Today I’m going to be reviewing the COSRX 3 Step Blackhead Removal Kit. This kit is a set of 3 separate nose masks: soften, clear, and relax. Overall, it takes about 25-30 minutes to go through the entire kit. COSRX is a top Korean brand that specializes in effective skincare at a great price. As you can probably tell, I’ve been on a big K-beauty kick. Below, I breakdown each step of the blackhead kit.

Step 1: Soften

The first step of the process is to soften and prep the pores for the extraction step. This mask is made of a typical papery material soaked in essence. I couldn’t really see a visible difference in my skin after the mask sat on my nose for 5 minutes, but I do think this first step left my nose prepped and ready for the extraction step.

Step 2: Clear

Now, this is obviously the most important step in the blackhead removal kit. The extraction mask is VERY similar to the Bioré nose strips. You first add some warm water to your nose and then you apply the strip. The first time I used this set, I was not diligent about applying the mask as smoothly to the skin as possible. I could definitely notice that I got way more blackheads out the second time when I was more careful about smoothing down the mask right when it went on. As the fifteen minutes go by, the mask hardens into a cast like texture.

When I took the mask off fifteen minutes later, I got a pretty good harvest of blackheads. If you’re gross like me, you’ll really enjoy looking at the results. The most blackheads were removed from outside my nostrils and the top of my nose. This mask wasn’t really able to reach the crevices (or “corners”?) of my nose outside my nostrils. This is where I have the most blackheads and they are really difficult to remove so I wasn’t expecting a miracle.

This mask also has glycolic acid in it which is a great exfoliating acid that can help with clogged pores and acne. When my boyfriend tried this mask, an amazing amount of blackheads was removed from his skin! His pores are looser than mine so this step worked really well for him. 

Step 3: Relax

This last mask is made of a rubbery gel like material. This one feels so calming after the extraction step. It’s super hydrating and it doesn’t feel like it’s clogging your pores that you just worked on clearing. I definitely noticed that the skin on my nose that was a little red from the extraction step was back to normal after step three.

Overall, I really liked this kit! This is such a great way to remove blackheads without violently squeezing them out of your pores. It’s pretty gentle, yet really effective! If you have a special event coming up or you just want to get some blackheads out, this is a really great option. I like the 3 step process because the first step really preps the skin for the extraction and the third step feels so calming and hydrating. The COSRX blackhead removal kit is currently on sale for $7.49 and it comes in a pack of 3 (~$2.50 per mask set).

I will definitely be buying these again, however, they’re not a permanent solution for my blackhead problem. Since this is simply a blackhead extraction product and not a treatment, I knew this would be the case. I want to try COSRX’s BHA blackhead power liquid to tackle the blackheads using an exfoliation method. I’ll keep you updated when I try that! 

What are your favorite blackhead removing products?