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Welcome to Skincarma.

These are the musings of Carmine Montalto, NYC-based writer, skincare junkie and brand guru. The former copywriter at Kiehl’s, Carmine has more than 25 years of experience in beauty. Through the Skincarma Blog, he puts all of his product wisdom to work demystifying the ever-evolving world of skin care. 

You can change your skin’s destiny.™

PRODUCT REVIEW: FARMACY DEEP SWEEP 2% BHA PORE CLEANING TONER – BEST SALICYLIC ACID TREATMENT FOR OILY SKIN

PRODUCT REVIEW: FARMACY DEEP SWEEP 2% BHA PORE CLEANING TONER – BEST SALICYLIC ACID TREATMENT FOR OILY SKIN

FARMACY | DEEP SWEEP 2% BHA PORE CLEANING TONER WITH MORINGA + PAPAYA

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This review was originally part of my blog article titled, Acid Toners – Some of the Best BHA / AHA Toners for Face from Paula's Choice, Farmacy and More. You can still catch the full piece here.

Back to sanity, the Farmacy Deep Sweep 2% BHA Pore Cleaning Toner with Moringa + Papaya is a good, clean acid toner — among the best Salicylic Acid treatments for face. It’s a safe-for-skin, refreshing, effective formula and a pleasure to use.

With a 2% concentration of Salicylic Acid and a pH of between 3-4, Farmacy’s BHA toner certainly does what a good acid toner should do. It exfoliates the skin and deep cleans — or make that sweeps — pores, clearing them of any build-up that can stretch them and make them appear more visible.

Again, you cannot shrink your pores; rather, you can clarify them so that they appear smaller in size and aren’t as noticeable on the complexion.

Interestingly in the Deep Sweep formula, situated between water and the 2% concentration of Salicylic Acid, is the amino acid Arginine.

It seems to come outta left field and I’m not quite sure why the Farmacy chemists included it in Deep Sweep, particularly at that level. But I’m glad they did!

Amino acids are really great for the skin. They’re bio-compatible and are the building blocks of peptides and proteins. They can even help maintain hydration levels and promote skin health. Such miracle workers!

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What are Amino Acids?

Of course, the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team have the most informed insights on amino acids:

“There are many amino acids, but most scientists agree that there are 20 that are important to our health, divided into two types: essential and non-essential. The “non-essential” term doesn’t mean that those amino acids aren’t important; rather, it means that your body can make them on its own, so it’s not “essential” for you to get them elsewhere, such as from food or supplements.

“Essential” amino acids, on the other hand, are essential because they must be obtained from foods or supplements; a deficiency in even one of them can result in health problems.

“There are nine essential amino acids: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine…the 11 non-essential amino acids, which the body can make on its own, include alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine.”


Beyond the intriguing inclusion of Arginine in the INCI, there are numerous nourishing ferments and botanical actives in Deep Sweep, including Lactobacillus/Papaya Fruit Ferment Extract, Moringa Oleifera Leaf Water and Extract and Radish Root Ferment Filtrate. There’s also a hint of PHA Gluconolactone, a naturally occurring antioxidant with gentle exfoliating benefits.

Notably missing from the formula are any known skin irritants like denatured alcohol, synthetic preservatives, fragrance or fragrant plant oils. I’ve been really into Farmacy’s Deep Sweep and had been reaching for whilst testing it 2-3 times a week, especially on notably hot, humid days.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Farmacy Deep Sweep 2% BHA Pore Cleaning Toner with Moringa + Papaya for $28 here.



The Ingredient List of the Farmacy Deep Sweep 2% BHA Pore Cleaning Toner with Moringa + Papaya:

PRODUCT REVIEW: SATURDAY SKIN PORE CLARIFYING TONER 10% GLYCOLIC ACID – AHA EXFOLIATING TREATMENT

PRODUCT REVIEW: SATURDAY SKIN PORE CLARIFYING TONER 10% GLYCOLIC ACID – AHA EXFOLIATING TREATMENT

PRODUCT REVIEW: PAULA’S CHOICE SKIN PERFECTING 2% BHA LIQUID EXFOLIANT – BEST EXFOLIATING TREATMENT FOR OILY SKIN

PRODUCT REVIEW: PAULA’S CHOICE SKIN PERFECTING 2% BHA LIQUID EXFOLIANT – BEST EXFOLIATING TREATMENT FOR OILY SKIN