Sometimes, this happens in beauty world! A traffic jam of like-products suddenly appear from out of the blue and in this case, it’s skin acids. I cannot better the excellent information on Caroline’s Cheat Sheet on Acids (HERE) that gives the full low down on which acids might best suit your skin. I’ll do a brief outline but strongly suggest you give it a read for all the knowledge you’ll need. Bottom line is that acids exfoliate your skin both on the surface and deeper down, depending upon the type of acid. You’ll get noticably brighter, fresher looking skin by incoporating an acid complex into your routine (after cleansing, before moisturising) and I really think that these acid laced tonics will become a fundamental part of our skin care routines, much in the same way moisturiser is. They’re definitely worth investing in at any age and you should use them at night rather than day time because that can make your skin a little bit light sensitive. Also, don’t use a physical exfoliator on top of using an ezymatic one unless you know your skin is very robust.
So, first up is REN’s Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic, £25 (250ml) HERE. This uses Lactic Acid (derived from yeast fermentation), Salicin (from Willow Bark extract) and Azelaic Acid (from wheat, barley and rye). What marks this particular product out is that it uses both surface AHAs and oil soluble BHAs (which work more deeply on the complexion because they can winkle inside pores ) as well as (Azelaic) a redness soother and has been heralded as a godsend for rosacea.
Full Ingredient List: Aqua (Water), Sodium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Heptyl Glucoside, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Triethyl Citrate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Benzoic Acid, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Oil, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Heptanol, Parfum* (Fragrance), Limonene
Glossier Solution (£19, 150ml) HERE works in a very similar way using Lactic (AHA) and Salicylic Acids (BHA) along with Glycolic (AHA). It also contains an ‘anti-stress’ complex that contains aloe and niacinamide (known to help reduce dark marks). Remember when you’re looking at ingredient lists, the higher the quantity of a certain ingredient, the further up the list it is.
Full Ingredient List: Aqua/Water/Eau, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Gluconolactone, Propanediol, Ethoxydiglycol, Magnesium Chloride, Glycereth-7 Trimethyl Ether, Niacinamide, Betaine, Inositol, Citric Acid, Glycerin, Salicylic Acid, Phytic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum/Fragrance, PEG-8, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Acetic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide.
Omorovicza Acid Fix isn’t quite the same as the previous two products although Acids are its selling point. It’s a potent serum formulation for a start (£85, 30ml HERE) and if you see the ingredient listing, contains a higher quantity of (glycolic) acid (listed second on the ingredient list). It’s also combining AHAs and BHAs but has fancy extras, as you’d hope for the price! Notably, Lime Pearl Extract, an AHA that is effective over all pH levels (which some other AHAs are not). So, we can say this is giving more exfoliating action than the other products, but over a period of time, you might well end up with exactly the same type of result. It’s the one I’ve recently started using, anyway, because I like the idea that it’s more concentrated, doesn’t require cotton wool and you only use a couple of drops at a time.
Full Ingredient List: Aqua (Hungarian Thermal Water), Glycolic Acid, Glycerin, Propanediol, Yeast Extract, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Parfum, Lecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Pullulan, Xanthan Gum, Phospholipids, Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Limonene, Linalool, Geraniol, Benzyl Salicylate.
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*all products are sent to me as samples from brands and agencies unless otherwise stated. Affiliate links may be used. Posts are not affiliate driven.