Toners in general are meant to further cleanse the skin by unclogging and shrinking the appearance of pores. There are many different types of toners, many designed for specific skin types. This NeoStrata toner is formulated for acne-prone skin, but is probably a bad idea for those with sensitive or dry skin. Its ingredients include 2% of the acne-fighting Salycilic Acid as well as 10% of the AHA Glycolic Acid, which acts to remove dead skin cells. 10% Glycolic Acid is a high amount, and may be too much without building up a tolerance for Glycolic Acid first.
This product was recommended to me by a Sales Associate at Shoppers, and I purchased it blindly, without doing any prior research on Glycolic Acid or reviews on this product more specifically. I also followed her instructions, which were to use 1-2 times daily. She didn't believe that I would need to build up a tolerance level. She was dead wrong! After using the product the first few times I got a tingly, clean feeling both during and after application. My skin felt extremely soft after, and I could notice a difference in the size and redness of my blemishes. It seemed to be working! However, after about the fifth day of using this product in both my morning and nightly routine, my face felt like it was on fire and was the most unflattering shade of tomato red. I moisturized the heck out of my face, which seemed to calm matters, so I just decided to give the toner a break. The next day, my face was severely dry, even though I had moisturized quite a bit the day before. My skin was flaking everywhere, and with flaking skin it is impossible to cover with makeup, as it just gets all caught on your flakes! The only good part about this was that my acne seemed to be drying out as well. I went back to Shoppers to ask for a hydrating moisturizer that could hopefully shed some of the flakes ASAP. A different Sales Associate asked me what had caused the flaking, and when I told her about the Toner and how often I had been applying it without previously being exposed to lower amounts of Glycolic Acid, I thought she was going to have a heart attack. She lectured me in great detail about how much damage I could do to my skin when I hadn't built up a tolerance to Glycolics and was literally stripping my skin. I hope that I have learned my lesson through both embarassment of the dry, flaky, red skin and through her schooling!
Now that I know how to use the product properly, I find it absolutely amazing. I don't like to use the term "Holy Grail" loosely, but I feel like this is definitely going to be a lifelong product for me. I now use the product every other day, and if my skin is feeling dry I will skip it altogether. I have not experienced any further stinging, redness or dryness from this product. It seems to really help with fading my blemishes and actually reduces the redness from my current breakouts. Most of all I love how fresh and clean my face feels after using this product. It makes me want to just forget putting anything else on my skin!
This product is available for purchase at Shoppers Drug Mart for $29.00, as well as through the NeoStrata website. It comes in a 100ml bottle, which dispenses the product in small amounts. I like to use cleansing pads that have a bit of exfoliation on one side when applying, but that's just a personal choice. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who is dealing with acne or the occasional breakout. Just remember, do not forget to build up a tolerance to Glycolics!
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