If I were to describe my skin type, I’d probably say it’s: meh. It’s never really anything – maybe a tad oily near the end of the day, but otherwise it’s very normal. But while it’s never really ‘bad’, it’s also never really that great, either. While usually quite clear, it never looks glowy and gorgeous. It’s relatively smooth and yet never looks like one of those flawless, hydrated, Insta-babe’s skin. It’s just quite… flat? Boring? What I’m saying is, if my skin were a food type, it would be spaghetti bolognese. The kind of boring, kind of nice – kind of fine – of the skin world. Sorry spag bol, no offence.
So, I’m always trying to find products to spark some life in it. If a product says it solves texture (I do get horrid little blocked pores and bumps on my forehead and chin area), I’m all for it. If it wants to make me glowy and sheeny – I’m sold. My ideal skin is that of someone who lives on a diet of mineral water, fresh fruits and vegetables – I basically just want a product to make me look healthy.
So when I trialled BEAUTY BAY’s new 5% Glycolic Acid + 1% PHA Toner – which promised a reduction in lumps, bumps and visible pores, to make my skin feel firmer and more refined, and to – crucially – smooth my skin like a pebble smoothed by the sea (okay okay, it didn’t promise this – but that’s what I was hoping for), my expectations were high. And I want to clarify, I use an acid toner almost nightly (when I can remember). This was NOT my first toner rodeo! I know that using a blend of acids can make all the difference to skin texture and that coveted from-within-glow, as they essentially slough away all the gross, dead flakes sitting atop your face, and reveal fresh, new skin underneath (sounds painful, I promise it’s not – even on my relatively sensitive skin. Just build up your tolerance by trialling it a few nights a week if you’re concerned!)
I only acid tone at night, as it makes your skin more sensitive to light (and those nasty UVA rays), so I used it before bed with the rest of my normal routine, to make sure any changes it made to my skin – bad or good – were all down to the toner. Then I went to bed, and let all the skincare goodness marinate into my face for a few hours.
The next morning, I woke up and ran (okay, dragged myself – it was early) to the mirror. My favourite thing about using an acid toner is that, personally, I find it to be the only skincare product that gives you overnight results. My skin instantly (well, 8 hours later) felt smoother to the touch, and had that Insta-glow I was looking for. I looked fresh, like I’d had a relaxing night’s sleep (rather than staying up scrolling Twitter memes until 2am), and, most importantly, felt great. When you feel good about your skin, everything feels much better. Unlike many other acid toners, where you get the day one ‘boost’ and then your skin kind of, almost, ‘gets used’ to the glow and doesn’t look or feel as impressive, the BEAUTY BAY 5% Glycolic Acid + 1% PHA toner has only improved my skin day by day.
As well as waking up with smooth, glowy skin daily, the BEAUTY BAY 5% Glycolic Acid + 1% PHA toner has also gradually began to fade the small acne scars I have on my cheeks – I really do notice the difference, not only when looking in the mirror, but also when I’m applying makeup. It goes on so much smoother, and I don’t need as much foundation. I’m essentially cheating my way to looking like I drink 8 pints of water and snack on broccoli when I’m peckish. And I for one, am all for it.
