Pestle & Mortar is an Irish skin care brand that hit the U.S. beauty scene in 2015. It stands out particularly for its slow and brilliant launches versus inundating consumers with a ton of SKUs. In fact, the brand launched with just one product — its now-famous hyaluronic acid serum.
This toner is the newest launch and it's formulated with exfoliating glycolic acid and niacinamide, toning witch hazel, and soothing and brightening botanical extracts, including white daisy, cucumber, aloe, green tea and willow.
Last year, Glossier released Solution, which promised to be the end-all, cure-all product for acne-prone skin types. Its claims were met with some skepticism, but the results are in and the gentle exfoliating product has a ton of loyal fans. It's made with a 10 percent blend of AHA, BHA and PHA to help slough off dead cells and dissolve plugs in clogged pores. The addition of aloe and niacinamide help keep skin happy and healthy.
Herbivore's Glow Potion doesn't just make your vanity look good, it makes your skin look good, too. It has a nice slip to it that makes application easier than some of the liquid solutions included here — simply apply a couple drops to your skin (or fingertips) and massage in. It's made with a 5 percent blend of lactic acid, sugar cane glycolic acid, orange peel citric acid, and apple malic acid to exfoliate. Kakadu hydrates and brightens, while rose and aloe water soothe and hyaluronic acid plumps.
This vegan skin care brand just launched its Apple Cider Vinegar Resurfacing Peel Pads, which feature the favorite DIY beauty hero they're named after. Apple cider vinegar is naturally rich in AHAs to help exfoliate and reveal brighter skin. This one also includes two additional AHA sources: glycolic acid and orange fruit acids. It's definitely more aggressive than the other products in this roundup, so we advise using it once or twice a week until your skin acclimates.
This list wouldn't be complete without Pixi's Glow Tonic, a beauty editor favorite. It's a liquid solution that features a blend of 5 percent glycolic acid to nix impurities and dead cell buildup. It's combined with skin-soothing aloe vera, energizing ginseng, witch hazel, biotin and horse chestnut.
