I'm a huge K Beauty lover as you all know. I've been playing with a few things by Make P:rem & I grabbed this Peel me Radiance peeling booster off of Glow Recipe. Details per Glow Recipe:
The Gist A watery, radiance-boosting daily hydrating toner that gently retextures skin with exfoliating PHA while calming and hydrating.
How it works The Make P:rem Radiance Moisturizing Peeling Booster is a toner formulated with Lactobionic Acid, a mild PHA that gently exfoliates skin while hydrating. Lactobionic Acid works on the surface of the skin to 'unglue' dead skin cells without the irritation typically associated with exfoliators like BHAs and AHAs, making this radiance boosting treatment ideal for daily usage. Also formulated with Ceramide, Sugarcane extract, and Birch Sap, this toner glides on smoothly while soothing skin. Toning (and boosting) is an essential step that helps the skin more easily absorb hydration and nutrition from the rest of your routine.
Directions After cleansing, dispense a dime-sized amount of toner onto a cotton pad and sweep upwards and outwards all over face. Alternatively, dispense directly into palms of hands and gently pat into skin. Follow with a serum and a moisturizer.
I love polyhydroxyacids (PHA). PHA: gluconolactone, galactose and lactobionic acid. These have the same anti-aging benefits as alphahydroxy acids (AHA). PHAs are larger molecules than AHA which has been shown to mean less irritation and drying out of the skin. It’s gentler & good for sensitive skin types. PHA also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. These are a newer generation and not in as many exfoliating products. Though I am seeing them included in more and more acid toners as of late.
All acid toners are meant to 'unglue' the dead skin cells from the surface to encourage faster skin cell turnover resulting in more radiant and glowing skin. They're anti-aging. I love acid toners because they are gentler than a serum. As acid toners are more gentle they will take longer to give results and the results won't be as powerful. I like them because in general they're less irritating than the stronger serums. I like to mix the two acid toners and serums in my routine to get the right balance for exfoliating my skin. I tend to use acid toners daily in the morning and acid serums at night. Cellular turnover happens more at night so I like to use the powerhouses during that time of cellular rejuvenation.
I don't always use an acid serum every night. Maybe 3 nights a week. Depends on the serum and how my skin is acting. I use acid toners and serums for anti-aging reasons because I'm older. Most people who are younger don't need daily exfoliation. 3 times a week is enough to keep skin clear. This also depends which type of acid and product you are using. PHA is easier to use daily, AHA is harder because it's stronger.
Everyone is different so you have to listen to your skin to avoid over-exfoliation which is harmful to your skins moisture barrier. Some signs you might be over-exfoliating are: increased redness and sensitivity, no change in break outs if you have any, your skin feels dry and tight or more dehydrated than usual and rough skin, flaking or peeling starts. You may also notice more oily skin if your skin is pumping out extra sebum to try to compensate for the over-exfoliation.
Keeping your skins moisture barrier intact and happy is important. If your barrier is damaged your skin is more prone to redness, irritation, dryness, sensitivity, burning, breakouts, rashes and all the normal side effects you want to avoid. Your skin can have a harder time healing from these problems when the moisture barrier is damaged as well. Keeping the barrier intact is the best way to happy healthy looking skin. The moisture barrier can get damaged from other things like stress, pollution, age, sun damage, procedures, over-washing, smoking, being dehydrated (not drinking enough water). It's not just over-exfoliation but this one goes unnoticed by consumers as acid toners and serums are getting thrown at us by the retail market daily. Listen to your skin. Enough said.
This Make P:rem toner uses PHA so it is gentle enough to be used daily and I get no irritation at all from it. It has almost no scent, nothing that I really notice. I love that it also contains glycerin for hydration. Sadly this does contain alcohol, which I don't like, but in this particular toner it seems to be OK. It doesn't dry me out like some alcohols. Sugarcane, birch sap and ceramide will help hydrate the skin as well. I like having the hydrating ingredients mixed in with the acids. It balances it out. I found this toner to be gentle enough for daily use. While it's not a kick your butt exfoliating serum that gives you fast results, it will do the job in a gentle slow fashion. Sometimes slow and steady is the way to win the race. I would buy this product again. It's also one of the only PHA only toners in a bottle I'm aware of. I would love to hear your recs if you know other PHA only toners similar to this (avoiding presoaked pads which I dislike).
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., 1,2-Hexanediol, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Water, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil, Viola Odorata Oil, Thurmus Thermophillus Ferment, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Onsen-Sui, Betula Alba Juice, Xylitol, Vaccinium Mrytillus Fruit/Leaf Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugarcane) Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycereth-26, Methyl Gluceth-20, Panthenol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Dimethicone, Octyldodeceth-16, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tromethamine, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Triethylhexanoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Polyglutamic Acid, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Lactobionic Acid, Citric Acid, Allantoin, Inositol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ceramide 3, Caprylyl Glycol, Hyaluronic Acid, Ehtylhexylglycerin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Alcohol, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Fragrance (Parfum)