HUMANRACE | LOTUS ENZYME EXFOLIATOR

One of the things that’s uniquely New York is that we’re kind of all on top of each other, co-mingling out in the world. We’re just humans going about our day. No matter who you are, however famous or infamous, you put your pants on one leg at a time. When you gotta go out and get a loaf of bread, you walk to the corner market. It is what it is.

During most of my time working at Kiehl’s, our home offices were in the West Village. The neighborhood sandwiched between Greenwich Village and the Hudson River is home to numerous celebs. During many lunch outings with co-workers, we had celebrity sightings with our chicken salads. Edie Falco shopped in the health food store across from the Kiehl’s office. Her Sopranos hubby, James Gandolfini, lived up the block. Unassumingly, Heath Ledger would pop into one of our favorite lunch joints.

Sure it was cool, but I’ve never really been one to much care about celebrity. I like people (or don’t) based on who they really are. When I worked at Barneys in the 90s as a cosmetic department manager, Faye Dunaway was a frequent patron. She was quite nasty. I’ve never forgotten it.

And I’m always skeptical about celebrity skincare lines.

I’ve perhaps said some not-so-kind things about Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Skin. The products aren’t awful; but, as expected, they’re not great either. I reviewed Kylie’s relatively average skin care over a year ago in my blog article titled, My Fall Empties: Hydrating Serums, Anti-Aging Serums, Facial Cleansers & More! which you can catch here.

Madonna’s MDNA, on the other hand, is surprisingly good. The formulas are of superior quality, made in Japan by a Japanese skincare conglomerate. But what credibility does either Madonna or Kylie bring to skin care? Madonna has had quite a bit of work done. She looks great. But, trust me, her plump, contoured and glowing complexion has nothing to do with her namesake skin care — as good as her formulas are.

So when Pharrell Williams announced he was introducing a skincare range, I thought every celebrity and their mother has a skincare brand, why not Pharrell?! I happen to really love everything Pharrell is involved in. His Billionaire Boys Club streetwear is one of my favorite clothing brands. So I was excited and more hopeful than usual.

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HUMANRACE - PHARRELL WILLIAMS' SURPRISINGLY CLEAN, SUSTAINABLE & REFILLABLE SKINCARE

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And I gotta say, I think Pharrell nailed it with Humanrace. It’s a sustainable skincare brand comprising three products, each of which is natural, vegan, pro-skin health — and, most importantly, easy to use and understand.

It seems to me that the intent of Pharrell’s Humanrace is to provide someone who may be a causal skincare user (or doesn’t use skin care at all) with an ideal, simplified routine, something that’s easy to stick to day after day.

Each of the three products — a face cleanser, weekly exfoliator and moisturizer — is really well formulated. But it’s not as basic as it sounds. The face cleanser is a cleansing powder, one of my favorite types of cleansers and perhaps the least common face cleanser. The weekly exfoliator is powered by fruit enzymes and an 8% concentration of Glycolic Acid, not exactly for lightweights. (That’s even a lot for me!) And the daily face cream is infused with humectants, non-fragrant plant oils and antioxidants vitamins. Nary a fragrant component in sight. It’s really an impressive formula.

“Humanrace is a product company founded by Pharrell Williams with a mission to empower all people in their pursuit of wellbeing. Guided by experiences from his own wellness journey, Pharrell created Humanrace in the belief that taking better care of ourselves can teach us to take better care of each other.

Humanrace provides useful products and perspectives to help all individuals deepen their understanding of themselves and enrich their commitment to every day wellness. We believe that wellbeing is our most valuable resource, and are working to create a future where it is accessible to everyone.”

And, interestingly, each of the products is refillable! You can purchase refills as needed or enroll in the Humanrace subscription service. For $100, you can purchase what’s called the “Three-Minute Facial Routine Pack” — full sizes of each of the three products. Then, on a regular basis, you receive a refill insert at a slightly reduced price. As an example, the first time you purchase the Rice Powder Cleanser, it’s $32. Subsequent refills are $30. No extra plastic you don’t need. The original brilliant green containers are quite substantial and should last years.

Let’s take a look at each of the Humanrace products in detail…

Humanrace | Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator

As I said in my review of the Humanrace Rice Powder Cleanser, I’m no fan of harsh, physical exfoliation. Chemical exfoliation is the way to go — and the most effective way to achieve a smoother, brighter complexion day after day is with alpha hydroxy acids. There’s no better skin exfoliant than a good healthy dose of AHAs! And Glycolic Acid makes the best exfoliant for skin.

The Humanrace Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator is infused with a potent, effective 8% concentration of Glycolic Acid — a level that’s up there with one of the best acid exfoliants, the popular Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Lotion Exfoliant. It’s one of my all-time favorite acid-powered treatments.

The Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator formula’s 8% Glycolic Acid is combined with an additional 2% concentration of fruit-based alpha hydroxy acids for a true AHA-powered exfoliating treatment.

And, notably, with a pH level of 3.6, the formula is right in the AHA sweet spot for truly effective complexion renewal.

The Humanrace Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator treatment is intended to be massaged onto skin then rinsed off after the rich, silky cream has done what you need it to do — amp up your skin’s radiance.

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.

Originally a wild-harvested Mediterranean plant, blue tansy — which is actually yellow in color — is now cultivated mainly in Morocco. When the flower’s popularity in beauty products surged, it was harvested almost out of existence in the wild. Today, supplies are steadily increasing, but it’s still one of the more expensive essential oils. A 2-ounce bottle may cost more than $100.
The blooms of Tanacetum annuum are yellow. Its slender leaves are covered with a fine white “fur.” The oil has a sweet, herbal fragrance due to its high camphor content.
it’s not my go-to Niacinamide serum. That distinction always has, and always will, belong to the OG Niacinamide serum – the Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster serum.

Its AHA potency isn’t what’s most unique about Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator. There’s nothing all that unique about a powerful rinse-off exfoliating treatment. What I love most about the formula is its abundance of nourishing antioxidant fermented actives and other antioxidant extracts — including Pumpkin Fruit Ferment Filtrate, Pomegranate Fruit Ferment Extract, Apple Fruit Extract and Bilberry Fruit Extract. That's quite unique in skincare — and quite an intelligent addition to the formula. With its fully sealed container, all that antioxidant potency will stay fresh longer. Hey Pharrell, I’m impressed!

I’ve really enjoyed the Humanrace Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator. It’s a superb resurfacing treatment for Selfcare Sunday — or selfcare any day.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Humanrace Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator for just $46 here.

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