by Jude Chao

UPDATED! COSRX Sleeping Pack Showdown: Honey and Rice Overnight Mask Reviews

Post updated 9/15/16. Still in love with Mr. Rx.

There is really no way to say this without sounding like a total weirdo, so I’m just going to be blunt with you guys:

I’m in love with a cartoon character.

Not just any cartoon character, but a cartoon character who’s not even my type. This cartoon guy is stocky and dorky and his T-shirts are always a little too tight.

But I love him.

Products featured in this post were provided for review by Jolse and COSRX. Affiliate links are marked with an asterisk(*).

Cosrx mascot Mr. Rx
(Image courtesy of COSRX)

His name is Mr. Rx. He represents COSRX, and lately, it seems like everything COSRX makes is gold for my skin. Their recently launched Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask and Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask are no exception. After extensive, enthusiatic testing, I’m happy to report that my first impressions of the masks were spot on. Both of the products have earned a regular spot in my skincare routine.

(In fact, nearly a year and at least one repurchase of each variety, I still reach for these sleeping packs regularly and despite many newer and more “exciting” options on hand.)

Comparison of Cosrx honey and rice sleeping masks
I have a whole harem of creams and masks, but these two never get neglected. All the other masks and creams get jealous and catty about it. It’s hard to keep everyone happy, you know?

Review: COSRX Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask

I received my first jar of COSRX Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask as a press sample from Jolse and have purchased two or three more jars since then.

Purpose: COSRX Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask is a hydating and occlusive final step moisturizer.

Best suited for: Normal, oily, dehydrated/oily, and acne-prone skin.

Do not use if: You are sensitive to bee products, silicones, or anything else in the ingredients list.

When and how to use: Smooth a thin layer over face as the final step in your morning skincare routine or a thicker layer (or two thin layers, I dunno, you do you) as your final evening skincare step. Can also be used as a wash-off mask by applying a thick layer and wiping or rinsing off after 15 minutes.

COSRX Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask ingredients:  Propolis extract (85%), butylene glycol, glycerin, betaine, 1,2-hexanediol, PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil, arginine, cassia obtusifolia seed extract, dimethicone, ethylhexylglycerin, carbomer, sodium hyaluronate, beeswax, allantoin, panthenol, sodium polyacrylate, adenosine

CosDNA analysis

Notable ingredients: As you can tell from the percentage listed in the ingredients list, the propolis extract is the star here. Honey doesn’t actually appear anywhere in the list, which is kind of weird, but what are you gonna do?

I love propolis for its antioxidant and antibiotic, antifungal, and antiviral potential, as well as for the immediate glow a good propolis product gives my skin. Like most other skincare ingredients, propolis hasn’t been studied nearly enough in a cosmetic context to be considered “proven,” but that may have less to do with propolis’s actual abilities and more to do with a lack of funding and academic interest in cosmetic skincare ingredients. As a folk remedy, propolis has a long history. In my opinion, that makes it worth a shot.

Cosrx Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask texture
Honestly, at this point, if a bee sneezes somewhere near a skincare factory, I’ll probably be interested in trying out whatever the factory was making at the time.

Performance

The Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask is a light and very easily spreadable golden gel with an almost undetectable hint of that sweet smell that I’ve come to associate with propolis extract, since my Tosowoong Propolis Sparkle Ampoule and Graymelin Propolis 80 Energy Ampoule smell like that, too.

The gel imparts a cooling, soothing sensation and dries down quickly to an almost weightless gossamer film. Without repeating my first impressions post about this product too much, I’ll say that the texture of the COSRX honey mask really saved me during last month’s hot and unusually humid nights. It’s tangibly there, as just about any occlusive product is going to be, but in thin layers, it isn’t sticky, and built up in multiple layers, it remains manageable. I like to smooth a couple of layers of this on immediately after my nighttime sheet mask(s). It’s dry by the time I go to bed, and I wake up with soft, supple, hydrated skin that never dips below the 53% water mark, even after a long night of mashing my face into my pillow under a ceiling fan turned up full blast.

Review of COSRX Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask
Spatula not included.

COSRX markets this product primarily as a sleeping pack, but I’ve found it works just as nicely as a daytime moisturizer, thanks to its smooth and totally non-greasy finish. In fact, these days I reach for it more than I reach for any other day cream or lotion. Since it dries so quickly, it lets me get on with my sunscreen faster, and it plays well with all of the sunscreens in my collection. The calming properties of the propolis help keep any redness, blemishes, or irritation I have in check throughout the day. The honey mask also gives my skin a lasting dewy, juicy glow that works particularly well under more drying sunscreens. And I never complain about a little extra antioxidant protection.

I also tested this mask as a wash-off pack. This is the only area where I found the product fell a little bit short. It’s not that it didn’t give me some extra hydration–I just don’t see the point of washing it off in the first place. To me, a wash-off mask is a product that you have to wash off because it isn’t formulated for all-day wear. Think thick, gloppy scrubs full of exfoliating grains and emollient oils, or dense, sticky masks like I’m From Honey Mask. If I can use the product as a regular moisturizer, I don’t see why I shouldn’t. All-day use gives my skin more time to benefit from the star ingredient. Slopping on a thick layer just to wash it off in fifteen minutes, on the other hand, feels wasteful. It’s like making a whole pan of bacon and then just licking one slice and throwing the whole batch away. Why would you do that? Who does that? Why? It’s too good to waste like that! Don’t do that.

Updated rating: 4.5/5 (Original rating was 4/5, but the fact that I’ve repurchased this product so many times tells me it’s nearly holy grail for me.)

Rating scale:

1 – This should be taken off the market.
2 – Caused me some problems; would not buy again.
3 – Meh. Neither great nor bad.
4 – Pretty good. Would buy again unless I find something better.
5 – I’ll never be in the market for a replacement unless this one is discontinued.

COSRX Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask is available from:

I’ve enjoyed using the Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask so much in the last few weeks that it’s been hard for me to make myself try any other final step moisturizer. It’s a good thing I’ve been able to make it work for me as a day cream, since that opened the evening slot up for COSRX’s other new offering, the (brace yourself) Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask!

COSRX Mr. Rx graphic
(Image courtesy of COSRX)

Review: COSRX Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask

I received my first jar of COSRX Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask directly from COSRX and have since repurchased it twice.

Purpose: COSRX Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask is a moisturizing and brightening final step occlusive moisturizer.

Best suited for: Normal, dry, dehydrated/dry, and aging skin.

Do not use if: You are sensitive to niacinamide, silicones, olive oil derivatives or anything else in the ingredients list.

When and how to use: Smooth a thin layer over face as the final step in your morning skincare routine or a thicker layer as your final evening skincare step. Can also be used as a wash-off mask by applying a thick layer and wiping or rinsing off after 15 minutes, but again, why would you do that?

COSRX Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask ingredients:  Oryza sativa (rice) extract (65%), butylene glycol, glycerin, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, betaine, niacinamide, dimethicone, 1,2-hexanediol, cetearyl olivate, sorbitan olivate, elaeis guineensis (palm) oil, guineensis (palm) kernel oil, hydroxyethyl acrylate/sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate copolymer, cetearyl alcohol, ethylhexylglycerin, arginine, carbomer, allantoin, xanthan gum

CosDNA analysis

Notable ingredients: Rice extract is another popular but unfortunately not extensively studied skincare ingredient. Moisturizing and full of skin-friendly components like flavonoid antioxidants, rice is traditionally used to soften and brighten skin (at least according to “stuff geishas like” brand Tatcha). I haven’t used any rice-based products extensively, but the ones I have tried–sheet masks and a Skinfood scrub–I’ve liked. (And a year later, my extremely positive experience with the rice-heavy Naruko Face Renewal Miracle Essence has me feeling very positive about rice in skincare.) Also of note in this ingredients list is niacinamide, which the honey mask lacks.

COSRX rice sleeping mask review
So smooth and creamy, I’m tempted to dump it on a taco.

Performance

Let me get this out of the way right now: this mask was a huge surprise to me.

I didn’t expect to prefer this mask to the honey, not by a long shot. I already have a very established, long-standing love affair with all things bee, and although I have enjoyed the rice products I’ve tried, I’ve never liked one enough to really seek the ingredient out. Rice is rice. It’s there and it’s nice, but it isn’t very exciting, won’t make you look twice.

(Sorry)

(9/15/16: Still sorry)

Well, you know what? Sometimes I’m wrong. At least this time, I was wrong in a way that turned out well, and not wrong in a way that ended in embarrassment and sadness.

COSRX’s Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask is a rich, smooth, slippy white cream with a faint starchy scent. Like the honey mask, it glides on easily and feels lovely on my skin. Unlike the honey mask, it gives me a very mild tingle when I first apply it. It’s not an irritation tingle, but rather a pleasant warmth that makes me feel like something in the product is getting right down into my skin and starting to work its magic. The product does take a few minutes longer than the honey mask to dry down, but as long as I apply it in thin layers, I don’t have any problems with excessive heaviness or stickiness, and it leaves no oily residue behind on my skin even when applied in large quantities.

Cosrx rice mask review
You know what I could really go for right now? A big hot bowl of savory sticky rice, a little bit oily, full of shiitake mushroom slices and red cooked pork and whatever else my ma or grandma cares to put in it.

And the results?

Here’s the thing. The first couple of mornings after I used this mask, I saw exactly the kind of results I expected. Which is to say, nothing super impressive. My skin felt nice and soft, but I wasn’t amazed. At first.

And then things just kept getting better and better. In the first place, this mask holds moisture in my skin like no other. I reached a personal skin hydration best of 63% when using this, and was still at 60% when I checked my skin again in the morning. On top of that, after a few days, I started to notice increased plumpness and firmness after my morning cleansing. It was especially notable on a morning after I’d used nothing but the rice mask and my PocketDerm (now Curology) prescription the night before.

The delightfully strange marketing for this product features an anthropomorphic Korean rice cake. The implication is that the Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask will deliver smooth, “chewy” and bouncily resilient skin. That didn’t happen for me overnight, but over time, it definitely has. I’ve become addicted to the effects, so much so that today I even began forsaking the honey mask for a thin layer of the rice as a daytime moisturizer instead. On days when my skin needs more moisture, it delivers just enough.

I get easily bored of most skincare products, and I hadn’t expected to feel any differently about the Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask, especially since it’s one of the blander products I’ve used recently. But this smooth, mild cream has become one of my absolute favorites. I’ve got a number of other creams in the testing queue, but I keep putting them off for “just one more night” with the rice mask. It’s treated me that well.  Actually, it’s treated me so well that I’m totally comfortable giving it the title of New Holy Grail.

Rating: 5/5

Rating scale:

1 – This should be taken off the market.
2 – Caused me some problems; would not buy again.
3 – Meh. Neither great nor bad.
4 – Pretty good. Would buy again unless I find something better.
5 – I’ll never be in the market for a replacement unless this one is discontinued.

COSRX Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask is available from:

 Conclusions: COSRX standouts just keep coming. Both of these masks are excellent, and at the end of the day (har har) which one would be better for you will depend more on your skin type and needs than on anything else. Personally, I’m happy to have both of them on hand so that I can switch things up as needed.

Now the only thing left to ask is, Is Mr. Rx single?

 

68 thoughts on “UPDATED! COSRX Sleeping Pack Showdown: Honey and Rice Overnight Mask Reviews”

  1. I still have a 3/4 full jar of sleeping pack but I am so tempted to get one of these! My oily, acne-prone skin would be better off with the honey but the thought of having “chewy,” bouncy and resilient skin makes me want to try the rice mask. MUST. CONTROL. SELF. Urrrghhhh.

    Thanks for the awesome review! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Oh, Mr. Rx! -swoon-

    I’m glad I’m seeing more products with rice extract. Not because of the benefits necessarily, but because I love rice. And I’m really happy to see there’s niacinamide, too.

    Also, your last caption made me hungry. SO hungry. It’s 12 AM.

    Like

  3. *reads review*
    *immediately reaches for wallet*
    [end scene]

    I just received my honey sleeping pack today but now I want the rice one too! It sounds absolutely perfect for my needs. Thanks for the wonderful review.

    Liked by 2 people

  9. The rice mask sounds like exactly what I need for winter! I live in a dry climate so it may be a new addition to my year round routine as well.

    I love the Dr Jart Ceramidin line. However, I’m always looking for products to boost my skin with extra moisture and hydration!

    Thank you for your thorough review!

    Liked by 1 person

  12. I’m using the honey mask as a day cream too – I’ve found it to be the only thing that “seals” the miss flower me honey cream enough that I can wear makeup over it! It’s fantastic stuff! But now I also want the rice one 😦

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Damn 5/5 for the rice mask. How many products have gotten that score? :O

    The temptation of putting a spoonful of red bean paste into my mouth + sprinkling roasted sesame seeds all over the place would be strong /w this mask on my face. But maybe that’s just me…

    Don’t judge! I have a serious addiction to red bean sesame balls that I’m working through OK? 😛

    Liked by 3 people

      1. I haven’t a clue what you mean, Fiddy! I sometimes put raw honey on my face–I also put it on toast. See! Completely normal!

        So as far as creams, black sugar strawberry scrubs, berry tinted lip balms, rice/honey masks, tomatox, COSRX escargot mucin are concerned… doesn’t every other normal K-beauty hoarder out there store that stuff in their food pantry? It’s a dark/cool place, and it keeps the ingredients from spoiling…

        DO. NOT. JUDGE. ME. 😉

        Liked by 2 people

  14. Thank you for the review!
    I’m currently in Seoul and haven’t seen CosRX anywhere! Do you know if it is still an online only store?
    Off topic, but I haven’t seen Lee Ji Ham or A’Pieu either. 😦

    Liked by 1 person

  15. How does the Honey Sleeping Pack compare with the Honey Ceramide Full Moisture Cream? Or are they not comparable given that they the Sleeping Pack doesn’t actually contain any honey (which I agree, is really weird).

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I would say they’re totally different. The Honey Ceramide Full Moisture Cream is more of a traditional rich moisturizing cream, while the honey sleeping pack is a light film former. If that makes sense at all 😀

      Like

  17. I am so sad right now. I think I have finally pinpointed the ingredient that seems to give me CC’s along my jawline after using several sleeping masks – I am 99% positive it’s dimethicone (and its closest friends.) After giving yet another type of sleeping pack to my father’s wife yesterday (unlike mine, her skin seems to be perfectly fine with them,) I decided to come back here to check the ingredient list for the honey sleeping pack, and damn… 😦 I love CosRX so madly, and I wanted to try this mask so badly. The search continues, for me, I guess.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Ugh, that sucks! I’m sorry. It’s in so many products (AB and Western), too. Let me know if you find any HGs. I’d love to know about them.

      Also, I feel like I haven’t seen you around in forever!

      Like

      1. For now, I am using an extra amount of the CosRX Snail AIO cream at night. Totally doesn’t make it a sleeping pack, but my face is so happy, so I might cancel my hunt for a HG.

        Oh, I have been here and lurking and ooh-ing and ahh-ing and making mental notes and wanting almost everything you review. Unless you hated something. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

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  20. Late post to say – I was bad and started the rice mask the same week I started the Mr Honey Essence Oil, so I don’t know which was responsible (I suspect both), but my skin turned right around within two days. I still can’t believe it. Wonder product!

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Hi! do you have a page with your Holy Grails or 5/5 products? Cant seem to find the section! Would be great if you have a tag or smth for these items (although I know that everyone’s skin is diffferent)

    Liked by 1 person

  22. Hello~ I’ve been coming to this page like thousand times and still hesitate to buy the rice mask because it’s said the mask is best for dry skin~
    actually i have combination skin. my nose gets oily so easily but the area around my lips and chin is so dry (sometimes there are some dry patches)
    so do you think that the rice mask would fit combination skin?
    -thank you thankyou so much for answering this 🙂 love your blog!

    Like

  23. I just wanted to thank you for this review! I started using AB products and following an AB routine a few months ago, but just recently received a jar of the rice mask, and I’ve fallen in love with it. My skin has felt wonderful with the multi-step routine, and I’ve seen improvements in the brightness and little signs of aging (I’m 55), so I wasn’t really expecting to notice much by adding this cream, but it simply sounded too wonderful not to try. I’m a sucker for new stuff, I guess.

    Holy cow, is this cream lovely! I don’t find it heavy or greasy at all, and using a thin layer during both my morning and evening routines has given me cloud-like softness. I honestly thought my skin couldn’t get any softer, and then along comes this cream. Heh. At any rate, I wanted to drop you a line to thank you, because your review really tipped me over into buying this rice mask/cream, and I’m deeply grateful to you.

    Like

    1. Theoretically yes–the rice isn’t overly moisturizing but neither is the honey overly light. Some people also combine them, putting the honey on their oilier areas and the rice on their drier spots 🙂

      Like

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  28. Hi! I read your scinic aqua all in one ampoule review as well and you said your skin moist level increase by 20%. What about the cosrx rice sleeping mask? Do you like scnic or cosrx better as sleeping mask? Thanks so much in advance 😀

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  29. Hi, may I ask what causes the tingling sensation? I also felt it when I use this and instead of nourishing my skin, it made mine dry and peel 😦

    Like

    1. I’m not sure what it is, but it sounds like there’s something in the product that doesn’t agree with your skin 😦 Have you had this type of reaction with another product before?

      Like

      1. No, it’s my first time. My face became itchy too. I’ve been using the Cosrx snail cream for a month now but it’s fine with my skin and I lobe it.

        Maybe there is something with the ingredients 😦 I haven’t tried a lot of products yet since I’m just starting to use skin care products. At least, now I know I have a kind of sensitive skin. It’s just a waste that I can’t use and enjoy this product 😦

        Like

    1. I think it might be a bit heavy but the propolis is a better overall consistency for most oily skin types! However, I’ve heard good things from others with oily skin who have used the rice; using less product at a time may be helpful.

      Like

  31. hey!

    I’m allergic to just about everything so finding things I can safely use is an exercise in itchyness and misery for sure, but this looks like it might be safe for me to use which is great. but…

    do you know if it is at all possible to find out where the palm oil in the rice mask is sourced from?

    Like

  32. hi fiddy, I hope youre having a good day ^^ Id like to ask how you would compare rice overnight mask with Mizon’s good night white? Ive tried both the mizon and the cosrx honey overnight; bought the cosrx bc i want to try it. However, when i woke up i find that my tzone area was stil oily… as in, my skin thinks it doesnt have enough moisture…? this doesnt happen when i use the mizon (never oily, really, i find it so cool lol), i think its a better occlusive than the cosrx honey. id like to know what do you think of the occlusive… ness of the rise overnight compared to the mizon? also how greasy is the rice? thanks in advance ^^

    Like

    1. Hi! Mizon Good Night White didn’t really do a thing for me as far as moisturizing or brightening, but I did really like the texture and scent, and it’s definitely a fantastic occlusive. I think I’ve used two tubes when I was using it (a long time ago)!

      The rice is definitely more emollient and may have a greasier feel on oily skin than the honey.

      Like

  33. Hi Fiddyyy :3 My mask came with a dull yellow color 😦 ( just the top layer tho) The expiration date is 2018. What do you think about this 😦

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  34. I also experienced the warm feeling (and a little redness) on the skin after applying the Rice mask, but i found it rather unpleasant. Now I’m trying to find out the cause.
    Maybe it is because of the Niacinamide in it? I read on your blog that you love Niacinamide, do you have this warm sensation with other products, too?
    The Honey Mask does not have it listed as an ingredient, so I’m going to try it instead.

    Like

    1. I don’t have that issue with other niacinamide-containing products, but it’s not unheard-of–I hope the honey mask works out better for you!

      Like

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  37. I just got free sample of the overnight rice mask, and i applied it yesterday night, i was impressed with the result of my first time use, and i google for the review then it brought me here!
    Thanks for the review and definetaly will purchase this product 😃
    Btw, how did you check your personal skin hydration??

    Like

  38. i ended up buying the honey mask but my face got a lot of pimples during the first week of using it. i didn’t know if i got propolis alergic or its just the begining of using. can’t decided to stop using it or keep going.

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  39. Thanks so much for this review. Just found your blog and you are hilarious. Literally burst out laughing whilst reading this review. Will be binge reading your reviews for the rest of the eve.

    Like

  40. I think it has the word “honey” to highlight where the propolis comes from (honey bees) – this is very important for those of us who are allergic to honey/penicillin/etc. as some people can die from it.

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  41. Hey, Jude! I just saw that these masks come in squeeze bottles now! Is that new packaging permanent? I’d be super happy if that was the case so I’m not continuously dipping my fingers in a tub!

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  42. Do you used the sleeping masks in place of a moisturizer, or do you layer a light moisturizer underneath them?

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