Oct 11

Oct 11 PRODUCT REVIEW: THE INKEY LIST GLYCOLIC ACID LIQUID TONER – BEST AHA TONER AND BEST GLYCOLIC ACID DEODORANT

AM Regimen, AM ROUTINE, Best cleansers, cleansing, Best exfoliators, Best toners, Exfoliators, Deodorant, Toners, Glycolic Acid

THE INKEY LIST | GLYCOLIC ACID LIQUID TONER

This review was originally part of my blog article titled, Skincare Hacks: Glycolic Acid Is the Natural Deodorant that Works! (Psst…it’s the most popular Skincarma Blog article of all time!) You can still catch the full piece here.

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I love this product and it’s become my daily deodorant go-to when I’m not testing anything else. In fact, I’ve probably gone through a half dozen of The Inkey List’s Glycolic Acid Liquid Toner since it launched late last year. Funny, come to think of it I’ve rarely, if ever, actually used it on my face!

It took some initial trial and error to find one that worked perfectly — but when it comes to a glycolic-toner-deodorant-concoction, this one is the holy grail! It has just the right balance of ingredients and has never caused any irritation. At a 10% concentration, Glycolic Acid is the the second ingredient. Third is Propanediol, a glycol that can enhance the absorption of the actives (such as Glycolic Acid) into the skin. Honestly, I think that’s a main factor in why it’s such an effective hack for deodorant.

What is Glycolic Acid?

There is an insightful article from the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, Glycolic Acid: What It Is and Why You Should Use It. In it, the experts expound on the many superb benefits of Glycolic Acid for the skin.

Glycolic Acid Benefits
Using an exfoliant with glycolic acid for your face results in a brighter, more even toned complexion. Like all AHAs, glycolic acid works by helping turn over spent cells on skin’s surface.
This type of exfoliation addresses numerous skin concerns, including sun damage, uneven tone, rough, flaky patches of skin, fine lines, and wrinkles. In higher concentrations, glycolic acid can even improve the look of deeper wrinkles.
Studies also show that glycolic acid significantly increases skin’s hydration. It does this by helping skin make substances like mucopolysaccharides, which help skin stay hydrated by increasing its natural content of hyaluronic acid, which in turn enhances skin’s resilience.
One exciting new note about glycolic acid: emerging research shows it might even protect skin against UV damage (in addition to reducing its damaging after-effects), though more studies need to be done and of course it doesn’t replace the need for sunscreen. Still, it’s a promising development!
Glycolic acid occurs naturally in sugar cane, but is most effective when synthesized in a lab, where its potency and concentration are optimized for use in skin care. Using plant sugars, like sugar maple, for their glycolic acid content is an option, but the bulk of the research on glycolic acid’s benefits for skin is about the synthetic form, because this type can be optimized for effectiveness, purity, stability, and pH, all critical to getting effective glycolic acid products.

I don’t love the added denatured alcohol, though it contains no fragrance or fragrant plant oils that would cause irritation and perhaps even nourish the odor-causing bacteria.

With a pH of 3.6, this toner is everything!

One of the main concerns I hear from people surrounding the use of a glycolic toner in place of a deodorant is price. If they’re too expensive, it’s just not worth it. Most of us are used to paying $4 for a product that lasts a couple months. But The Inkey List’s Glycolic Acid Liquid Toner makes more sense at $10.99. One 3.4 oz. / 100 mL bottle lasts me about 2 months.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase The Inkey List’s Glycolic Acid Liquid Toner for $10.99 here.

BUY THE INKEY LIST GLYCOLIC ACID LIQUID TONER