BEAUTY BAY | ACID TRIP EXFOLIATING TONER

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.

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The Beauty Bay Acid Trip Exfoliating Toner is not the best acid toner for exfoliating and brightening the skin, but it’s not the worst either.

(I’ve reserved that distinction for the Saturday Skin Pore Clarifying Toner 10% Glycolic Acid + Pore Control Complex!)

Beauty Bay’s Acid Trip has a relatively tight INCI with 15 ingredients in all — some good, some not so good.

With a pH that I estimate to be between 3-4, the formula is right in the sweet spot for optimal acid efficacy of its AHA’s — and you can certainly feel it in action. Don’t let that frighten you. The first time I tried it, I applied it the same day I’d shaven and it really packed a punch!

Acid Trip contains a complex of AHA’s, including Glycolic, Lactic and Citric Acids, totaling about 10-12% of the formula.

There’s also a healthy amount of PHA Gluconolactone — with its exfoliating, moisturizing and antioxidant benefits.

The only real drawback to the formula is the inclusion of Sweet Orange Peel Oil, Witch Hazel Leaf Extract and Limonene, all three of which have the potential to irritate the skin. And that’s a shame in a potent acid toner with a true exfoliating benefit. Glycolic Acid, in particular, can be highly sensitizing. (I’m speaking from first hand experience here, even on days that I haven’t shaven!)

If your skin tolerates Glycolic Acid well, it will very likely also tolerate the low level of fragrance in Beauty Bay’s Acid Trip exfoliating toner.

About that Witch Hazel.

The common astringent has long gotten a pass in skin care. In fact, it’s not very good for the skin long-term.

Witch Hazel has often been compared to alcohol in skin care and is purported to be a more gentler astringent. It’s a favorite of big beauty marketers because it’s cheap and has a soothing, astringent effect on the skin that gives the illusion that the product is doing something. Marketers love when consumers thing the product is working. Sadly, that something is often irritation in action.

The experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team rate witch hazel among the worst ingredients for the skin.

What is witch hazel?

“Witch hazel is a…“commonly used plant extract that can have potent antioxidant properties and some soothing properties. However, witch hazel’s high tannin content (tannin is a potent antioxidant) can also make it sensitizing if used repeatedly on skin. The bark of the witch hazel plant has a higher tannin content than the leaves. Producing witch hazel water by steam distillation removes the tannins, but the plant’s astringent qualities are what most believe give it benefit.
“Alcohol is added during the distillation process, the amount typically being 14–15%. Witch hazel water is distilled from all parts of the plant; therefore, you never know exactly what you’re getting, although the alcohol content remains.
“Depending on the form of witch hazel, you’re exposing your skin either to a sensitizing amount of alcohol or to tannins, or both. Moreover, witch hazel contains the fragrance chemical eugenol, which is another source of sensitivity. For a deeper dive into the research on witch hazel, see our in-depth analysis here.”

So, again, Acid Trip is a mixed bag. It certainly has the oomph you want in an acid toner; but if your skin is sensitive or easily sensitized like mine, it’s not the best option. But for $8 for 5 oz. (150mL), it’s certainly tempting.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Beauty Bay Acid Trip Exfoliating Toner for $8 here.

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