Propolis?

I was a little surprised to find an effective BHA in Asian Skincare due to the strict regulation of Salicylic Acid limiting what can be sold in over the counter products. But! Excited as always to try new things, I gave this a go.

Claims

Ingredients

Propolis Extract (60%), Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Water, Glycolic Acid, Betaine Salicylate (1%), Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Allantoin, Cassia Obtusifolia Seed Extract, 1,2 -Hexanediol, Ethyl Hexanediol, Tea Tree Leaf Oil, PEG 60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil.

Here’s a cute chart explaining the role of each ingredient.

I wish more companies did this. I probably would have skipped this product if they hadn’t specified that the Tea Tree Oil was only really in there for aroma-therapy as I’ve had poor experiences with the essential oil in the past.

Why I was so excited to try this.

Propolis. It’s a resinous substance that bees use to construct their hives. Topically applied in humans, propolis possesses antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and has been shown to promote wound healing. Whoo! Exciting stuff!

My Experience

The product arrived in late January, so I decided to dedicate February to testing the A-Sol, and I used it as my only BHA for 23 days when I realised that it alone wasn’t enough for my skin.

The consistency is like water, it doesn’t sting and the tea tree fragrance is strong but not lingering. During my testing period it really impressed me as I had a lot of super gross hormonal acne on my chin, cheek and eyebrow (yuk), and the A-Sol made quick work of dominating them. I agree with COSRX’s claims, it does an amazing job at healing.

However, by the end of the month, I realised that the A-Sol (Acne + Solution) works so much better as a spot treatment (as directed by the instructions on the box) than an all over BHA for prevention so I reintroduced my regular BHA the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Spot Stress Control Ultra-light Spot Treatment Moisturiser back into my routine.

It was my wishful thinking that I could use the A-Sol as anything else. I’ve found that while it isn’t strong enough as a sole BHA product for me, using it in the morning and using my regular BHA at night is much better for my skin. I tried doubling up on my Neutrogena BHA but that just lead to over exfoliation and sadness, so this is perfect.

Even though this product didn’t dramatically change my life and give me perfect skin (what does right?), it is now an essential part in my skincare routine. If you already use a strong BHA, this probably isn’t going to be enough for you, but as a spot treatment and ‘top up’ chemical exfoliator if like me you’re afraid of peels then this is perfect.

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I bought mine from Jolse’s eBay page (jolse_cosmetics) and the free shipping option came with a tracking number which is awesome! WishTrend & Jolse are the two main retailers of COSRX that seem to have a good working relationship with the brand so they get a lot of the newer items first. I know other retailers like RRS and Cosmetic Love also stock COSRX.

Shop around for the best price and only buy from trusted retailers!