Exfoliators can have different forms but one of the most controversial is for sure peeling pad. Why are they so controversial? Because they usually mix two forms of exfoliants - chemical exfoliants and mechanical exfoliants. Today I want to show you the product I wanted to try for ages mostly because it was curated by Charlotte Cho, the owner of SokoGlam as well as I've heard lots of good opinions about it from many beauty bloggers from all around the world - Neogen Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Lemon. How do mixing chemical and mechanical exfoliators work? Is this mix better than traditional exfoliators?
All the nerdy stats about Neogen for all beauty nerds
I feel like I don't have to introduce Neogen since it's one of the brands that sooner or later if you're into K-beauty you'll meet, even in Poland and Germany I was able to see this brand in local drugstore chain which was very surprising for me, especially that bit more than a year later I was ordering all the Neogen products straight from South Korea. Life can be surprising. But the cult of Neogen as a brand is in mixing technology and nature to find the best solution for the skin. The brand cares about what's inside the product but it also cared about the environment since the sister brand of Neogen - RE:P is a vegan k-beauty brand and the whole mother company of these two - Outin Futures is currently the only brand in South Korea with Leaping Bunny Certificate. Just to clarify - Neogen is not vegan since they use animal products like milk proteins.
What's the difference between chemical and mechanical exfoliants?
A mechanical exfoliant is an exfoliant that removes the dead skin from the surface of your face by scratching the skin - it can be a sugar scrub, salt scrub or even a cleansing brush, while chemical exfoliant is an exfoliant that removes dead skin cell with a use of a chemical substance - depending on the chemicals you use chemical exfoliants can reach further than mechanical ones. The preference of the method is a very personal thing but usually, it is recommended to use a chemical exfoliant since it's more effective so peeling pads seems to be an updated mechanical scrub, but is it still a mechanical scrub? It's more like a hybrid!
 "Neogen Bio Peel Gauze Peeling Lemon")
How often do we use the peeling pads?
Overexfoliation is a thing! As with everything in this world we need to find the harmony in adding exfoliant to the routine that's why I've decided to use peeling pads up to 2 times per week as an ideal value. The box of Neogen Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Lemon contains 30 pads which might sound like a small number but it's not that small as you think if we use it 2 times per week. The scrub has 2 different sides - gauze and soft side, the good thing about these pads is that you slip them onto your fingers - I usually put them on two fingers and you can start to scrub your skin with gauze side and then finish with a soft side. I can tell you that I use these pads to exfoliate my legs and arms since the pads are well soaked and one pad is enough to cover your face, neck and entire body.
If life gives you a lemon... make a peel out of it! What's inside the product?
But what we can exactly find inside the product? How does it work? What chemical exfoliating ingredients does it have? There are couple versions of Ingredients list that's why I've decided to check the latest update on Cosdna. Why I've decided to base on this ingredient list is that there are lots of different versions online and this one seems to have almost all the ingredients which you can see in different versions but in different proportion or without some ingredients.
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Alcohol Denat., PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Cymbopogon Citratus Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Tricholoma Matsutake Extract, Cordyceps Sinensis Extract, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Pisum Sativum (Pea) Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Saururus Chinensis Leaf/Root Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Artemisia Absinthium Extract, Broussonetia Kazinoki Root Extract, Coptis Chinensis Root Extract, PEG-60 Castor Oil, Carbomer, Tartaric Acid, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA, Benzophenone-5, CI 19140, CI 17200, Fragrance
 "Neogen Bio Peel Gauze Peeling Lemon")
All about acids
Are you surprised with this formula? I am. There are lots of natural extracts mixed with chemical ingredients but sometimes such combinations aren't as bad as you think they might be. I'm sure that you're scared of Alcohol Denat but seeing it on a 7th place in the formula doesn't scare me at all since in this case, Alcohol doesn't have to be drying but actually, it can help other ingredients to get deeper and stop working only on the surface of the skin. But let's focus on acids first. Tartaric Acid is an acid which I only saw in Neogen's products such as Neogen WYT Oxygen AHA Bubble Peeling Mask, it's an AHA organic acid that can be derived from grapes, it's mostly used to moderate sebum production and help with pigmentation. Glycolic Acid is another AHA that can penetrate the skin very deeply. It's good for acne-prone skin as well as for a mature skin. It stimulates the collagen production but it can be helpful with small pigmentation changes and little scars. Another AHA - Lactic Acid, this acid makes your skin softer and helps with the absorption of other products. This AHA is especially good for acne-prone skin.
It's all about Citrus
Besides acids, we can find in the formula some hydrating ingredients like Sodium Hyaluronate and Glycerin. But as I said before, we can find here a nice blend of natural ingredients. Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract is a lemon balm extract, used as a soothing ingredient. After a lemon balm, we've got a quick change to a lemongrass - Cymbopogon Citratus Extract, an extract that can help with skin brightening and inflammation. Don't be surprised with ingredients related to Citrus family. Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract is also known as satsuma mandarin and it's a plant that came from Japan. It's an antioxidant, very effective on pigmentation and age spots. It is also known for improving blood circulation. Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract is also an antioxidant full of vitamins and minerals, this one works nicely on acne-prone and oily skin, it's a brightening ingredient that can make blemishes less visible. Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract - a source of vitamin A and C, it makes your skin brighter. This ingredient will be great for acne-prone skin because both vitamins are used to treat acne and post-acne pigmentation. Tricholoma Matsutake Extract is also known as edible pine mushroom. It's an antioxidant with brightening properties, this ingredient is good for mature skin.
 "Neogen Bio Peel Gauze Peeling Lemon")
It's all from nature
If you thought that we ended up with Citrus family you're wrong! Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract makes skin glowy and soft, it's an antioxidant that keeps your skin fresh and in a good condition. Another two ingredients aren't that obvious, personally, I'm always a bit scared of them but if I did a patch test and it's okay then I go for them. Pisum Sativum (Pea) Extract and Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract. Pea Extract is used in products for oily and acne-prone skin because it contains zinc. Soy Seed Extract is a good ingredient for dry skin, it stimulates collagen production but for me, it's always an ingredient which you can find in anti-redness products especially the ones for people that have a problem with visible blood vessels/rosacea. Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract is another antioxidant to support blood vessels and protect the skin from inflammation and soothes the skin but also it is used in cosmetics to help with skin redness which is a problem not only for an acne-prone skin. Another ingredient that protects skin from redness and inflammation is Arnica Montana Flower Extract followed by Artemisia Absinthium Extract - an ingredient that sounds like it came from Harry Potter series since the name of this plant is... Mugwort - an antibacterial and antifungal ingredient. Broussonetia Kazinoki Root Extract is a brightening ingredient that makes the skin less dull. And last but not least Coptis Chinensis Root Extract, also known as Chinese Goldthread or Huang Lian, an ingredient known from Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is told that this ingredient has antibacterial and antifungal properties that's why it is recommended for acne-prone skin and people with atopic dermatitis. It's helpful with inflammation and dry skin as well.
When should you be careful?
But that's not all. Neogen mixes natural ingredients with modern technologies that's why we can see here lots of other ingredients than natural extracts too. I'm sure that you might be scared of Benzophenone-5 but actually, it's an UV-absorber. There's limited data on this ingredient and similar to acids it is recommended not to use this ingredient on eyes - in general, don't use these pads on eyes and be careful while using it in the eye area. There's a Phenoxyethanol - a preservative and PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, both shouldn't be used on wounded skin but I guess no one has an idea to put exfoliator on a wounded skin. Personally, I don't like both of them but since it's a peeling then it's more acceptable for me to use product with them than if they are in a cream. This product also contains Fragrance, if you're sensitive to this ingredient or any other ingredient which you can find in the product then start with patch tests. Remember to use sunscreen as well!
 "Neogen Bio Peel Gauze Peeling Lemon")
Do peeling pads really work?
Are they even effective? Even if Neogen Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Lemon might sound like an abstract concept this mix of chemicals and mechanical scrub has brightened my skin. It might not be a solution for pigmentation because let's stop kidding - pigmentation is not an easy thing to remove and you need a time for that but my skin is not dull and it's glowy after every use. It's a brightening product, not a spot treatment. The scent of the lemons might not be very accurate but there's something calming in the product that makes me wanna sniff it more. I really like the idea of putting the pad on my fingers - it's more secure than pads without this solution. My skin is sensitive but also combo with PIE & acne but I'm surprised that it worked for my skin without making it more sensitive, I only try not to use niacinamide serum after because this mix of citric ingredients and niacinamide doesn't work well for me - it's an individual thing but lots of people with sensitive skin might react badly to this combination.
Where to get it? You can find this product on SokoGlam
Let me tell you how do you exfoliate your skin? Do you know Neogen, have you ever tried any of Neogen products? Do you prefer chemical or mechanical scrubs?
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