A couple of months ago, a Reddit review caused a wave of curiosity when Redditor -salma said CosRX's AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid helped get rid of her comedones like a miracle in a bottle. Sharing a before and after photo showing how the bumps on her forehead disappeared after using the said product for seven weeks, we — along with a vast majority of beauty enthusiasts all over the internet — can't help but covet this product and see the results for ourselves.
After weeks of trying this product to see if it'll work wonders, we share our thoughts below.
I was quite excited upon being presented with the prospect of reviewing this product because I've heard a great deal about CosRX. In fact, I once purchased their AHA/BHA toner to help me with a crazy breakout and it did help ease things down a bit. However, I also found out that incorporating AHA and BHA into my skincare routine can be tricky, considering that there are a lot of do's and don'ts when working with acids.
Given this, it's no surprise that the AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid is only directed to be used two to three times a day, or even just once a week if you're new to the whole acids thing. As instructed, I use this every other night and since my initial purpose was whitehead removal around the forehead and nose area, I wash it off with lukewarm water after five minutes.
After a couple of weeks of doing this method, I couldn't see any difference. This is why I decided to change it up a bit. Instead of washing it off, I let it absorb completely before incorporating intense hydration into my skin using either a sheet mask or a gel moisturiser. Needless to say, this technique worked into making my skin more plump and luminous.
However, I still don't see any major improvements when it comes to the whiteheads. So I experimented once more and decided to complement it with either a charcoal peel-off mask or my trusty Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask. What I do is let the Whitehead Power Liquid rest on my skin for 10 to 15 minutes, put the mask after that, and wash it off as usual with lukewarm water.
Left: before; Right: after (My face is makeup-free in both photos. The 'before' photo clearly shows skin discolouration and acne scarring on the cheeks and chin while the 'after' photo shows clearer, more glowy-looking skin.)
And voila! While it didn't really melt down my whiteheads without aid, I noticed that it did help a lot in extracting them so that I can easily wipe them away or scoop them off using my pore cleaning stick — yes, even those deep-seated ones that were mainstays for a long time! I decided to stick to this method and did this once or twice a week depending on how much makeup or pollution exposure I've had and that's when the results really showed. Even my discolouration and acne scarring became less visible with this method that I'm opting to go foundationless recently.
Still, the amount of effort I had to go through to make it work did require a lot of experimentation and sheer gut considering I have sensitive combination skin. So unless you're up for the ride, I suggest you purchase this product with a bit of caution.
I have combination skin, which is normal-dry on most parts but oily on the T-Zone. I consider my chin my 'problem area' because it's where I have prominent whiteheads and where most of my acne breakouts occur. I once went for a facial and had my whiteheads extracted but it was quite painful and expensive that I never had the guts to do it again. When I heard about CosRX's AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid, I was very intrigued and excited to see how it can improve my skin's texture.
I keep my skincare routine simple whenever I use AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid.
Following the instructions on the label, I used the product only twice a week (Thursdays & Sundays). First, I do my cleansing routine (Bioderma Micellar Water + THEFACESHOP Herb Day Cleansing Foam), then I put on some hydrating toner (THEFACESHOP Chia Seed). Finally, I apply four pumps of the AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid and then seal it with CosRX's Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence for a hydration boost.
Upon application of the AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid, I felt a tingling sensation that eventually subsided after 10 minutes. The morning after, I woke up noticing that my skin felt plumper and softer than usual. This made me very happy, but I wasn't satisfied until it fulfils its promise to banish my whiteheads and hyperpigmentation.
Above: before; Below: after (I tried to keep the lighting and quality as similar as possible. As you can see, there is an improvement in terms of skin texture, but not so much when it comes to the hyperpigmentation.)
After five weeks, I already noticed that most whiteheads on my chin were gone although the deep-seated ones are still there. As for the pimple scars, I didn't notice any difference in the hyperpigmentation. Yes, some dark spots have faded a little bit but I think it's because of my skin's natural shedding process. Even if the AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid didn't help my hyperpigmentation that much, it did make my skin smooth and soft on the surface. Overall, I still think it's a nice exfoliator that's more gentle and effective than mechanical ones.
I'm still hoping that once I finish the whole bottle, I can see better results in the long run.
Next, check out our review of Benefit's BADgal Bang Mascara.
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