COSRX Snail 92 vs. 96 vs. Dual Essence vs. Hyaluronic Acid Essence: Differences and Reviews 2024

• About COSRX

A hero K-beauty brand to treat sensitive and troubled skin, COSRX is dedicated to creating products with high concentrations of active and effective ingredients that are committed to bringing lasting results since 2013. Designed with a mild formula to alleviate irritated skin, all COSRX products are cruelty-free and skin-friendly with natural ingredients such as propolis and CICA extracts. 

COSRX offers an extensive range of skin care products that aim to provide the best solutions targeting the root of all types of skin concerns. The COSRX best seller list includes the COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch which has perfect COSRX review for spot treatment, as well as the COSRX toner and serum line-up that feature active ingredients to help exfoliate and clean your pores, not to mention the famous Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser from the COSRX face wash collection that comforts and balances your skin in the morning.

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• The Difference & Reviews

| COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream

($26.00/100ml, up to 5% cashback at Dermstore)

What Does It Do? 

Restore youthful vitality with the COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream; a deeply nourishing formula that works to fight signs of aging. Fortified with 92% Snail Secretion Filtrate, Korea's best kept beauty secret, the lightweight, fast-absorbing jelly cream replenishes and regenerates dry, damaged skin, whilst helping to minimise the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for a smoother, younger-looking complexion.

Key Ingredients:

- 92% Snail Mucin: Infused with 92% of snail mucin, this cream glides onto the skin and builds a moisture barrier to plump, hydrate and soothe skin.

- 1,000 ppm sodium hyaluronate: Plumping and soothing care, infuses hydration.

Best for: Suitable for oilier skin types and really great for oily/dehydrated skin types that need moisture but don't want extra shine. 

Texture & Fragrance: The texture of this cream is so unique, it doesn't feel much like a cream but more like a gel. It's very viscous – to the point of being quite gooey – which takes a while to get used to. However, it applies pretty nicely and it doesn't stay sticky on the face. After it dries down it has a velvety, matte finish which suits combination-oily skin quite well. 

This cream smells fresh but it doesn't contain any added fragrance so it should be safe for sensitive skin types.

Review: COSRX is most well known for their affordable yet effective skincare products that minimize the amount of unnecessary and sensitizing ingredients - making it a holy grail for those with sensitive skin. The Snail 92 Cream is no exception, it is a classic product for those wanting to try snail as a new ingredient to incorporate in their skincare routine. It is a relatively light-weight product but hydrates the skin more compared to other gel-based moisturizers. It is suitable for all skin types but the benefits of snail mucin would be more effective for those with acne or textured skin.

| COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence

($13.49/100ml, up to 3% cashback at Stylevana)

What Does It Do? 

Like a multivitamin for your skin, COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence helps to nourish, repair, and plump the skin with moisture. Formulated with 96.3% Snail Secretion Filtrate, this essence repairs and rejuvenates the skin from dryness and aging. It improves skin vitality by reducing dullness and soothing dehydrated skin. This lightweight essence fastly absorbs into the skin and gives you a natural and healthy glow. Guarantees long-lasting hydration without heavy feeling on the skin.

Key Ingredients:

- Snail Secretion Filtrate (96%): This helps to repair and hydrate the skin, while containing high levels of antioxidants. Some studies have shown a positive effect on reducing the appearance of fine lines, so potential anti-aging benefits too.

- Betaine: An amino acid derivative which helps to hydrate the skin through it's humectant properties as well as providing anti-inflammatory benefits.

- Panthenol: A vitamin B5 precursor, panthenol also has humectant and anti-inflammatory properties, helping to both moisturise the skin and maintain a healthy skin barrier.

Best for: Various skin types, including normal skin, oily skin and sensitive skin.

Texture & Fragrance: The texture of this product is so interesting. It's not as sticky, but it definitely has some 'bounce' to it. It's the kind of substance that forms 'threads' as you pull your fingers away. This viscosity obviously goes away when it dries though! Despite being somewhat on the thicker side for an essence, it doesn't feel heavy on the skin at all. It rubs in really nicely and feels really moisturising. 

The ingredients list doesn't contain any fragrance so it's safe to assume that this would be suitable for sensitive skin.

Review: Meant to be used after cleansing but before moisturizing, upon application, the COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence has a slight white cast that disappears once completely rubbed in. Though it resembles a serum, instead of sitting on top of the skin, it sinks into your skin and gives you an added boost of moisture. 

Though the concept of applying snail excretion to my face took some getting used to, the results speak for themselves. If you're looking for an essence or serum to add to your skincare routine that won't break you out, cause irritation, or break the bank, this one is it. 

COSRX Snail 92 Cream vs. Snail 96 Essence

Think of the COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream as the Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, but thickened up into a cream. Because, as you may have noticed from the ingredients, that's pretty much what it is. This cream contains 92% snail slime. 

Because these products are so similar, it may seem redundant to use both of them in the same routine. If your skincare goals are complex enough to require different actives for each step of your skincare routine, then it's probably a better idea to decide which one of these is more suitable for you, and save the other step for something that targets a different issue.

With that being said, there's nothing at all wrong with using both of them, either. Their functions are different. If you're looking for a nice mild hydrating essence and a nice bland moisturizer, the COSRX snail essence and snail cream give a one-two punch with the power to deliver beautifully soft, smooth, supple skin that's nourished from within and protected from external irritants. Like all else in skincare, it all comes down to what you want.

| COSRX Advanced Snail Radiance Dual Essence

($23.42/80ml, up to 4% cashback at Yesstyle)

What Does It Do? 

High-efficacy snail essence mixes with the radiance essence upon pumping to create a refreshing combination of plumping and brightening care. The essence delivers hydration deeply into the skin without leaving a sticky residue, making it an optimal essence to add to your daily routine. The key ingredient of 74.3% triple snail complex - land snail, black mucin, golden shell mucin, and 5% niacinamide locks hydration in the skin to improve the complexion and boost the skin’s radiance.

Key Ingredients:

- 74.3% Triple Snail Complex: A complex that combines the existing hydrating and plumping effects of snail secretion filtrate and fortifies it with the anti-aging, pore contracting benefits of Black Snails and the anti-bacterial, antioxidant and UV protection effects of Gold Snails and more.

- 5% niacinamide: Brightening the skin for simultaneous plumping & radiance care, strengthening skin's barrier.

- Glutathione: Improving skin tone and skin complexion.

Best for: All skin types and skins that look dull and dehydrated.

Texture & Fragrance: Compared to the original Snail 96, the Radiance Dual Essence has a thinner and lighter consistency, which makes sense, given the lower concentration of snail mucin in it. It spreads on easily and sinks in more quickly, making it a little more ideal for a rushed morning routine. Like the Snail 96, it has no scent and feels instantly soothing on the skin, and like the Snail 96, it creates smoother texture and improved hydration immediately upon application.

Review: It's a great essence hybrid that works very well for someone with combination skin. This feels cooling, softening and hydrating. The essence is great but lacked that moisture from emollients; so creating a product that's a hybrid of the essence and cream together is a great way to get both hydration and moisture while thinning out the texture.

If you mainly want full snail benefits–the hydration, the moisture, the soothing protective layer that provides extra resilience against external damage–and you either already have, or don't really want, an added brightening component, then the original Snail 96 will make more sense for your needs.

If, on the other hand, you want to include both a solid brightening serum and some snail benefits in your skincare, and especially if you don't want to have to add two layers to your routine to do so, the Radiance Dual Essence makes more sense. 

| COSRX Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Power Essence

($17.00/100ml, up to 7% cashback at Style Korean)

What Does It Do? 

Cosrx Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Power Essence is a game-changer when it comes to achieving smooth, plump, and hydrated skin. This powerful essence is packed with high purity natural hydrating Sodium Hyaluronate, also known as hyaluronic acid, which works wonders for dry and bumpy skin. It contains 4,000 ppm of Sodium Hyaluronate, a natural moisture component. If you have rough and dry skin, Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Power Essence will smooth and moisturize your skin.

Key Ingredients:

- Hyaluronic Acid (sodium Hyaluronate) - Hyaluronic acid is a natural component of the human body that is composed of amino acid and uronic acid. It is vital to sustain the skins age while helping to retain 100~1,000 times of its water weight within the cells of the skin, making it an excellent moisturizer.

- Sea buckthorn water - Sea buckthorn is natural plant that bears golden orange fruits which provide vitamin C, E and other healthy components. It helps to relieve stress from the skin.

Best for: All skin types, especially dull, dry, and dehydrated skin types.

Texture & Fragrance: Cosrx's Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Power Essence is a thin runny gel-texture that has a slightly tacky texture with absolutely no fragrance. Its lightweight formula practically glides onto the skin and it layers well with heavier products like serums and moisturizers. Plus, it doesn't leave behind a shiny finish.

Review: If the idea of using snail extract on your face isn't terribly appealing yet you're still intrigued by the highly moisturizing formula you might find Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Power Essence a better option. It's a very gentle formula that when used daily will improve the texture of skin as well as ease dullness while hydrating dull, dry, and dehydrated skin types. It'll work across the board for a variety of skin types because the formula is so gentle and doesn't create unnecessary oil or shine nor will it clog pores. Of course, everyone's skin varies but this is a formula that should work for many.

It may be a bit lightweight for people with very dry skin, but it can also be mixed with heavier-duty hydrators and even into moisturizers for an added boost if needed.

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