PHA – sarah fynn

The Inkey List PHA Toner Review

PHA’s Poly Hydroxy acids are the cousins of AHA with a large molecule size and gentler on the skin. I first fell in love with PHA in 2018 after using Neostrata’s Tri-Lifting serum. Since then I have tried only 3 other PHA based products, 1 was impressive 1 was good and the last one I simply didn’t like.

This toner from the Inkey List was exciting to me because I was looking forward to something more affordable. I was gifted this product at their event last year.

What the brand says:

The INKEY List PHA Toner a gentle exfoliant for sensitive skin that helps remove dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, giving the appearance of smoother, brighter skin.

Larger PHA molecules gently remove dead cells from the surface of the skin to improve texture, whilst PHA’s humectant properties naturally lock in moisture. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf juice and 3% Niacinamide formulation soothes the skin and calms redness, making this toner suitable for AM and PM use.

3% PHA

3% Niacinamide

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Experience

I added the PHA toner to my AM and PM routine at the toner stage, in between cleansing and misting. I have not experienced any irritation and it doesn’t sting or burn the skin.

To be totally honest I am quite disappointed with the toner. I found the toner quite easy to add to my routine and slightly hydrating. It dries down quickly and doesn’t leave any residue or the skin sticky. Apart from this, I really didn’t notice anything else.

Here’s why I’m disappointed, some studies say the optimal concentration is between 8 to 15% to get the best results from PHA. The PHA toner only has 3% which is quite low. To be honest, I didn’t notice any huge difference in terms of texture to my skin. The formula also has 3% Niacinamide and whilst Niacinamide usually leaves my skin slightly dry this didn’t do that( The Ordinary’s Niacinamide 10% although its is a higher percentage) I can see results from using the Ordinary’s serum due to its high percentage so I am not surprised I didn’t notice any from the toner.

Verdict

For me, as someone who uses high % acids in my routine, I am slightly disappointed with this but I can see the appeal for sensitive skin or someone who is starting to use acids. I find the concentration of PHA and niacinamide in this too low. It’s a really easy toner to add to the routine and can be used in conjunction with other products without experiencing irritation (test patch if you’re not sure). It also promises to prevent future dryness but when I was using this in April my skin was dehydrated and tight. I don’t think it’s from this product in particular but it also didn’t work to prevent it.

I think this is great for sensitive skin because it’ gentle. I prefer higher conc of acids as that’s what I’m used to. The amazing thing about PHA, in particular, gluconolactone which is in this toner is that it doesn’t make your skin sensitive to the sun which makes it great for AM use (but this doesn’t mean you don’t apply SPF!). All the PHA products I have also used has been at 10% so to use only 3% it’s quite understandable I’m a bit disappointed

The Inkey List PHA toner is £ 9.99 on cultbeauty

Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA Miracle Toner Review

Hey guys, I hope all is well. Today’s post will be a full review on the Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA Miracle Toner which I got from Yes Style. The toner came as part of the AHA BHA PHA Starter kit.

Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA Miracle Toner is a blend of AHA BHA PHA and promises better skin in 30 days (full-size

product). It also has added tea tree extract and Niacinamide. The benefits are exfoliation, moisture and pore care.

Experience

The Miracle Toner is their most popular product so I was really looking forward to using this toner. After been interested in PHA I have been looking around for PHA based products. The trial kit toner lasted about 2 weeks and I was using it in the PM following cleansing.

It is not a long ingredient list, Niacinamide and tea tree extract are in the top 5 whilst the acids: are towards the end of the list. The AHA used in the toner is Citric Acid.

I found the toner ok to use, it didn’t sting my skin and I experienced no irritation from it. It leaves the skin looking slightly oiler but I guess this is because of the tea tree extract in it. I experienced hormonal breakouts and texture when I was using this so whilst it dint make the breakouts worst, it also didn’t speed up the healing process.

Verdict

It was an ok toner certainly did not work any miracles. I don’t know if I would have gotten better results if I had a bigger bottle. The tea tree oil made it feel slightly oily after use. I would like to buy this again and test it out because I do not think I have given this a fair trial because of the hormonal breakouts and texture I experienced. I won’t be rushing to buy it again as I have come across other PHA products but it’s something I would get if there was an offer on the full sized product. It seems to work very well for a lot of people, for me it was ok.

I now have 2 reviews out of the 4 products in the Starter kit! Check out my review of the AHA BHA PHA cream. Asian skincare has a lot of PHA based products so I will be slowly working my way through it.

This is the 3^rd favourite product from the kit, 1^st is the cleansing bar and 2^nd the Miracle cream.

Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA Miracle Toner is £12.13(sale price) on YesStyle*

I have the serum left to review, this was my least favourite item so I’m afraid I have not used much of it. I will start using it again and will bring the review by the end of the month.

Catch you later

*affiliate link used. If you decide to make a purchase through my link, I will earn a small commission which goes towards the upkeep of the blog (and allows me to keep bringing you excellent content) but the price remains the same

Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA Moisture Cream review

This post will be a full review on the AHA BHA PHA Miracle cream by the K beauty brand Some By Mi. The miracle line promises skin repair, moisturising and soothing properties whilst strengthens the skin’s barrier. The line also has added Centella Asiactica and tea tree extract.

Experience

I have been using the cream for a month now, almost every evening and I am just about to finish it (probably have 2 more days’ worth in it) I have the trial size so I have very surprised it has lasted this long.

I wish the concentration of each acid was stated on the product or online however this info is not available. Looking at the ingredient list, Centella Asiactica is 1^st, Niacinamide is 4^th. I can’t see an AHA in the list and the BHA is actually from Willow Bark extract (quite far down the list) but this contains salicylates which has to be convert to salicylic acid. For BHA to be active, it needs to be present at 0.5% to 2% in order to get any real benefits from it however with its position down the list I doubt the conc in the product is enough for any real benefits.

The texture of the cream is very light and it reminds me of a water gel consistency. I love this texture and this is something I do not think I have come across. The cream feels very hydrating on the skin and sinks in easily. I feel my skin is hydrated and left soft and glowy. I have not experienced any irritation from the product and no pilling when layered over serums. In terms of efficacy, whilst I really like the cream, I cannot say I have noticed a massive difference in my skin. In the beginning of March, I suffered hormonal breakouts and texture, the cream didn’t help with that but it did continue to hydrate my skin without exacerbating the issue. There’s also a lot of reviews of it reducing acne etc however for my breakout, it didn’t help to speed up the healing process.

Verdict

Whilst I am disappointed with the efficacy of the cream, I do really like the texture and hydration it provides to my skin. The cream also leaves my skin glowing after use. I am disappointed because I got this mainly for the acid blend and their benefits however I do not think I got any real benefits from those. If you are after an acid based cream for its exfoliating properties I do not think the conc of acids in this cream are enough to cause any ‘real benefits’ if you want a lightweight hydrating cream then I would definitely recommend this cream.

I still rate this as my 2^nd favourite product out of the 4 in the Miracle starter kit. I would buy this again but perhaps not straight away.

I have 3 more products left to review.

Check out my Yes Style Haul to find out the other K beauty brands I picked up! I have been busy using these products and I will currently bring the 1^st round of reviews!

Some by My AHA BHA PHA Miracle Cream is £15.12 on Yes Style*

Catch you later