brief/quick reviews, please kindly
refer “Overall Review” and "Repurchase" section)
Claims:
|
Peter
Thomas Roth
|
First
Aid Beauty
|
Cosrx
|
|
1) Cleanse skin
2) Clear up active acne and blackheads
3) Pore-minimizing visually
4) Reduce
appearance of fine lines and wrinkles (anti-aging benefits)
5) Calm the
look of skin
6) Anti-oxidant benefits
7) Suitable for normal, oily, combination skin type
|
1) Prevent breakouts
2)Tighten appearance of pores
3) Mattify skin
4) Soothe
redness
5) Gentle and non-irritating daily alternative to medicated acne
treatment
6) Suitable
for ALL skin types
|
1) Clear up existing pimples
2) Prevent further skin trouble
3) Helps eliminate blackheads
4) Unclogs pores
5) Dissolves deep down oil
6) Sebum control care
7) Mild exfoliator
8) Face makeup
remover
9) Suitable for
oily, acne-prone
|
Table 1. These claims are gathered from the above brand's
official website respectively/Sephora/Hermo shopping website (Not my personal opinion/made up)
Generally
they’re all both physical
(embossed/textured-sided pad) and chemical
(AHA and BHA) exfoliative toners
which claimed to help with existing acne/acne-prone skin.
*Those
highlighted in RED are the ones I’m either unsure of/completely disagree.
Packaging:
To be
honest, I’ve nothing to complain about either of the packaging since they’re
all made up of plastic (travel-friendly) and I’m not expecting them to be
fancy/attractive. The ONLY complaint
is the AMOUNT of pads provided. Cosrx
(70 pads) has 10 pads more in the jar compared to Peter Thomas Roth and First
Aid Beauty which provide only 60 pads each. I know 10 pads more doesn’t seems
like a big deal but the latter two cost at least twice the price of Cosrx. So,
it is a BIG DEAL! XD
Pad’s texture:
To no doubt,
all three brands came out with I would say almost
very identical double-sided sheet pads as seen in picture. One
embossed/textured side (almost like honeycomb-shaped) used as step 1 for
exfoliation/unclogging pores. The other side is a smooth surface used as step 2
to toned and moisturized the skin.
The very
slight difference I can notice is that Peter Thomas Roth cotton pads are not so
densely packed and tend to wear off slightly easier which may cause
over-exfoliation/irritation to the skin. First Aid Beauty and Cosrx seems quite
similar in terms of the quality of the cotton pads.
Another
slight difference would be “Are the cotton pads fully-soaked with toners?” My
answer would be Cosrx > First Aid
Beauty > Peter Thomas Roth. But has it become a concern? NOT at all.
Do all the
pads get the job (as in Exfoliation & Toner) done? I would say YES to ALL.
Ingredients Dissect:
|
Peter
Thomas Roth
|
First
Aid Beauty
|
Cosrx
|
|
ACTIVE
INGREDIENT: Salicylic Acid 2%
INACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Alcohol Denat., Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Amyl Cinnamal, Arginine, Benzoic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Citronellol, Fragrance/Parfum, Geraniol, Glycolic Acid, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Isobutylparaben, Limonene, Linalool, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Symphytum Officinale Root Extract, Triethanolamine, Water/Aqua/Eau |
Water, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch
Hazel) Water , Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate
20, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Chrysanthemum Parthenium
(Feverfew) Extract, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract, Enantia Chlorantha
Bark Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Glycerin,
Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Hexylene
Glycol, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Oleanolic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Salicylic Acid,
Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract, Benzoic
Acid
|
Salix Alba(Willow) Bark Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Betaine Salicylate,
1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Allantoin, Arginine, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor
Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate,Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil,Melaleuca
Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil , Ethyl Hexanediol, Sodium Hydroxide
|
First of
all, I’m very thankful to all three brands for formulating these products
without parabens, sulfates and phthalates. But there are few things I’d like to
bring to your concern individually on each product, listed below:
Peter Thomas Roth potent ingredients such as maximum
strength 2% salicylic acid (highest concentration among all three) and 10%
glycolic acid seems very promising in terms of keeping up with its claims.
BUT…. disappointment due to the high content of alcohol which
I personally think might not be suitable for those with severe active on-going
acne. This is because high level of alcohols is likely to disrupt the skin
barrier, followed by weaken skin and hence promoting a more acne-prone
situation. According to Paula’s Choice Skincare’s Ingredient Dictionary, denatured
alcohol listed as fifth ingredient or higher is considerable risk for
sensitising skin which in this product is the first ingredient. I appreciate
that PTR tried adding in ingredients such as Arginine, Allantoin, Aloe Vera and
Chamomile Extract to calm/soothe the skin and also combat the high
concentration of acids BUT acids are not the main cause for skin irritation
here! ALCOHOL is! Also it’s
formulated with fragrance
and a very strong
peach scent is present upon/after
application which is completely unnecessary.
First Aid Beauty is indeed the smartest to play safe
so that it stays true to its brand’s motto of “safe for even the most sensitive
skin”. Why do I say so? Because salicylic acid is so much lower in the list
which I truly believe is in a very low concentration, reducing risk of skin
irritation. In the Sephora’s website, the brand stated “A set of non-medicated pads formulated for oily
and acne-prone skin types to help prevent
breakouts and control excess oil.” which is a very safe way of marketing unlike
Peter Thomas Roth. Ingredients are mainly focusing on natural ways of targeting
skin troubles such as Witch Hazel (natural astringent), Tea Tree Oil (reduce
irritation) and Licorice Roots (Antioxidant). It really caught me speechless!
XD
Cosrx right off the bat with the simplest,
shortest ingredient list. The main active ingredient is 1% Betaine salicylate
derived from plants, similar to cholesterol which occurs naturally in skin,
making it a good moisturizing, skin soothing ingredient but at the same time mildly
exfoliates skin. pH level is also desirably at 4.0-5.0 which suits our slightly
acidic skin. Using Willow Bark water
as the main medium in replacement of just pure water is simply impressive for
the price you pay for.
Irritability:
Peter Thomas Roth always leave my skin irritated, obvious redness which lasted quite awhile after application. And I would blame it solely on alcohol because I’m simply allergic to it.Refer to the ingredients section for details.
First Aid Beauty seems to cause me slightly more skin
irritation to my skin, probably due to lack of moisturizing ingredients but
seriously cause no harm.
Cosrx simply amazing! I’m loss for words!
It gets the exfoliation work done and at the same time moisturized and hydrates
my skin which doesn’t always coalesce in an acne-marketed product.
Overall review:
Reviewing Properties
|
P. Thomas Roth
|
First Aid Beauty
|
Cosrx
|
|
1) Exfoliation
|
STRONG
*Over-exfoliation is
never a good thing though
|
ABOVE MILD
*Suitable for daily use
without use of other acids
|
MILD
*Suitable for daily use
and all skin types
|
|
2) Purifying
|
SAME
|
SAME
|
SAME
|
|
3) Pore-minimizing
|
Visually
Temporarily
|
Visually
Temporarily
|
Visually
Temporarily
|
|
4) Breakout Prevention
|
NO
*Ingredients cause skin
irritation leading to more skin troubles
|
YES
|
YES
|
|
5) Oil-controlling
|
NONE
|
NONE
|
SLIGHTLY
*Most likely due to
higher moisturizing/ hydrating properties
|
|
6) Toning/Moisturizing
|
LITTLE
|
SLIGHTLY
MORE
|
MOST
|
Repurchase:
|
(RM167)
|
(RM144)
|
(RM74.20)
|
|
NEVER
Sadly allergic to alcohol and I do
believe it’s in a very high concentration. Also NOT recommending to anyone!
|
MAYBE/UNLIKELY
An overall decent product but not
necessarily worth the price point.
Recommend only to acne-prone without severe on-going acne.
|
DEFINITELY
Very mild and gentle product for daily
use. Very reasonably priced too! Recommend to EVERYONE!
|
Please excuse me for the lack of pictures as I was busy moving house and those were empties so I had to throw them away already. XD
