Pimple/Blemish Toner Pads Showdown

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:

Peter Thomas Roth (RM167)	First Aid Beauty (RM144)	Cosrx (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