Exfoliation — Reviews

(YOU)-NITY - Together

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Youth To The People’s Superfood family has a new member and let me tell you, it’s a really special one. I’m here to introduce you to the Mandelic Acid + Superfood Unity Exfoliant, one of my favourite launches from the brand yet. Packed with three gentle acids and superfood antioxidants, this new solution brings forth clarity, balanced and smooth skin through built-in barrier support with a powerhouse formula gentle enough for daily use. I’ve been testing this for a few weeks now and I’m thrilled to be reviewing and sharing my stellar results of the toner with you on launch day!

Youth To The People is 100% vegan, sustainable and clean cruelty free made in California. Created for all genders, all skin types, all skin tones—all people—backed by three generations of skincare expertise. Skincare for All® — Read about Youth To The People here.

Mandelic Acid + Superfood Unity Exfoliant

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My skin type: Balanced/dry.

Ideal for: Sensitive, blemish-prone, oily and combination skin types. (Friends with texture buildup and redness will love this — I can attest!)

Product details:

The Mandelic Acid + Superfood Unity Exfoliant is a pro-grade vegan™ leave-on exfoliator that blends three gentle acids and superfood antioxidants together to allow for a smoother, healthier and balanced skin barrier. Through a gentle exfoliation, the toner aids in fading dark spots, decongesting the skin and boosting hydration.

Instantly — Calms down redness and irritation.

With continued use — Minimizes the appearance of pores, aids in diminishing hyperpigmentation/discoloration and texture.

Product claims:

Gently exfoliates + cleared pores
Evens skin tone + fades dark spots
Smooths skin + controls congestion
Boosts hydration + supports barrier health

Dessey tip: Excessive redness? This pairs beautifully with the Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream.

Texture and scent:

Texture — Water-light liquid.

Scent — Fresh and light like superfoods and Tea Tree oil, if you will.

How to use:

After cleansing, saturate a cotton pad (reusable if you can!) with the solution. Sweep over the skin avoiding the eye area. You can also apply the solution by applying a bit into the palms of your hands and pressing it into the skin. I like both methods! Youth To The People recommends following up with their Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream.

Key ingredients:

— 3% Mandelic Acid (AHA): Mandelic acid is known to be one of the more gentle AHAs. It’ll help exfoliate the skin by shedding away dead skin cells and aids in hyperpigmentation/discoloration. AHA works wonders to smooth the skin.

— 2% Salicylic Acid (BHA): Salicylic acid is lipid-soluble which helps to decongest and aids to remove build up in the pores alongside minimizing the appearance of enlarged pores.

— 1% Gluconolactone (PHA): PHA is known to be a very gentle exfoliant. The Gluconolactone will help gently remove dead skin cells from the dermis with little irritation.

— Superfood Blend: Antioxidants, phytonutrients and essential vitamins from super greens kale, spinach and green tee aid to protect and fortify the skin for a healthy barrier.

— Glucosamine: A stellar compound to support hydration and aid in brightening.

— Licorice Root: An antioxidant to aid in discolouration and fade the look of dark spots. Licorice Root is also great to help soothe the skin.

View the full ingredient list for the Mandelic Acid + Superfood Unity Exfoliant here.

My experience + thoughts

The results speak for themselves while my gratification is celebrated through a healthy skin barrier. A stellar launch.

Toning and exfoliating are two of my favourite steps in my routine. Though I’ve tried many, there’s nothing like the Unity Exfoliant. It thrills me that I can incorporate an exfoliating toner into my routine on a daily basis without it being too irritating or heavy! After just three uses, the Unity Exfoliant left me stunned with results I’d only dreamed of — Aiding in redness reduction and texture. I know for a fact I’ll always have this gem on my top shelf forever. Youth To The People continues to bring innovation to the beauty world through their incredibly unique formulas and this one doesn’t fall short.

With no stinging or irritation, the formula has a ton of calming ingredients that help soothe the skin upon application. Nonetheless, it is still an exfoliant so be sure to use it accordingly with SPF as your last step in your morning routine!

Mandelic Acid + Superfood Unity Exfoliant VS. Kombucha + 11% AHA Exfoliation Toner

UNITY EXFOLIANT — Gentle for daily use to help balance the skin’s pH levels, gently exfoliate, smooth and hydrate.

KOMBUCHA TONER (Read my review here) — An exfoliant for 1-2 times a week. Kombucha Power Toner is a triple-action power toner that’ll smooth skin texture, minimize the appearance of pores and firm the look of skin. Formulated with a blend of 8% lactic acid and 3% glycolic acid, this powerhouse of AHAs delivers deep exfoliation and balanced skin. With the Kombucha Black Tea and Tree Bark ferments, they work as prebiotics to enhance the skin’s natural microbiome. This helps break down overproduction of natural oils to relieve congestions in the skin and allow for a radiant glow.

UNITY IS THE SOLUTION — A beautiful message intertwining both skincare and real-life.

Packaging + user experience

Ten times more convenient than the Kombucha toner’s packaging, the Unity Exfoliant now has a flip cap instead of a twist cap. The glass bottle is beautiful and sits elegantly on my vanity.

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Overview

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Price: $38.00 USD / $49.00 CAD for 4.0 oz/ 118 mL

Please keep in mind that I’m in Canada which means I review my products with a Canadian price tag/conversion in mind.

Does a little go a long way? It’s a liquid so it’s more difficult to say, but with a few drops, you’re good. So, yes!

Would I repurchase? A million times over.

Do I think it’s worth $49.00 CAD? With a powerhouse of ingredients and quick results? I’d happily pay even more. So, yes.

Available for purchase:

Youth To The People — Sephora

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored campaigns. As always, all thoughts are organic and trial periods were tested authentically.

Unity encompasses love and love is the solution. Let’s talk about it. Catch me on my Instagram here so we can chat all things Unity Exfoliant and check out more photos and content for the launch over there!

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Kombucha + 11% AHA Exfoliation Power Toner

What it is: An exfoliating toner.

What it does: Kombucha Power Toner is a triple-action power toner that’ll smooth skin texture, minimize the appearance of pores and firm the look of skin. Formulated with a blend of 8% lactic acid and 3% glycolic acid, this powerhouse of AHAs delivers deep exfoliation and balanced skin. With the Kombucha Black Tea and Tree Bark ferments, they work as prebiotics to enhance the skin’s natural microbiome. This helps break down overproduction of natural oils to relieve congestions in the skin and allow for a radiant glow.

Key ingredients:

8% Lactic Acid and 3% Glycolic Acid to deliver exfoliation while still maintaining a healthy pH balance. The AHAs will revitalize dry and dull skin and help with cell turnover, smoothing skin texture and reduce the appearance of pores.

Kombucha Black Tea Ferment contains potent peptides that’ll work as prebiotics to enhance the skin’s natural microbiome.

Pichia Lysate Ferment (Tree Bark Ferment) to help restore the skin’s elasticity and help reverse any signs of oxidative damage.

Ginger Extract enhances the AHA’s ability to smooth skin texture. Ginger Extract is an effective anti-aging superfood!

Citrus Bioflavonoids with lemon water extract increase antioxidant activity. When paired with AHA’s, these flavonoids are delivered to the skin instantaneously and look for pollutants.

View full ingredient list here.

Texture and scent: The Power Toner feels gentle on the skin. Once absorbed, it feels a little tacky but sinks in quickly. The scent is kombucha-y, subtle, obviously, but not overpowering. I personally don’t smell it when sweeping it across my face. I only smell something if I put my nose to the bottle.

How to use: Youth To The People recommends using the toner at night after cleansing, 3-5x per week.

View full recommended use details here.

My experience: Am I dreaming?

As I write this, I genuinely feel speechless looking back at how my skin looked after only two days of using the toner. I’m a sucker for a chemical exfoliant, and I always dreamed of the day that Youth To The People would launch one. After only a couple of uses, I can affirmatively say and see, clearly, that this is my new favourite acid in my routine.

As someone who’s used to acids, the toner didn’t tingle too much at first. On a scale of 0-10, 10 being a burn of a chemical peel, this tingle was a 4.5. I’m in love with the way it sweeps on my skin, smooth and not “glassy.” It actually leaves the skin very moisturized. YTTP claims that the skin will feel smoother and softer after one use… and well, guess what? My skin felt, looked and radiated smoother, softer and brighter after literally one use …And then I woke up in the morning, and was left speechless. My hyperpigmentation was lighter, and blemishes were diminished by 60% and by the next day, 80%.

For my routines using this toner in my testing period, I tried and still am using their recommended Power Facial which is for a night routine. Acids are powerful, and for me personally, work most effectively in the evening to allow proper penetration without much disruption during sleep. Always remember to wear SPF in the morning, especially after acids touch your face.