I was stumbling through my sister’s skincare collection when I found the, so proclaimed magical, p50 balancing exfoliator. I without hesitation tried it, expecting an overnight miracle but what I saw was far from. Really nothing had happened.
And as ANY reasonable person would have done I turned to Instagram to see if anyone else had, had similar results. Happily I got a response from the brand themselves:
This along with many comments suggesting I shouldn’t have expected an overnight sensation (fair enough) made me give it a second chance, with the intention of using it all week.
After day 2 of use I broke out around my nose. Not badly, but a breakout for me is a bit of a shock because I never really react badly to skincare, I have skin that can tolerate a lot before it loses its cool.
So, I decided to research the product a bit more.
Step 1 of research: what EXACTLY are the ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Gluconolactone, Lactic Acid, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Citric Acid, Ethoxydiglycol, Magnesium Chloride, Malic Acid, Vinegar (Acetum), Phytic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Cochlearia Armoracia (Horseradish) Root Extract, Arctium Lappa Root (Burdock Root) Extract, Rumex Acetosa Leaf Extract, Myrtus Communis Extract, Commiphora Myrrha Resin Extract, Allium Cepa (Onion) Bulb Extract, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Flower/Leaf Oil, Sulfur, Sorbitol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Let me first say – it is popular as a AHA or Alpha Hydroxy Acid. If you’ve been following my Instagram (scienceandskincare) you will already know what this is. If you don’t (go and follow me) read about them here.
So, I was expecting a Pixi glow tonic effect, hence I was waiting for my glowing skin in the morning. But it is important to note this DOES NOT have glycolic acid in it like Pixi but it does have: lactic, citric, salicylic acids. It is a strong old exfoliator.
Hence, my breakout.
By day 3 it was evident I needed to calm the hell down with its use and figure out the correct way to use it.
So, like any sensible person I googled it and found this article which I found rather useful.
Basically, the person who wrote the piece had gone to have a facial with Biologique Recherche. They don’t heat the face in any way, because they think keeping the skin cool keeps it refreshed. They recommend a consultation, in fact there was a time when you couldn’t even buy BR without a consultation. I assume because if something can go wrong it can go really wrong.
I won’t recite the article for you (plagiarism and stuff) but read it because it might help you understand your skin better i.e do you need oxygenation as well as hydration? Oxygenation is essential for cells to stay healthy, it keeps the oxygen flowing and some skincare products and specialized facials suggest they can help this process.
The major thing I learned:
Find the right p50 for you. There is: p50, p50 v, p50 w and p50 PIGM 400
P50 PIGM 400 – Ideal for dull complexions, can use twice a day.
P50 – Unifies the skin, use twice a week.
p50 w – Same as p50 but needs to be removed with L’Eauxygénante ( a moisturizing mist by them).
p50 v – A vitamin rich toner, use twice a week.
To decide which one is right for you I’d suggest taking into consideration how sensitive your skin is and then compare that with the recommend amount of weekly usage. I.e the ones that suggest usage twice a week will be pretty strong. Therefore, maybe try the P50 PIGM 400 if you have especially sensitive skin.
For me, I’m not going to use it again because I’d rather use something lighter or in other words more gentle. I don’t want to stress my skin out and I don’t really think it’s necessary for me. For the time being I’ll stick to Pixi but if Pixi hasn’t worked for you then maybe this had been the answer you’ve been looking for?
If you can, consult with them. Its the easiest and safest way to figure out if p50 is right for you.
