PRODUCT REVIEW: SOBEL SKIN RX 27% GLYCOLIC ACID FACIAL CLEANSER – THE BEST EXFOLIATING FACE CLEANSER WITH GLYCOLIC ACID
SOBEL SKIN RX | 27% GLYCOLIC ACID FACIAL CLEANSER
This review was originally part of my blog article titled, Cool Sephora Beauty Insider Grabs – Farmacy Honey Potion, Sunday Riley Pink Drink and Sobel Skin Rx 27% Glycolic Acid Facial Cleanser. You can catch it here.
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I’m a huge fan of Dr. Howard Sobel’s new clinical skincare range, Sobel Skin Rx. Several weeks ago, I crafted a sweeping brand review of the collection titled, Dermatologist Skincare Brand Sobel Skin Rx - Some of the Best Anti-Aging Face Products for Healthy, Youthful Skin.
You can still catch it here.
Sobel Skin Rx is a collection of clean skincare with highly concentrated levels of actives — exactly the kind of products you’d expect to find at a derm’s office.
Says Dr. Sobel, “Sobel Skin Rx is all about the active ingredients. You’ll find them at the very top of all of our ingredient lists, so you know that the product you’re getting is the real deal and not just hype.”
Notably, the Sobel Skin Rx 30% Glycolic Acid Peel is a top-shelf chemical exfoliant that scares the hell out of me — in a good way. The brand’s 4.5% Retinol Night Treatment is no joke.
And, one of the best Vitamin C serums, the Sobel Skin Rx Vitamin C treatment, is formulated with three forms of Vitamin C for a 35% concentration of the antioxidant power brightener. Add this one to your PM skincare routine and you’ll wake up glowing.
I use a Niacinamide serum in both of my daily skincare routines, morning and night, and Dr. Sobel’s 15% Niacinamide serum is a personal favorite. In fact, it’s among the best Niacinamide serums I’ve tried. (Psst…keep an eye out for my upcoming blog article on the best Niacinamide serums for brightening the complexion!)
In the weeks since that original piece on the Sobel Skin Rx brand, I’ve discovered another fave — the Sobel Skin Rx 27% Glycolic Acid Facial Cleanser. It’s really a fantastic face wash; a solid, clean formula. And, as with the AHA-powered SELF/ish Facial Cleanser that I reviewed on the blog a few weeks ago, it doubles as one of the best exfoliating masks with Glycolic Acid, the second ingredient. Rather than emulsifying the cleanser immediately, simply massage some onto the skin and leave it on for a few minutes. Your complexion will be litty, lit, lit!
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.
With such a high concentration of the most potent of the alpha hydroxy acids, the 27% Glycolic Acid Facial Cleanser is not for the faint of heart. But, there are a slew of soothing botanical actives at high levels to prevent you from burning your face off. Among the top ten ingredients in the INCI are Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract and Chamomile Extract — all effective soothers that help to ameliorate any irritating effects from the glycolic acid.
The formula has a super light gel texture that barely emulsifies on the skin due to its reliance on Cocamidopropyl Betaine, a gentle surfactant used in skincare products.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine can be controversial (as so many skincare ingredients are!), according to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, it is considered low risk for sensitizing skin. It’s also being washed off the skin relatively quickly, so I don’t give the usual hysteria much credence.
One of the things I appreciate most about the Sobel Skin Rx 27% Glycolic Acid Facial Cleanser is the fact that only a limited quantity is dispensed with each pump. That means you don’t use too much of it (remember, it’s potent!) and, as a consequence, one bottle lasts a very long time.
It’s definitely worth grabbing yourself a bottle of the Sobel Skin Rx 27% Glycolic Acid Facial Cleanser in the Sephora Beauty Insider sale. You’ll love its versatility as much as I.
SHOP THE BLOG: Rouge members can purchase the Sobel Skin Rx 27% Glycolic Acid Facial Cleanser for just $36.80 (reg. $46) here.
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The Ingredient List of the the Sobel Skin Rx 27% Glycolic Acid Facial Cleanser:
Purified Water, Glycolic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadnesis Leaf Extract, Chamomile Extract, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, PEG-6 Caprylic Capric/Triglycerides, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Ammonium Hydroxide, Hexylene Glycol.
