Buy This, Not That: Cosrx vs. Pixi Beauty
When I came back to Canada after my 3-year stint in Korea I was in a bit of a pickle. Several of my Korean beauty products had been confiscated from my carry-on at the airport in Bali. With the heat, I had used up all of my hydrating toner pads. Granted, I clumsily packed in an attempt to avoid overweight charges. My toners and essences took the hit and I was stuck waiting for my slow shipment from Seoul. I went to Shoppers Drug Mart in search of some local goodies to test out. It was especially exciting because, for the first time in 3 years, the ingredients would be in English (and French! – sometimes). My eyes grew wide and glazed over as I saw the ever increasing prices. What had I done? What a mistake I had made leaving all that liquid gold in Indonesia.
Battle of the Hydrating Toner Pads
Both of these pads claim to have hydrating and exfoliating properties. One left my skin feeling like a rough astringent had been applied. It made my more viscous products tough to apply. The other makes my skin feel clean, but soft and supple, too. We all have different kinds of skin, but in my experience the value of one one of these hydrating toner pads far outweighs the other. Read through for my verdict in Buy This, Not That: The Battle of the Hydrating Toner Pads!
Pixi Beauty Glow Tonic To-Go
Regular price $24.00
“Everything you love about the Glow Tonic, TO GO! Travel-friendly pads pre-soaked in Glow Tonic to tone, brighten, hydrate and gently exfoliate for clean renewed skin.”
The best routine is the one you’ll actually repeat, so toner pads are a no-brainer for a lazy K-Beauty lover like me! These were the only ones under $50 at Shoppers, and since I needed something that day, I decided to suck it up and hope my pension came through sooner than later. I picked out the Pixi Beauty brand based on their clean, feminine packaging and prices which I thought were high for the product type, but better than the others. I looked them up online and found that a number of other beauty bloggers and influencers had featured the products in their feed, so I should give them a fair shot. What exactly was in these products, though? What was I really putting on my skin? Is it the right product for my skin type? Why did I spend nearly $110 on 3 itty bitty items which would probably have cost me $30 in Korea? These hydrating toner pads cost me $24 plus tax. A lot of the time we skim over certain products assuming because the price is low the product must not be good quality. Now, I feel far more inclined than ever to buy Korean beauty products online.
Product Details
- These pre-soaked pads tone, brighten, hydrate, and gently exfoliate.
• Skin looks clearer & feels smoother.
• The ultimate travel-friendly, gentle skin renewal
• Formulated with 5% Glycolic Acid
• Suited for all skin types
• Alcohol free
• Not tested on animals
How To-Apply
- Use: Either in the AM and PM or when needed
• Step 1: Cleanse your face
• Step 2: Sweep pre-soaked pads across face , neck and décolletage after cleansing, avoiding eye area.
• Step 3: Follow with a serum or moisturizer. (no need to rinse off)
Ingredients
Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycolic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut) Seed Extract, Hexylene Glycol, Fructose, Glucose, Sucrose, Urea, Dextrin, Alanine, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Hexyl Nicotinate, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Biotin, Panthenol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum), Caramel, Red 4 (CI 14700). Made in USA / Fabriqué aux États-Unis.
Cosrx One Step Moisture Up Pad
“It is a daily moisturizing pad presoaked in a toner of Propolis Extract and Hyaluronic Acid. It helps to fight against main features of dehydrated, delicate and flaky skin. TIP: It is convenient to wipe off and fix makeups during the day. You can also use as a mini sheet mask on specific dry areas such as cheek or chin. Do not use BHA products if you are allergic to aspirin.”
HOW TO USE
- Swipe the embossing side across the face avoiding eye area after cleansing.
- Swipe the softer side across the face to pick up the remaining debris.
- Replace the lid tightly to make sure the pads stay wet and clean.
INGREDIENTS
Propolis Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Betaine, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine Salicylate, Panthenol, Allantoin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil
I first tried the Cosrx One Step Moisture Up Pads at the Novotel in Seoul. Cosrx partnered up with the Novotel Ambassador Seoul Yongsan (Seoul Dragon City) and placed their Korean skincare goodies in the uber luxurious bathrooms. What a genius idea! I was hooked on several of their products right away, including these hydrating toner pads! You’ve seen Cosrx on my site before. They have the most fabulous cleanser which isn’t on the market quite yet. This cleanser is gentle and doesn’t leave a residue. The same can be said for these hydrating moisture pads (the Cosrx One Step Moisture Up Pads). You can use them for spot treating, prepping for more viscous parts of your skincare routine, or tidying up makeup gone wrong. After trying the Pixi Glow To-Go pads, there’s just no comparison. Cosrx Moisture up pads are a big BUY THIS.
BUY THIS: Cosrx One Step Moisture Up Pads, NOT THAT: Pixi Beauty Glow Tonic To-Go Pads
I’ve made a chart for you of the different ingredients in both hydrating toner pads. You’ll notice that there are a few overlapping ingredients. For the most part, the Pixi pads have a lot more colouring (I’m not sure why – they’re white), fragrance, and additives. Personally, I prefer a shorter list of ingredients with elements I actually understand. For example, I know some beauty bloggers work with natural ingredients like lemon which can be extraordinarily drying and damaging to the skin. I prefer to leave that to the professionals (Cosrx). Why Pixi is putting caramel and red dye in their white pads is beyond me. I’ve left the Pixi at my parents’ place to use the couple of times a month I go visit, but for daily use opt for the gentler, more nourishing blend.
Ingredients
| Pixi Beauty “Glow Tonic To-Go” Pads: Acne-Fighting, Brightening, Anti-Aging | ||
| Safe for Oily Skin, Risk for Dry or Sensitive Skin | ||
| Ingredients: | Purpose: | Notes: |
| Water/Aqua/Eau | Solvent | |
| Glycolic Acid | Whitening, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Exfoliant | Anti-aging, Good for Oily Skin, Bad for Sensitive Skin |
| Butylene Glycol | Solvent, Skin Conditioning, Masking, Fragrance, Humectant (retaining or preserving moisture), Viscosity Controlling, Viscosity decreasing Agent | Good for Dry Skin, Comedogenic Rating 2- slight chance of clogged pores |
| Glycerin | Solvent, Perfuming, Fragrance, Humectant, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Hair Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Denaturant | Good for Dry Skin |
| Sodium Hydroxid | Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Denaturant | |
| Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice | Skin Conditioning | Good for Sensitive Skin |
| Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water | Skin Conditioning, Drug Astringent – Skin Protecting | Good for Oily Skin |
| Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut) Seed Extract | Skin Conditioning | |
| Hexylene Glycol | Solvent, Skin Conditioning, Perfuming, Surfactant (foaming agent), Fragrance, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Emulsifying | Comedogenic Rating 2- potential to clog pores |
| Fructose | Humectant, Flavoring Agent | |
| Glucose | Humectant, Flavoring Agent, Skin-Conditioning Agent- Miscellaneous | |
| Sucrose | Skin Conditioning, Humectant, Flavoring Agent, Soothing | |
| Urea | Skin Conditioning, Humectant, Antistatic Agent, Buffering Agent | |
| Dextrin | Viscosity Controlling, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding Agent, Binding, Absorbent, Bulking Agent | |
| Alanine | Skin Conditioning, Masking, Fragrance, Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning | |
| Glutamic Acid | Fragrance, Humectant, Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning | |
| Aspartic Acid | Skin Conditioning, Masking, Fragrance, Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning | |
| Hexyl Nicotinate | Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Antistatic Agent | |
| Panax Ginseng Root Extract | Emollient, Hair Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Tonic | |
| Ethylhexylglycerin | Skin Conditioning, Deodorant | |
| Disodium EDTA | Viscosity Controlling, Chelating (bonding) Agent | |
| Biotin | Skin Conditioning, Hair Conditioning, Antiseborrhoeic (breaks up oils/ removes flakes) | |
| Panthenol | Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning | Promotes Wound-Healing, Good for Dry Skin |
| PPG-26-Buteth-26 | Skin Conditioning, Surfactant, Fragrance, Emulsifying, Hair Conditioning | |
| PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil | Perfuming, Surfactant, Fragrance, Emulsifying | |
| Phenoxyethanol | Fragrance, Preservative | |
| Fragrance (Parfum) | Masking, Perfuming, Deodorant | |
| Caramel | Masking, Fragrance, Colorant, Cosmetic Colorant | |
| Red 4 (CI 14700) | Cosmetic Colorant | |
| Cosrx “One Step Moisture Up” Pads: Promote Wound-Healing, Acne-Fighting | ||
| Low Risk for All Skin Types | ||
| Ingredients: | Purpose: | Notes: |
| Propolis Extract | Skin Conditioning | |
| Butylene Glycol | Solvent, Skin Conditioning, Masking, Fragrance, Humectant (retaining or preserving moisture), Viscosity Controlling, Viscosity Decreasing Agent | Good for Dry Skin, Comedogenic Rating 2- slight chance of clogged pores |
| Glycerin | Solvent, Perfuming, Fragrance, Humectant, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Hair Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Denaturant | Good for Dry Skin |
| Betaine | Skin Conditioning, Humectant, Viscosity Controlling, Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning | |
| Cetearyl Olivate | Hair Conditioning | |
| Sorbitan Olivate | Surfactant (foaming agent), Emulsifying | |
| 1,2-Hexanediol | Solvent | |
| Betaine Salicylate | Antimicrobial Agent, Exfoliant, Keratolytic (remove warts, calluses and other lesions) | Acne-Fighting |
| Panthenol | Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning | Promotes Wound Healing. Good for Dry Skin |
| Allantoin | Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Soothing | Good for Oily Skin, Good for Sensitive Skin |
| Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer | Viscosity Controlling, Emulsion Stabilizing | |
| Sodium Hyaluronate | Skin Conditioning, Humectant | Promotes Wound Healing. Good for Dry Skin |
| Ethylhexylglycerin | Skin Conditioning, Deodorant | |
| Sodium Hydroxide | Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Denaturant | |
| Xanthan Gum | Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Controlling, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emulsion Stabilizing, Binding Agent, Binding, Surfactant -Emulsifying Agent, Gel Forming | |
| Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil | ||
| Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil | Masking, Fragrance | |