After I get a facial, I look like a new person.
My once dull, lifeless skin is magically transformed by my esthetician’s expert hands and perfect pore-spotting vision. The first day is never the best, though – my skin still needs to calm down from all the poking and prodding. But as each day passes, the glow becomes real. The real difference for me is in skin texture. A literal veil of dead skin and grime is lifted off of my face and I’m left with a baby-soft complexion.
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But facials can be costly, and most of us are not exactly in a position right now where we should be having intimate moments with our facialists – at least not as often as we would pre-pandemic. As someone with acne-prone skin who seriously benefits from spa-strength treatments, I have to admit that they’re not always in the budget. So I often take things into my own hands. Safely, of course. No scary DIY hacks to come, I swear.
When I first started using skincare, these Clearasil Treatment Pads were super popular. Ugh. The smell. While the formula has changed a bit to be “safer” for the skin, they’re still very irritating and contain ingredients like denatured alcohol and fragrance, which can be triggers for acne.
Exfoliating pads have come SUCH a long way since then. Brands like Bliss, Dr. Dennis Gross, and M-61 have perfected amazing exfoliating treatments that deliver professional-level results. While I’ve tried them all, I’ve recently discovered a new favorite.
Enter: Get Even Cold-Pressed Peel Pads from Naturally Serious ($38). The name sounds so juicy! I was sold, and of course, I had to review.
The brand
I wish I had discovered this brand sooner. Naturally Serious states that their products are “Clinically tested, cleanly made, [and] ethically developed.” The best part? They’re sold in Target, furthering the options of accessible, high-quality skincare.
Naturally Serious is dedicated to being kind to the environment and all packaging is 100% reusable and recyclable. The brand prides itself on creating products with anti-pollution protection. They have a patented blend of six ingredients in every single formula that’s been clinically tested to fight signs of aging and protect your skin against environmental stressors. (But more on that soon.)
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Ingredients
The Cold Pressed Peel Pads contain pomegranate enzymes for gentle exfoliation and increased cell renewal. They’re full of linoleic fatty acids which put in the hard work to even out your skin texture. Colloidal oatmeal hydrates and soothes.
The six-ingredient anti-pollution blend is made up of pomegranate, goji berry, grape seed, green tea, red tea, and white tea. That list just screams fresh. The ingredients are cold-pressed, which helps maintain the potency, quality, and efficacy of all the ingredients as opposed to being heated, which can zap the benefits right out.
Naturally Serious has a whole page explaining why they ban certain ingredients. They don’t use anything they define as “bad, ambiguous, and debatable,” and they’re 100% vegan and cruelty-free as well.
The review
These pads make me feel better about chemical exfoliation. I always have this fear that I’m overly exfoliating and potentially damaging my skin barrier. The colloidal oatmeal in these pads feels incredibly soothing, and since they don’t contain any major exfoliating acids, I’ve used these pads twice in a single day before.
They’re the definition of gentle yet effective. You still get the glow but you don’t feel like you’re stripping your skin. I was able to get my skin back on track despite having not seen my esthetician in months.
The only downside to these is that you can go through them quickly, and they’re not the most cost-effective if used regularly. At $38 for 60 pads, the price seems fair, but if you use them twice a day, they can go quick.
My best piece of advice is to put them in the fridge. It’ll give your skin a jolt and wake you up when used first thing in the morning, and it’s another way to refresh your skin while also kicking inflammation in the butt.
TLDR;
– Naturally Serious’ Cold-Pressed Peel Pads ($38) are perfect for gentle toning
– The pads are made with tons of antioxidants to fight pollution and free radicals
– Pomegranate enzymes and linoleic fatty acids exfoliate while colloidal oatmeal soothes
– Highly gentle, yet effective
BUY or BYE?
If you’re into chemical exfoliation and want something more gentle for every day, definitely check these out. They can be pricy if used on a regular basis, but the glow is totally worth it. Buy HERE, $38.
