Cos De Baha Clearing Serum Honest Review | Retinol and BHA together?
Cos De Baha creates serums that are high-potency and simple to allow users to add easy ingredients to their routine at a cost-effective rate. Founded in 2019, it promises simplicity in its skincare – selling a variety of well regarded serums and one sunscreen. Free from harmful ingredients and common irritants, its often touted as the best place to get your vitamin C, retinol and azelaic acid fix. My eye was caught by one of its only combination serums, however, the Clearing Serum. With a mixture of 10% niacinamide, 5% azelaic acid, salicylic acid and hinokitiol (Cypress tree extract) it seemed like the perfect remedy for acne-prone skin all rolled into one! And I have acne-prone skin! It’s for me!
Not only did it have these core ingredients, but it was also infused with tea tree extract to balance oils and hydrating panthenol and hyaluronic acid. And… retinol? It's a cardinal skincare sin to combine retinol and exfoliators (BHA and azelaic acid), as both boost cell turnover and together can irritate and burn your skin. Has Cos De Baha gone too far in their strong serum formulation? Let's test it out!
What's In The Bottle?
Majority of it was mentioned at the top of this article but we can break it down further.
Niacinamide (10%): this brightening extract is beloved in K-Beauty for its ability to clear skin as well as infusing a lasting glow. At high concentrations however, it can be drying.
Azelaic acid (5%): exfoliating acid that helps clear pores, reduce bacteria and cools skin redness. Can be drying at high concentrations and shouldn’t be mixed heavily with other exfoliants and retinol. Wait...
Salicylic acid: exfoliating BHA that helps clear pores deeply to refresh the skin barrier and helps cool inflammation and irritation. Can be carefully mixed with other exfoliants, but shouldn’t be used with retinol at the same time.
Sodium Hyaluronate: a form of hyaluronic acid, a powerful water humectant that helps draw moisture into the skin barrier. Requires deep hydration, otherwise it can be drying.
Hinokitiol: Japanese Cypress tree extract that helps cool inflammation and also reduces bacteria on the surface of the skin.
Tea tree extract: tree bark that reduces bacteria on the surface of the skin, cools inflammation and redness.
Retinol: vitamin A derivative that helps boost cell turnover for rapid refreshing of skin cells and more radiant, even skin tone underneath. Can be irritating at high concentrations and should not be combined with exfoliating agent, vitamin C or astringent agents.
Who Should Avoid?
It's most important to note that this is an aggressive acne treatment. It does mean it will yield fast results, but its designed for oily skin types. This is not a serum for dry skin, sensitive skin or those already using professional acne treatments. It should not be used on a compromised skin barrier and only be used in combination with soothing and hydrating skin products.
The Results
The Clearing Serum is a combination of all common acne treatments in one bottle. Does that make it work? For some, yes. Even one drop, however, will make your skin burn (not even over spots of acne) - so carefully consider if its going to be worth it. I'm always wary of aggressive skin treatments, as they risk damage to your skin biome. This serum must be used in very small amounts (think 1-2 drops over each area) and only a few times a week. It can't be used with other retinol products or strong exfoliants, which limits some other parts of your routine.
I would recommend it most for strong, oily skin individuals who are going through periods of hormonal acne (high stress periods, sudden breakouts) as it essentially contains a variety of exfoliators (retinol, BHA, azelaic acid) combined with acne-killing ingredients.
I tried this serum to help combat an initial outbreak, but I vastly underestimated the nature of the serum. I used too much initially and it immediately dried out my skin, caused a complex acne flare and took a long time to calm. I had to abandon the serum for a week to heal, then slowly introduce it again. I have used retinol products plenty of times, but this is one of the most aggressive I've used.
As you can see above, there was a sudden drop to my skin health, burns and irritation. I had to alter the dosage quickly, only applying one drop to each cheek and following rapidly with hyaluronic acid serum and a soothing, hydrating essence. After two more weeks of using it more gently, there was a general improvement to acne appearance - but I still believe the risks are too high.
I do think there is an audience for this, especially for acne-tired users who are looking for something more stronger to provide a shock to skin and reduce outbreaks. But, take deep care to support your skin barrier, hydrate and introduce probiotics shortly after using to prevent more harsh outbreaks in future.
Final Thoughts
This is one of the most aggressive acne treatments I've tested. It burns, generally irritates when using, but it does help with more hormone driven acne. I would only recommend it for the brave (as there's far more gentle and kinder acne treatments that can help boost your skin health too!)
If you are after quick results and are not afraid of stronger treatments, it might give you some good results. Just remember to start slow and careful and be mindful of other products in your routine.
Other Cos De Baha serums have great positive reviews, so feel free to check out their other, simple and effective serums. Or if you are after acne treatments – check out these reviews for successful products that provide more gentle and holistic care.
Anua Niacinamide 10% TXA 4% Serum Review
Medicube Zero Pore Pads 2.0 Review
Nineless A-Control Azelaic Acid Serum Review
