SUNDAY RILEY | GOOD GENES ALL-IN-ONE LACTIC ACID TREATMENT

This product review was originally part of my blog article titled, 3 Lactic Acid Treatments To Get Your Complexion Lit In The New Year From Drunk Elephant, Biossance And Sunday Riley. You can catch the full piece here.

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Today is the coldest day of the year here in NYC, with temps in the mid-20s. I love the crispy air but that’s a bit much.

When it’s this cold outside, I struggle with dehydration — no matter how much water I drink and how much Hyaluronic Acid I apply.

To keep my body hydrated, I try to follow the simple rule of drinking one ounce of water for every pound of body weight. For me, that’s just over 150 ounces of water a day — about three 1.5 liter bottles.

And, of course, I apply lots and lots of humectants in the form of HA serums, toning mists and hydrating toners. Humectants like Hyaluronic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Glycerin and Centella Asiatica lock moisture in the skin. For a run-down of some of my favorite humectant serums, check out my most recent article titled, New Hyaluronic Acid Serums I Love From Farmacy Beauty, Herbivore, Glossier And More - Best Hyaluronic Acid Serums, Best Hydrating Serums For Face. It’s available to read here.

So I do everything I can to keep my skin feeling hydrated and my complexion looking alive.

NEW HYALURONIC ACID SERUMS I LOVE FROM FARMACY BEAUTY, HERBIVORE, GLOSSIER AND MORE

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And nothing kickstarts a dull complexion like a facial!

Yesterday, a good friend and I hit up our fave new-age spa in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, the Kollectiv NYC. In addition to sub-zero cryofacials and cryobody treatments, the Kollectiv offers warm, soothing conventional facials — and I certainly needed to power wash my pores. So I scheduled one with my facialist, Toni, who made no mention this time of how clogged my pores were, which was a good sign that I ended the year with relatively healthy skin.

Rather than the expense of a facial at a local spa or clinic, you can always reach for powerful brightening treatments like Vitamin C serums, Niacinamide serums, and acid toners or masks infused with exfoliating AHA’s, BHA’s and PHA’s like Glycolic and Lactic Acids, Salicylic Acid and Gluconolactone.

Last week, I published the first in a series of articles on achieving a brighter complexion in dry, cold weather titled, The Best Fresh Activated Vitamin C Serums To Get Your Complexion Lit in the New Year. You can catch the article here. In it, I featured three of the best Vitamin C serums, each freshly activated for maximum potency and efficacy.

THE BEST FRESH ACTIVATED VITAMIN C SERUMS TO GET YOUR COMPLEXION LIT IN THE NEW YEAR

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Among my top picks was the new Drunk Elephant C-Firma Fresh Day Serum, an upgrade of the iconic original C-Firma Vitamin C serum. In 2021, Drunk Elephant reformulated their star Vitamin C serum to be freshly activated. I hadn’t even imagined that C-Firma could be improved upon and the new formula is exceptional.

The second of my fresh-activated Vitamin C picks for a brighter complexion is a true classic: the Clinique Fresh Pressed Daily Booster with Pure Vitamin C 10%. I’ve included Fresh Pressed on the blog several times over the years. It’s certainly stood the test of time and was the first fresh-activated Vitamin C serum I experienced. As I’ve said, I think it’s among the best anti-aging serums for face and much more than a Vitamin C-powered brightening serum.

The third of my fresh activated Vitamin C serums for getting your complexion lit in the new year was the goop beauty GOOPGLOW 20% Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Glow Serum. And like the new Drunk Elephant C-Firma, you combine a liquid in one bottle with a pure Vitamin C powder in the other for a potent brightening treatment.

We’re fortunate that today there are multiple skincare treatments for home use powered by active ingredients that instantly brighten a dull complexion when the dry, low-humidity air sucks the life out of our skin.

Both Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) and Vitamin C are proven skin brighteners with the additional benefit of antioxidant protection, skin strengthening and even retexturizing the skin surface when used at very high levels.

In fact, I use high concentrations of each in my daily skincare routines. And, in the case of Niacinamide, I use multiple products twice daily, including serums, toners and moisturizers that are infused with the antioxidant powerhouse. It’s central to what I refer to as pore maintenance. Daily pore maintenance is the act of deep cleaning pores each day to keep skin functioning at its optimal best — and keep your facialist from criticizing your pore situation.

And I make no secret of the fact that I believe the Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster to be among the best anti-aging serums on Earth. It’s the star product at the heart of my daily pore maintenance regimen and not a day goes by that I don’t use it at least once. Which means I go through about a bottle of it a month!

PRODUCT REVIEW: PAULA’S CHOICE 10% NIACINAMIDE BOOSTER – THE BEST NIACINAMIDE SERUM

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While Niacinamide serums and Vitamin C serums make superb skin brighteners, they aren’t the only topical skincare products that can get even the dullest complexion glowing with an instant brightening effect. A well-formulated exfoliating acid treatment can, too.

Like vitamin-infused products, acid treatments come in multiple forms. There are acid serums, acid masks and, perhaps the most popular, acid toners infused with exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids, or AHA’s, like Glycolic Acid and my personal fave, Lactic Acid, made from milk.

There are toners infused with beta hydroxy acids, or BHA’s, like Salicylic Acid that power wash pores. Among the best Salicylic Acid toners is the Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant. As I understand it, it’s the brand’s top-selling product.

There are even toners formulated with both AHA’s and BHA’s; lately many are also made with the newest and gentlest of the exfoliating hydroxy acids, PHA’s — or polyhydroxy acid. Among the new class of PHA’s are Gluconolactone and Lactobionic Acid.

ACID TONERS – SOME OF THE BEST BHA / AHA TONERS FOR FACE FROM PAULA'S CHOICE, FARMACY AND MORE

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I love a good acid toner, but have to confess that my skin doesn’t always tolerate them very well. And that’s okay. I’ve made peace with the fact that Glycolic Acid isn’t my BFF. Except when using it to deodorize my underarms as my daily deodorant! So, we’ve found a way to coexist. Psst…you can catch my article on how to use Glycolic Acid as a deodorant, Skincare Hacks: Glycolic Acid Is the Natural Deodorant that Works! on the blog here.

Even though Glycolic Acid is considered the best acid to exfoliate the skin and instantly brighten the complexion, I prefer its kinder, gentler sibling, Lactic Acid. Like Niacinamide, my skin loves Lactic Acid in multiple products, multiple times a day — at any concentration.

WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW

THE BEST BHA / AHA TONERS FOR FACE

ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE

What Is Lactic Acid and What Does Lactic Acid Do for the Skin?

Lactic Acid is my favorite of the range of six or seven alpha hydroxy acids. That’s not something I can say about its more powerful AHA partner in crime, Glycolic Acid. But what makes Lactic Acid so uniquely effective? There’s a great piece on the benefits of Lactic Acid written by the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, Lactic Acid for Skin. You can catch the full article here. Here is an excerpt:

Lactic acid is a skin care ingredient that quickly delivers numerous benefits when applied in a well-formulated exfoliating product. When used in a pH-correct formula (whether designed to be left on skin or in a high-strength peel that’s rinsed after several minutes), lactic acid works by gently breaking the bonds that hold dead, dry skin cells to the surface.
If you’re using a rinse-off peel with lactic acid, do so once weekly or every other week. Apply the peel to cleansed skin, leave on for the designated amount of time, rinse, and follow with the rest of your skincare routine.
These dead cells shed on their own when we’re young, but sun damage, aging, and certain skin issues can slow or even stop this process, leading to a buildup of dead skin that creates a dull, older-looking complexion. Regular use of an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) like lactic acid can turn this around.
As with other acids, research shows lactic acid’s ability to exfoliate effectively depends on the product’s acid concentration, with amounts between 5-12% having reliably impressive results.

And because I love Lactic Acid-infused products so much, I’ve amassed quite a collection of what I consider the best Lactic Acid serums, toners, moisturizers and masks anywhere. Among my favorites are the Kat Burki Goji Essence — one of the most effective Lactic Acid toners I’ve tried. It’s also an absolute pleasure to use and brings me a ridiculous amount of skincare joy. You can catch my review of it on the blog here.

Which brings me to my top three picks of Lactic Acid serums for FW21-22!

No article about Lactic Acid would be complete without the iconic Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment from Sunday Riley. Hands-down, I consider it to be the OG Lactic Acid serum – the first one I ever experienced. I’m likely not alone; it’s that popular. I’m excited to share about it again below.

PRODUCT REVIEW: KAT BURKI GOJI ESSENCE - BEST LACTIC ACID TREATMENT, BEST FERMENTED ESSENCE

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New to the scene, and following in the footsteps of Good Genes, is the peptide-powered Drunk Elephant Protini Powerpeptide Resurfacing Serum. In addition to the C-Firma Fresh Day Serum, I’m a longtime fan of Drunk Elephant’s Protini Polypeptide Cream and believe that, at $68, it’s the most anyone should ever pay for a moisturizer.

The Biossance Squalane + 10% Lactic Acid Resurfacing Night Serum is also a new Lactic Acid treatment – and really well-formulated. Infused with skin-replenishing and emollient Squalane, I’ve been enjoying its thicker texture; it’s ideal for keeping skin from drying out in the cold, low-humidity air.

With that, let’s take a look at one of my three favorite Lactic Acid serums for getting your complexion lit in the new year…

Sunday Riley | Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment

I’m a big fan of Sunday Riley! My favorites from the popular brand are the Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment, the 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum and the Pink Drink Firming Essence. (Psst…you can catch my review of the fantastic Pink Drink fermented essence on the blog here.)

In my mission to try every Vitamin C serum on Earth, I was fortunate enough this year to finally discover Sunday Riley’s iconic C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum. With its light, milky texture, it’s become one of my favorite Vitamin C serums in my brightening arsenal.

In fact there are times where I wash my face, apply my go-to Niacinamide serum (the Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster) then the C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum — and go straight to bed! The stuff makes a perfectly legitimate brightening moisturizer when you don’t want or need anything too heavy.

PRODUCT REVIEW: SUNDAY RILEY C.E.O. 15% VITAMIN C BRIGHTENING SERUM - BEST VITAMIN C SERUM FOR FACE

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But I’m here to talk Lactic Acid!

The Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment is the OG. It was among the first Lactic Acid exfoliating treatments I tried — and could very well have been the first. In fact, as I recall, Sunday Riley’s Good Genes put Lactic Acid on the map for me. I had little if any awareness of the gentler AHA prior.

To start, let me say that this stuff isn’t cheap! At $85 for 1 oz. (30mL), you could be forgiven for having really high expectations of the iconic Lactic Acid serum — as I initially did. But rest assured, it’s one of the most well-formulated and best exfoliating treatments with Lactic Acid. So you’re getting something that’s legitimately pro-skin health for your money.

When I first started using it again this year, I wanted to really put the product to the test and pushed the envelope. I used Good Genes nightly for three straight nights. I know people who use it daily without hesitation, which is great if your skin can tolerate that.

Personally, I don’t believe that skin needs daily exfoliation through aggressive skincare treatments. Cell turnover happens on its own. In fact, every skin cell originating in the lower levels of the skin rises to the surface within 28 days — where it’s freed from the body like pollen cast into the wind from a wild poppy.

Any brightening benefit you get through an acid treatment should be sustained over several days. That’s how you prevent yourself from overdoing its and sensitizing your skin.

With my multi-day experiment, I gotta say I was surprised that I saw no irritation on any of the following mornings. So I dialed it back to every other night and saw solid results that way.

How Often Should I Exfoliate My Face and Is it OK to Exfoliate Face Everyday?

Personally, in my experience, I don’t believe it’s necessary to exfoliate every day. Over time, over-exfoliation can sensitize the skin and leave you with few daily options for brightening your complexion. Of course, it depends on the type of exfoliation (e.g. chemical vs. physical) and the strength of the product you’re using.

I found a really cool piece on the Byrdie website titled, Ask a Dermatologist: How Often Should I Exfoliate My Face? Here are a few excerpts from the article, which you can read in its entirety here.

What are the main benefits of exfoliating your face?
Let’s start from the top: Why exfoliate your skin in the first place? According to celebrity esthetician (and Byrdie's favorite skincare guru) Renée Rouleau, there are a plethora of benefits to regular exfoliation for all skin types. For those prone to blemishes and clogged pores, exfoliation should be the main focus of your routine. There are a few different types of exfoliants (which we'll get to in a second), but for these acne-prone skin types, Rouleau recommends using a chemical exfoliant formulated with beta hydroxy acid (try her BHA Clarifying Serum), which will work "to reduce bacteria on the skin while exfoliating and cleaning clogged pores."
How often should you exfoliate your face?
The answer to our million-dollar question is pretty universal across the board: You should exfoliate your face about two to three times a week. (An acid serum two to three nights a week, plus a weekly mask or peel is a great routine to shoot for.) You may have heard only once a week, but dermatologists say that for most skin types, that's not enough. According to Dove dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, "We lose 50 million skin cells a day, and if they remain on the skin, it can look dull and dry." Encouraging that extra layer of skin cells to go on their merry way two to three times a week is the secret to smooth, glowing skin.

That said, gentle exfoliation like the kind that Sunday Riley’s Good Genes Lactic Acid delivers helps to speed up the desquamation process, leaving the complexion free of dead skin, enhancing the penetration of actives and boosting your glow. With Good Genes, you get a healthy glow without the irritation common to acid treatments.

I think the reason for that more gentle effect is the product’s blend of soothing ferments and healing aloe and arnica. As I said in my review of the Biossance Squalane + 10% Lactic Acid Resurfacing Night Serum, it’s those skin soothers that make all the difference. And with Good Genes, they’re all at higher concentrations than the Lactic Acid itself. Bravo, Sunday Riley!

Not that it’s such an exact science, but Sunday Riley has clearly achieved the right balance. What makes Good Genes iconic? Well, it’s gentle, yet effective, has a dope name (hah!) and is a whole sensorial experience. Yes, it smells great, too! (Maybe as a result of the Lemongrass Extract.)

Plus, I gotta admit that it’s priced like it’s iconic…

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What I like about it: The Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment is legitimately one of the best Lactic Acid treatments — and the true OG. It’s got the perfect blend of exfoliating Lactic Acid at a 10% concentration and proven skin soothers that help to ameliorate the potential sensitizing effects of an AHA.

What I don’t like about it: At $85 for one ounce, it’s a bit pricey and out of reach of many consumers who would otherwise benefit from the exceptional formula.

Who it’s for: All skin types, even sensitive.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment for $85 here.

SHOP SEPHORA FOR SUNDAY RILEY GOOD GENES ALL-IN-ONE LACTIC ACID TREATMENT