I was excited to try the Cosrx cica cleansing balm as a long time fan of Cosrx. I’ve been using Cosrx since I got into Korean skincare 6 years ago and there have been very few products from the brand I haven’t loved. Let’s see if the Cosrx cica cleansing balm is any exception!

Consistency

The Cosrx cica cleansing balm has a rich, sorbet consistency that deeply hydrates the skin. As someone with dry skin, I love how nourishing this feels. While this product is very nourishing, I use cleansing balms in my routine to remove makeup and sunscreen. This cleansing balm does pretty well at removing complexion products, but struggles to remove heavy duty mascara and eyeliner. 

I expect my first cleanse to remove all of my makeup, but I frequently noticed black streaks around my eyes after rinsing off this cleanser. This cleanser also doesn’t emulsify well and leaves a film on the skin. The film comes off with my second cleanse using a water based cleanser, but the film still makes me unhappy. 

Scent

This Cosrx cleansing balm smells like a heavenly spa. This is probably my favorite aspect of this oil. The cleansing balm is scented with lavender and eucalyptus oil. If you or your skin are sensitive to essential oils, this might not be a great fit for you.

Highlighted Ingredients

Centella Asiatica- (AKA cica) soothes redness and irritation. This ingredient is extremely popular in Korean skincare because it soothes sensitive skin and it prevents acne as well! 

Nourishing Oils- This cleansing balm has a plethora of nourishing oils such as oat kernel oil, coconut oil, olive oil, evening primrose oil, avocado oil, almond oil, and jojoba oil. 

Price

The Cosrx cica cleansing balm retails for $29 for 4 fl oz on Cosrx’s website. This balm does last quite awhile, but I would much prefer the Banila Co. clean it zero jumbo size ($22 for 6 oz) both for quantity and quality of product. 

Packaging

While the compact size of this cleansing balm is perfect for travel, this jar did not perform as I hoped while on the go. I took this cleansing balm with me on a cruise to Alaska. The jar didn’t completely come unscrewed, but this oil has a tendency to leak out the sides even with the lid screwed on. I think this product would probably be better suited for a tube because I wasn’t happy to find a sheen of oil all over my other skincare products in my suitcase. 

If you’re looking for a high quality cleansing balm to take traveling, I’d highly recommend the JUNOCO cleansing balm. It’s about the same size and it’s a much better formula. 

Final Thoughts

Overall, this cleanser smells amazing and feels nourishing on my skin, but ultimately the Cosrx cica cleansing balm falls short in the performance category. When there’s other cleansing balms I love that are cheaper and higher quality (Banila co. clean it zero and JUNCO cleansing balm), I can’t rationalize repurchasing this cleansing balm. 

While I don’t like this cleansing balm, I do like other products from Cosrx’s cica collection like the cica cream and the cica intense cream. I hope they improve this formula or turn this into a slugging balm or facial oil because it is very nourishing for the skin. 

Have you tried any products from Cosrx?