toners – sarah fynn

Dermalogica Multi Active Toner Review

I purchased the Normal/Oily skincare skit from Dermalogica last month for my birthday and I started using the products straight away. I really like Dermalogica, their products are backed by science and they work.

What the brand says

Light facial toner spray hydrates and refreshes. Help condition the skin and prepare for proper moisture absorption when you spritz over skin after cleansing, and before applying your prescribed Dermalogica Moisturizer

Experience

So I started using this straight away as my toner in both my morning and evening routine last month. I would spritz all over the skin after cleansing and sometimes throughout the day if my skin was feeling dry. The mister is nice, not the finest mist but still quite light. The toner also has a scent although fragrance is not on the ingredient list, there are a lot of flower extracts and essential oils.

I like this toner because I found it quite hydrating and softening on the skin. Whenever I use this, I could feel a slight tingling sensation. This dries down quickly with no residue on the skin. It didn’t clog pores

Verdict

I used to layer the PowerBright serum over this and it worked quite well but it also works well with other serums and creams. The 50ml size lasted just over a week, bear in mind I used it twice a day and on some days a few times too. I get mist crazy lol so I tend it over mist but I’m it can last longer. This is a good size to get a good feel of the product before purchasing. I wouldn’t mind getting this again.

The set I got was excellent value for money. I got the Normal/Oily Kit on LookFanastic but it’s sold out on there. It’s still available on FragranceDirect

The full size is £35 on LookFanastic

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

Simple Soothing Facial Toner Review

I fell in love with Simple skincare many years ago back in uni, it was the refreshing face wash and the triple action face scrub I used and loved. Since then I have tried many of their other products and most recently the Simple Soothing Facial Toner.

Simple Soothing Facial Toner is 100% alcohol-free formulated with vitamin B5, witch hazel and allantoin to refresh the skin.

Experience

For my morning toner, I love to use soothing and hydrating toners and after running out of my Pixi Rose Tonic (review pending), I decided to try the Simple Toner. I have been using this as my morning toner for the last few weeks. It feels very soothing and gentle on the skin and it is perfect for morning use. It has a refreshing scent and I experienced no irritation with it.

The toner is very easy to use and adds a little hydration to my skin. Because of the cold winter mornings, this toner feels so cooling on my skin in the morning and it’s perfect to use around my eye area for depuffing. I just use it around the eye contour area and not bring it all the way up to the lash line. I also use this toner in the evenings when I use an acid mask (The Ordinary 30% AHA) it feels so calming after that. I use the toner on cotton rounds and actually gently pat it into the skin 1st then swipe

Verdict

There really isn’t much to say about this toner other than I absolutely love it! It’s perfect for mornings and evenings and especially after a harsh mask like an acid mask. I am almost out of my 1^st bottle, however, I got this when it was on a buy 1 get 1 free offer so I have a backup!

I am also looking forward to purchasing more.

Simple Soothing Facial Toner is £3.49 at Superdrug

Glossier Solution Review

Have you tried Glossier or even heard of the brand? Die-hard skincare fanatics love the pink branded products and sing praises of their products all over social media but for me, I haven’t been interested in their products until now. I have been quietly having a look at their stuff and wanting to try & review them for the sake of it but nothing really stood out to me until they released the Glossier Solution toner. Why did it stand out? Because it’s an acid toner and also because it was very hyped up and caused a bit of a stir when it was launched. Anyway let’s get into the review

Glossier Solution is a (multi) acid toner with a blend of 10% AHA, PHA and BHA. In 4 weeks they promise smoother skin, cleared acne and blackheads, smaller pores and reduced redness. Glowing skin and healthy skin is also promised.

Experience

Background – when it was first released Glossier compared it to a lot of the current well-known acid toners e.g. Pixi Glow Tonic and PC 2% BHA and why Solution was so much better. The problem a lot of people had with that is, Solution is formulated to be a multi-acid toner whilst those two are single acids at a lower %, Glossier also commented on the low % of each them. I didn’t really get why they did that because they are clearly two different products in my opinion. It’s like comparing a 2 in 1 product to a product with 1 use. The best example I can think of is comparing washing powder with fabric softener combined to washing powder alone or fabric softener alone. Obviously, the washing powder alone won’t have the added benefits of the fabric softener. Glossier should have compared Solution with other multi-acid toners.

The second issue I have is the % of each acid in Solution is a ‘secret’ according to Glossier. They state it has 10% AHA, BHA and PHA and I actually emailed them to find out the exact % of each acid but this is the response I had back:

Hi Team!

I am wondering if you can give me the breakdown of conc of each acid in solution please? I know Salicylic acid is 0.5% and AHA is 10%, what are the concentrations for lactic ( is this included in the AHA or is the 10% for glycolic acid alone?) and PHA acids please?

Thanks!

Hi Sarah!

Thanks for reaching out! As you know, Solution contains 0.5% Salicylic Acid. The total amount of BHA, AHA, and PHA is 10%. Because we worked so hard to find the perfect balance of acids (our chemist and product developers spent 15 months working on it), the exact breakdown of the acids is a secret. But rest assured that Solution is formulated to give you the best results while remaining gentle on skin.

Is it that all 3 acids make 10% or AHA is 10% PHA 10% and BHA 0.5%?

So my actual experience of it

I didn’t experience any stinging with Solution, it would be the highest acid formula I have used at 10% but I suspect because of the PHA (which is very gentle) I had no issues with stinging or irritation. I actually thought my skin felt quite hydrated and softer. A lot of users said it broke them out so I would be cautious if you have sensitive skin. Solution would be the first multi-acid toner I have used and I do really like it. It left my skin very smooth and kept my pores in check. I did have a few breakouts (maybe 1 or 2) but it was not due to Solution but it didn’t prevent them from forming too. In terms of leaving my skin glowing, I would definitely say it did. My skin looked smooth and healthier.

Verdict

I think it’s a ver good multi-acid toner. This is also the first time I would have used PHA and I actually like it (since then I have used another PHA formulated product and I am now looking to add more of this add to my routine. It’s so good at leaving my skin soft, smooth and hydrated).

I think Glossier was wrong for comparing it to single acids on the market because they are clearly not the same product. Does this have a HUGE advantage over single acids? I think Pixi Glow Tonic at 5% and The Ordinary Glycolic Toning Solution at 7% can give you similar results (esp. TO at 7% at only £6!) But you will get the added benefits of the PHA and BHA in Solution. I would also say Solution was definately more hydrating on my skin and it was much gentler than TO Glycolic Toning Solution.

In terms of price, its £19 for 130ml so I think it’s expensive for the amount you get. I was able to find a discount code for mine. It lasted a a bit longer than expected but I wish it was at least 150ml.

Solution is a really good multi-acid toner that leaves my skin very smooth and healthy. I would like to repurchase this again but only if there was an offer on, I am not happy with the amount you get for £19, for now, I am happy with my 5% AHAs.

If you want to try a multi acid toner, you can try Solution , I’m not sure if there are other multi acid toners on the market.

What do you think?

Solution is £19 and available on Glossier

Reviews on single acid toners

Pixi Glow Tonic

Naturally Radiant pads

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toning Solution

Nip Fab Daily Fix Glycolic pads

Keeping Up With the Organics: Makeup & Skincare

Welcome back Peter Minkoff! He’s back with his 2^nd article for my blog and this time he is sharing his knowledge on the why and what of organic beauty! Watch out for his recommendations too! Did you catch his 1^st post on here? Read all about how to get your hair detoxed for spring here!

A transition from conventional beauty products to organic ones is much more significant than you probably think – it means opting for your health and overall well-being in the first place. Organics are highly-beneficial for many reasons, primarily because they will treat your skin gently and keep it nourished and rejuvenated with their unique formulation and natural ingredients. Even celebrities have gone crazy about these products. This shows that their reputation should not be neglected. Here are some of the ways to keep up with the organics in the best possible way.

Why Organics?

The production of organic beauty products requires specific ingredients that have been produced with unique methods of bio farming which exclude all kinds of toxins and pesticides harmful to our health. Such products don’t contain artificially added fragrances which frequently contain phthalates, substances that can trigger allergic reactions and other health problems. This means that organics are much gentler to your skin than conventional beauty products – their list of ingredients is appropriate for all skin type, even for people with sensitive skin. Regular products also include parabens, which are actually synthetic chemicals that can alter human endocrine system by mimicking our human body’s natural hormones. Accumulating such substances in your body can lead to serious health problems, one of which is cancer. As for organic products – they are free of parabens, which will definitely reduce your daily burden of chemicals.

Simplify Your Beauty Routine

The beauty industry nowadays offers a wide range of body creams, lotions and potions that supposedly do wonders. However, reality is much different. Such products often don’t live up to our expectations, which is exactly why you should keep your beauty routine simple. When it comes to day-to-day skincare products, all you need is a basic cleanser and toner, gentle scrub, appropriate moisturiser, and inevitable sunscreen. Just make sure that the label “natural” marks ingredients that are really natural, because some manufacturers tend to write that their products are something they actually are not. On the other hand, the best way to know exactly what goes into your skincare products is to make your own. Homemade face masks and scrubs that include ingredients such as eggs, honey, avocado and sea salt are amazing, particularly when you take into consideration that they are very inexpensive yet effective.

Celebrities & Organics

Celebrities have gone crazy about the organics, starting with Gwyneth Paltrow who launched her own makeup collection (Juice Beauty). Her products are crafted from certified organic ingredients that include different vegetables, flowers, fruits and berries. Their prices are also great, and it is actually a good way to popularize such skincare products among the women all over the world. Miranda Kerr also owns organic skincare line, KORA Organics , she firmly believes in all-natural approach to beauty. When it comes to organic makeup, celebrity makeup artists absolutely adore 100 Percent Pure Naked Palette which is fruit-pigmented, so it creates completely natural, stunning look. It is very versatile, since it can be used both as an eye shadow and a blush. It’s also perfect for contouring, and its major advantage is definitely the fact that it is organic.

Organics We Love!

I have been searching for perfect organic skincare products for quite a long time because the conventional ones simply weren’t working for me – starting with cleansers and toners which were too harsh for my skin, as well as moisturisers that whose formulation was just wrong. 100 Percent Pure skincare products are a truly amazing discovery for me because these are very lightweight which keeps my complexion fresh all day long. Organics are definitely a way of life, and I personally couldn’t agree more!

Do you guys use any organic beauty? Share your fav brands with us! I am always looking for new products/brands to try out!

I have to hand it to Peter for a very well written article! Make sure you check him out on Twitter and Facebook>>

https://twitter.com/MinkoffPeter

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