By now y'all know I've been a fan of Deviant Skincare for some years now. The Cleansing Concentrate is my all time favorite balm cleanser. Review HERE. By now you've likely seen the Gentle Resurfacing Liquid all around the internet. I've had mine since it's launch and just have been really bad about getting on here for a review. What is Gentle Resurfacing Liquid? A liquid exfoliant aka acid toner. What does it do? Exfoliate the skin using AHAs, BHAs and PHAs. What does that mean? In short it means reduction in blemishes and the appearance of pores (can't shrink those despite what you've heard), lines & wrinkles, increase in skin clarity plus a smoother and more even complexion and skin tone. Deviant laid of the information about the product really well so details per their site:
An exfoliating formula combining a unique cocktail of AHA’s (Mandelic, Lactic, Glycolic, Malic and Citric), BHA (Salicylic Acid) and PHA (Gluconolactone) to gently dissolve the bonds binding dull, dead cells to skin’s surface. The toner-like fluid stimulates cellular renewal to improve the appearance of imperfections, fine lines, discolouration and the appearance of enlarged pores. Green Tea and Licorice Root help brighten, whilst White Tea, Mushroom and Gotu Kola soothe and calm the skin, revealing a luminous, refined complexion.
"I have always struggled in finding an AHA-based product that I could use on a consistent basis without experiencing irritation and sensitivity. The Gentle Resurfacing Liquid is my answer to that. It was important during the formulation process to create an exfoliant that would respect the skin's barrier but prove efficacious with the results. By combining gentle hydroxy acids with a blend of soothing extracts, any potential irritation is offset and cell turnover is stimulated without sensitising the skin." - Natalie Smyth. co-founder.
pH 3.6.
8.2% blend of AHA, BHA, and PHA’s.
Key Ingredients and Benefits:
- AHA Blend (Mandelic, Lactic, Glycolic, Malic and Citric Acids): A proprietary blend of different molecular-weight Alpha Hydroxy Acid’s (AHA) to exfoliate dull, dead skin cells to reveal a smoother, brighter and more even complexion.
- Gluconolactone: A Polyhydroxy Acid (PHA) that offers similar benefits to alpha hydroxy acids, without the potential sensitisation. PHA’s also act as a humectant, drawing moisture into the skin.
- Salicylic Acid: A Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) that is lipids-soluble and able to penetrate the pore lining and dissolve build-up within the pore to reduce blemishes or congestion.
- Green + White Tea: Rich in polyphenols that possess potent anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, helping reduce free radical damage and signs of inflammation. Green Tea helps brighten and improve skin tone.
- Licorice Root: A skin-brightening extract containing the antioxidant glabridin that has skin-soothing properties that reduce redness and neutralise free radicals.
- Mushroom: A polysaccharide with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity that evens out skin tone and binds 500 times its weight in water to significantly hydrate the skin.
- Gotu Kola: Otherwise known as Centella Asiatica, a skin-soothing extract rich in amino acids that reduces redness.
- Horse Chestnut: An anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative extract that generates and protects the skin’s hyaluronic acid production.
- Ginkgo Biloba: An extract rich in flavonoids and polyphenols to reduce oxidative stress and soothe against environmental stressors.
Ingredients
Water, Mandelic Acid, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf (Green Tea) Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root (Licorice Root) Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf (White Tea) Extract, Tremella Fuciformis (Mushroom) Extract, Propanediol, Propylene Glycol, Gluconolactone, Malic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Centella Asiatica Leaf (Gotu Kola) Extract, Citric Acid, Aesculus Hippocastanum Leaf (Horse Chestnut) Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Calcium Gluconate, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate.
Directions 2-3 times a week (or as often as desired), after cleansing, soak a cotton pad and press into the skin in upward motions, over the entire face. Do not rinse. In the AM, always follow up with sunscreen.
So onto my thoughts. I love their luxury and minimal aesthetic as it tends to be my favorite, I love miron glass. I prefer an acid toner over an acid serum nowadays. I find they're gentler for me and I just prefer the liquid texture. Keep in mind an acid toner is a liquid exfoliant, not an everyday use toner. One of the things I really love about Deviant's instructions is that they included 2-3x a week which is about the average amount a person could consider exfoliating. Now there are always exceptions, but 2-3x is a great target and should work for most. This has the main AHAs with glycolic, lactic and mandelic. Mandelic is fabulous for pigmentation plus it's combined with licorice and green tea to really help brighten and even the skin tone. Glycolic acid is the gold standard of AHAs plus it's great at anti-aging and exfoliating. The larger molecular weight lactic acid is my favorite. A more gentle version of glycolic. This acid toner also has gluconolactone a PHA which is more gentle and hydrating for the skin. I much prefer acid blends over a single acid toner so this one ticks all the boxes for me.
Gentle Resurfacing Liquid has BHA or salicylic acid which is great at declogging pores and helping with blemishes. From what I remember during launch time this has 0.5% salicylic acid which I'm really happy about. I can't do a 2% BHA toner anymore it's just too much for my skin, too drying. I prefer an acid toner in the 5-8% range in general, I've found that's my sweet spot for acid exfoliation for being effective plus not being too much (irritating/sensitizing). Now I've used some higher percentage acid toners that aren't harsh on me plus some that aren't effective even at higher percentages as well. Formulation is key. The acid percentage is only one part of the puzzle. I love that this contains antioxidants like green & white tea plus ginkgo biloba. Mushroom extract helps hydrate while gotu kola and horse chestnut soothe.
Acid toners used be few and far between, now they're common. What sets some acid toners apart is, I'll say it again--Formulation. Deviant does formulation well. This is a well rounded and elegant formulation. I can't say that about 90% of the acid toners on the market. Many are simple and that's fine, however the elegance in this formulation which is what makes it stand above so many. I think this is effective, well formulated and has all you could want in an acid toner. Some have compared this to Biologique Recherche P50 as a dupe, I disagree with that. Totally different formulations. Deviant smells 1000x better (no vinegar or acetic acid). P50 is also stronger and with different acids and ingredients (quite a few acids overlap, I know, but formulation is also key remember). I disagree with the term dupe because rarely is the cheaper product the same. Though I do get wanting to compare them as they give similar results and one is cheaper. However, P50 is the original and I feel it deserves its dues (it created the acid toner trend to begin with). So I don't call Gentle Resurfacing Liquid a dupe because the formulations are different, Deviant in gentler, both give similar results but they are different.
Even with all that praise I will say this year I found Deviant was almost too much for me at times. Mask irritation has really affected my ability to use acids this year. I'm a nurse so I wear a mask forty hours a week at work plus in my normal life running errands etc. It's utterly crushed my acid use due to the increased sensitivity. I do sometimes get a little dryness or sensitivity after using this product. So this is more a once a week treatment for me versus 2-3x a week. It's still gentler than P50 which has become once a month instead of once a week. I don't know if it's the whole mask sensitivity thing or that it has BHAs. I have rosacea and I don't really need BHAs much anymore because my skin is so much drier and more mature the last year especially, plus I don't have acne or problem skin. I feel that before masks and my increasing natural dryness this acid toner was great for me. Sadly I only had it for a short period of time with it before those things started to happen.
Ultimately this is a great acid toner and in my favorites pile. It ticks all the boxes for a great acid toner. I wish I knew if it was the BHAs or just mask irritation that has me sometimes sensitive when I use this. I have another 6% AHA only acid toner that I'm able to use more often than this without dryness or irritation during the same time, so it might be more the BHA. I think this is great for combo, oily, acne prone, problem and normal skin. Some dry skinned or more sensitive folks may find BHA (even in a low percentage) too much if they don't have acne as it can be drying. I think it's worth trying for everyone because it's definitely one of the more elegant formulations on the market that does target everything. I will continue to use it, I just hope mask irritation ends sometime soon so I can go back to normal acid use. I've used P50 maybe 10x this year because it's way too much for me right now due to mask irritation, this definitely is way more tolerable.
