Ciracle Pimple Solution Pink Powder Review & What I Should Have Used Instead

I admit it; I've been procrastinating on reviewing this Ciracle pink powder for weeks months a long time.  It's a spot treatment, so it doesn't get consistent daily use, and that makes it difficult to test it to my usual standards.  I'm now almost done the bottle, though, and it's time for me to just throw in the towel and admit this product doesn't measure up to its predecessors.

Ciracle Pimple Solution Pink Powder Review
I managed to snap this before it rained, go me!
As you can see, I'm almost done this bottle so it's time to review this and get it off my To-Do list!

In this post:

  • What is a pink powder/drying lotion?
  • Product details
  • Why I didn't like it
  • What I'd rather use

This is my second pink powder product, and when I'm done writing this review, I'm going to run right back into the acne-thwarting arms of my first.

Just as a quick reminder: this blog uses both affiliate and non-affiliate links, and if you choose to click the fomer before you shop, your purchase may contribute a tiny amount to the maintenance of this blog.  See full details at the end of this post! #receipts

What is a pink powder/drying lotion?

Pink powder products, despite the name, are more than just powder.  They're a two-part spot treatment that consists of a powder (usually pink) and a liquid, which are meant to stay separated while in the bottle.  This means you need to be careful not the jostle or accidentally mix it, because the idea is to dip in a cotton bud (such as a q-tip) into the product and evenly coat the cotton bud with separate layers of product.

Ciracle Pimple Solution Pink Powder
A close-up of the two separate layers, apologies for the mega zoom/blur!
The primary ingredient in the powder itself is usually calamine powder-- yes, that very calamine which was in the lotion that you might have slathered yourself with after a bad run-in with poison ivy or poison oak as a kid.  Or as an adult. (Pro tip: if you go camping, bring toilet paper. Don't try to ... live off the land in this regard, please. You never know what might be in that handful of leaves you've grabbed!)  Fun fact: calamine powder is actually a blend of other powdered ingredients, such as ferric oxide (which supplies the pink tinge) with some forms of zinc.  Interestingly, according to the Wikipedia entry for it, the FDA hasn't consistently supported its use/effectiveness in the treatment of irritation, itching, inflammation, and broken skin.

The liquid, on the other hand, tend to be heavily alcohol-laden to achieve the 'drying' effect.  There may be additional anti-acne ingredients thrown in, but the liquid seems to be focused on disinfecting the cotton bud and quickly drying the mixture of liquid and calamine powder into a hardened paste over the blemish.


Product details

Full product name: Ciracle Pimple Solution Pink Powder
Purpose: A spot treatment for closed blemishes to reduce inflammation, dry out the blemish, and/or bring it to a head faster.
Scent: I haven't tried to set it on fire to test the alcohol content, but it's high.**
Texture: It's a separated product with a thin liquid layer and a thick powder layer.
Quantity: 16ml
Price: Expensive for such a small bottle, around $18-$25.  I can't even remember where I bought this from, it's been so long.
Rating:  3/5; it had one job, and it sorta didn't do it.  More on that below.
Ingredients: Ingredient list & analysis on Cosdna
Where to get it: Amazon | eBay | KoreaDepart | Jolse | BonjourHK
Repurchase:  Nope, I'm going to repurchase the one that worked for me.

**This is a reference to the recent tongue-in-cheek test that fellow Snailcaster Tracy of Fanservice-b did to see if the alcohol concentration in the new Mizon toner was as high as it seemed to be.


Why I didn't like it

So here's a thing about clogged pores, blemishes, acne, comedones, whatever term you choose to apply to a pore that has a mixture of sebum, dirt, and bacteria in it that creates a clog (inflamed or not) in that pore [zooms off on a grossed-out tangent.]  Er, right, back to my point here-- when you have a breakout, even after that breakout clears (or is extracted, hopefully by a professional!) that pore is not magically cured, never to clog and break out again.  In fact, it's quite the opposite, which is why you may notice that you often get breakouts in the same spot over and over-- even popping up in the middle of a patch of PIH (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) that has not had a chance to fade yet!  Rude.

Cosmetic chemist Stephen Alain Ko posted a really succinct summary of this phenomenon in his post In vivo study of comedone reformation, where he posts some really horrifying pictures and breaks down the results of the study on why some breakouts stubbornly re-form in the same place:
A week after the comedone was extracted the skin appeared to resolve - to the naked eye. Under a microscope, however, researchers found that dead skin cells and sebum were already beginning to accumulate and reform the comedone.
As if blemishes weren't annoying enough to get rid of, if you do, they just come right back later!  Rude.  The problem with drying lotions/pink powders which focus on drying out the blemish is that they're not going to address/treat the underlying clogged pore.  Worse, they might just dry and tighten up the surface, thus trapping the clog in the pore and repeating the cycle.

This is exactly what this alcohol-heavy drying lotion did.  Unlike the first pink powder I tried, this dried out my blemishes without helping clear them.  Yes, it did reduce the size/appearance of whiteheads, but then I noticed that those very same blemishes would reappear later, more inflamed, more deeply clogged, and gnarly than before.  What the hell?!  It would take my 'something hideous is surfacing from the deep' blemishes and dry out the surface, but I could still feel the clog below my skin ... just now too deep to come out on its own.  So it actually reversed the progress it had made.

The sheer amount of alcohol in this burned my skin on application and made the pink paste into a 'runny pink mess dripping down my cheek' rather than 'forms a crust over the blemish' kind of consistency.

What I'd rather use

I'm going straight back to the Mizon Acence Blemish Out Pink Spot that I reviewed here, because while it also contains alcohol, it didn't burn my skin on application, had less of an alcohol scent, was less runny/formed a better paste on the skin, and best of all, it worked better for me.

Mizon Acence Blemish Out Pink Spot
A cotton bud dipped into the separated solution, ready for dotting onto upstart blemishes.  Image from my original Mizon pink powder review.
The Mizon pink powder actually helped to bring breakouts to a head, rather than just drying them out and forcing them back below the skin like the Ciracle pink powder did.  Here's an excerpt:
Does it work?  Yes, it works quite well for the most part, especially on areas that are trying to form into a inflamed, headless bump that will mock me with soreness for days.  Not only does it reduce the swelling and relieve some of the pain, it also seems to ... concentrate (for lack of a better word) the blemish and bring it to a head sooner.  Once it's open, I can slap a hydrocolloid on it and let it do the next leg of the relay race to beat the blemish before it scars. 
I have also found that sometimes I need to repeat the one-two punch combo of  Pink-Spot-then-hydrocolloid-bandage, where the HCB has pulled out all the goo but I can tell that there is something still lodged deep in that pore, waiting to arise with new fury. After pulling off the HCB, I dab on fresh Pink Spot and within 24 hours, it's drawn it out.  Compare that to a week of feeling like it's the spot that never ends, I'll take it.  It also means I can keep my hands off my face, which is always a plus.
Also, it's cheaper and twice the size.  It's 30ml for around $10-$15.  Works better, and is more product for less money?  In the cart you go.

You can find it on: Amazon | eBay | Jolse | RoseRoseShop | TesterKorea

Have you had good luck with a pink powder/drying lotion?  Hit me up on Facebook or Twitter and let me know!

Have something you'd like to share with me in general?  Snap a pic and tag me on Instagram at @snowwhiteandtheasianpear because I'd love to see it!

All the best,
-Cat

**Disclaimer: All products reviewed in my blog, are 100% purchased with my own money, with a single exception of a press sample I tested & reviewed in 2015 which swore me off of them forever.  This blog contains both affiliate and non-affiliate links, and clicking the former before you shop means that this blog may receive a small commission to assist in this blog supporting itself.  Please see my Contact Info & Disclaimer policy for more information.

12 comments

  1. So glad I came across your review because I was considering trying this Ciracle product. I'm also a huge fan of the Mizon version and now I'm convinced if it ain't broke.. don't fix it! I first tried Mario Badescu's, found it so-so and almost gave up on pink spot treatments. Ended up snagging the Mizon off RoseRoseShop and now I'm on my 4th bottle! I've been wondering lately how I can take it safely with me on vacation haha

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    1. 4th bottle, wow! Yeah I have to say I definitely found the Mizon to be superior to this one. I'll likely branch out to comparison test a few, but the Mizon is getting restocked in my skincare wardrobe for sure. ;)

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  2. If you know there's a high possibility the comedone will remain in the pore untreated despite topical treatment, I wonder why you don't give BHA as a spot treatment a try. I normally dab on whatever 2 % BHA product I have at hand, which will hopefully weasel its way down the pore, but in any case will eliminate acne bacteria, and then go over the spot again with a super light layer of benzoyl peroxide. This takes care of the matter reliably every time, and even cystic acne comes to head almost the next morning. Also, I feel like this way, there's a better chance of cleansing out the pore. So far, the one spot I used to get a cystic zit every month hasn't inflamed again in like half a year.

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    Replies
    1. Actually, I do use a BHA. :) You can read more about the actives I use here: http://www.snowwhiteandtheasianpear.com/2016/01/whats-in-my-skincare-wardrobe-actives.html

      Thankfully, with regular actives use I don't get as many clogged pores and breakouts as I used to, but alas, nothing is perfect. ;)

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  3. I had the Ciracle one in my wishlist, not for me really, but for my teenage daughter. She's blooming in pimples/blackheads and she's so stubborn to use the skincare products that bought for her >_<. Going to try this, thank you so much!

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  4. Hydrocolloid bandages I loooooove you~ I do a combo with them and the Origins charcoal-and-clay whatever-it's-called mask, as I find it's really great at pulling out whatever's forming the clog, but seriously. Hydrocolloid <3

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  5. Do you know what happened with the joseon dynasty cream?! I am desperate for answers.

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  6. The main problem I have with my pink powder is that the yellow liquid (supposedly alcohol?) evaporates so quickly. I have one or two pimples every now and then so I don't use it that much, and the pink powder remains more or less the same after a month. But the yellow part has almost gone :(

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  7. If you order the Mizon (well, either product actually) online, it will unavoidably get jostled and shaken during the delivery process. Do you just need to wait for the components to re-settle before using it?

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  8. First of all I'd just like to thank you for having such an amazing blog!
    Secondly as the joseon dynasty cream seems to discontinued I was wondering if you know of any other creams/gels that you have tried and enjoyed? Or if there are ones you know of that other people with similar skintypes liked? After hearing your praise about it I was looking forward to try it as it seemed to be exactly what I looked for in a moisturizer but I sadly never got around to trying it unfortunately and I'm really in the need of a new moisturizer. I'm not looking for a direct recommendation or anything I'm just interested in hearing if there is anything else that you have liked and might recommend for someone with a similar skintype.

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  9. How do you feel the Mizon spot treatment you preferred compares to CosRX pimple patches?

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  10. Thank you for the review! I've been experiencing some hormone-related break outs along my chin (the big, deep, and painful types). I've been applying 9% BHA solution on it which...has worked but I was also exploring the pink pimple solutions. I'm glad I came across your review today.... I had tried some of those pink spot solutions before but I didn't get any significant results. Now I know what to look out for. Thanks! :)

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