Bondgenoten van de huid Multi Acids & Retinoïde Verhelderend Slapend Facial: Glycol+melkzuur + salicylzuur, hyaluronzuur, niacinamide. Overnachting Sleeping Peel. Exfoliates & Hydrateert 1.7 oz

The Allies of Skin (USA-made skincare brand) Multi Acids & Retinoid Brighting Sleeping Facial treatment was a surprise hit for me. I was concerned this would be too intense for my mature (over 40), Rosacea-reactive (sensitive), combination, congestion-prone face. Thankfully, it wasn’t. Using it mindfully, as instructed, I tolerated the use without experiencing flares, irritation, new breakouts, excessive dryness/oiliness, or rash. Note: because I am extremely sensitive, I use it the same way I do any other retinol, as the last step in my skincare after my moisturizer, not before. I’ve found I get to glean the benefits and lessen the likelihood of irritation doing it this way. If you apply facial oils, I recommend using them another night or after you’ve applied this, not before. Facial oils can be an occlusive barrier and will inhibit the effectiveness of the treatment. Also, I am used to using retinol, AHAs, and BHAs regularly. I highly recommend anyone new to more intense treatments like this ease into use, starting off with one application and gradually increasing to 1-2 times a week to start.Per the instructions, users are urged to apply this treatment (step 4) to their face 2-3 nights in a row per week. PM only. I would not use this during the day given the concentration of actives/exfoliants. I would tell you to use an SPF in the AM as it will make your skin more sensitive to UV. Though you should be using an SPF every day regardless. Anyway, the gel is lightweight, not runny, and brown and does have a slight scent to it, but nothing overpowering or unpleasant. Doesn’t linger. 2-3 pumps are more than enough with good spreadability. Coats and absorbs quickly into the skin (avoiding the eye and lip area). I “assume” Allies of Skin has formulated the amalgamation of the key exfoliants (AHAs, BHAs, and Retinol complex) to play well together. Sometimes mixing certain actives can cause changes in pH, rendering one or all compounds to become inert or increases the risk for irritation for the user. The highlights are hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, and salicylic acid, along with 1% Retinoid complex.On the nights I used this treatment, I wash and tone with non-medicated (no PHAs, AHAs, BHAs, vitamin C or A, derivatives) products. Then, to lessen the potential for irritation, I apply a thin layer of my favorite moisturizer and allow it time to dry or absorb into the skin. I brush my teeth, etc. Then I take a couple of pumps of this treatment and layer it over my face and neck. That’s it. I will do this 2 nights in a row, maybe 3, or I will take a break between and use every other night instead of nightly ~3x a week. So far, no sensitivity, redness, or irritation. I like the use, quality, and effectiveness this appears to have on my skin. I don’t wake up broken out, greasy, or dry. I think this multipurpose treatment makes for a wonderful chemical exfoliant with an antioxidant booster. I get everything I want in one tube instead of having to layer on multiple products day and night.The transparent brown treatment gel comes suitably packaged in a 1.7oz gray poly plastic tube with a pump-tip and retails for $88 as of this writing. The price point is in kind with the rest of the Allies of Skin line. So, to me, it is expensive but is also very effective. And this one is not intended for everyday use. Unlike some of their products, I would likely repurchase this as it did give me what I consider a wow factor in a short time: no irritation, cleared up and kept me from developing congestion along my trouble spots, and I don’t have to use it every single night to see results. If I use it a few nights a week, I would say this tube will likely last me 3-4 months, making the cost way more palatable.

PROS & CONSAllies of Skin Multi Acids & Retinoid Brightening Sleeping Facial: Glycolic + Lactic + Salicylic Acid is another new company/new product for me. But, the promoted ingredients are very familiar and are considered serious skin changers. I mean why not exfoliate while you sleep with 7% AHAs + BHA, 1% RETINOID COMPLEX, and & 7 skin BRIGHTENERS. The company sure got my attention. On top of that, the catalyst for all this transformative goodness includes Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Panthenol (a moisturizer and humectant to retain moisture), and Manuka Honey (balances skin’s pH level + being antibacterial). All the skin bases were covered, no? Not to be facetious, but there’s everything in this night peel but the kitchen sink. I couldn’t think of any skin needs that the ingredients wouldn’t meet … and all while I peacefully slumber.But a deeper dive past all that marketing hype into the ingredient list and order of their importance told a different story. Marketing claims aside, there are some important things to remember. Those with sensitive skin and allergies, like me, should always cautiously approach a peel with this many exfoliants as possibly too aggressive. For optimal results, I was surprised that the peel is directed to be used with their Molecular Savior Probiotics Treatment Mist ($59), before and after application. Note: It would have been nice for the company to mention this fact on the buy page BEFORE ordering. I DO NOT have the mist and needing it would have changed my mind about ordering. Shelling out $147 total for correct use of an overnight peel with as yet undetermined effectiveness is more of a gamble than I want to invest.However, application is quite easy: smooth a GENEROUS LAYER over damp skin, and spray the Molecular mist BEFORE and AFTER application. How effective is the peel without the mist? Who knows. The peel is to be used 2-3 nights in a row, but no mention of how regularly to use after that. One of my concerns is that the 1.7 oz won’t last long at this rate, so however frequently it might be used on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis could be a pricey investment. And of course, absolutely use a sunscreen with this product. Sun sensitivity caused by AHAs, BHAs, and Retinol demand it.AHAs, BHAs, and Retinol are terrific for resurfacing skin and wrinkles, but there’s another ingredient worth mentioning in this peel. Kambucha is a good topical anti-ager, either in drink form or topically. It detoxifies and hydrates skin, while also improving skin elasticity, texture, and brightens. A great way to combat wrinkles and fine lines, so I was excited by its inclusion in the formula, but not so fast… There are more concerns.This is the second skincare product ordered this week that includes RETINAL, instead of RETINOL. There are 3 grades of Retinoids: Retin-A is a prescription; RETINAL is less potent than Retin-A but more potent than traditional Retinol; and Retinol is the least potent, most familiar, and the one that we commonly find in skincare. Never heard of Retinal before? There’s a reason for that. It’s VERY hard to find in an effective form in skincare, and as such, there’s not much market for it. Therefore I question its inclusion in skincare, and how effective it can be when listed so far down the ingredient list. Also, in this product it’s listed as HYDROXYPINACOLONE RETINOATE, which appears FAR DOWN the ingredient list near the bottom, giving it questionable significance in negligible concentration, but very much hyped in the marketing claims.As long as an ingredient is somewhere in the list, marketing will hype/overhype the importance and benefit of it in the formula. Dishonest, but technically allowed. Companies know that most consumers don’t know about these chemicals or that order of ingredients matters and affects the results significantly. The Top 5 primary ingredients in this peel are so ordinary that I did a double-take:#1 Water#2 Glycerin (a common moisturizer)#3 Glycolic Acid (skin exfoliator/whitener)#4 Polysorbate 20 (a harmless sugar alcohol in skincare)#5 Propanediol (a humectant for moisture retention)These are the main ingredients in this peel — the ones that MATTER. Just typical ingredients in skincare. There’s nothing in those primary ingredients that will make this peel perform as claimed. So, all the rest about the AHAs, BHAs, Salicylic Acid, Lactic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, Manuka Honey, amino acids, etc., etc., etc. is hype. Those attention-getting ingredients are all of lesser importance in increasingly negligible amounts the further down the list the appear. IS THE PEEL AS APPEALING NOW? Or worth the $88 price tag for those 5 ingredients? Or paying even more for the mist? Not for me. Again, knowledge is power for a consumer. There are (and I own) other incredible products that do what this one claims, without spending $147 to purchase an additional “mist” and possibly deal with sensitivities to the LONG list of 48 ingredients! And I did NOT LIKE THE BROWN COLOR OF THE PEEL.I find more often than not that the most expensive products are pure marketing hype because consumers equate price with quality, while the main ingredients are very ordinary and can’t fulfill the claims. How many consumers cross-check the claims against the ingredient list? Few. There are significant cons to consider about the expense, the bloated number of overhyped ingredients, additional cost of secondary skincare product, the number of peel applications per tube, and sensitivity concerns. Ingredient lists and order of ingredients don’t lie. My favorite analogy is running a chicken foot through hot water and calling it homemade chicken soup. This peel is not good chicken soup, and the marketing is misleading compared to the ingredient list. PASS.