Claims from the manufacturer:
This brightening peel delivers advanced anti-aging and skin-brightening benefits through a triple-acid formula that dissolves and sweeps away dull, dead skin cells and impurities
The end result: skin tone and clarity appear improved and fine lines, diminished
12 individually-wrapped, pre-saturated chemical peel pads for weekly use
Experience superior brightening peel results in one convenient step
Directions from the manufacturer:
Gently swipe pad over clean, dry face and follow with moisturizer as needed. can also be swiped over back of hands, neck and décolleté, if desired.
*Tip: use once a week
Ingredients:
Water, Alcohol Denat., Glycereth-7 Triacetate, Mandelic Acid, Niacinamide, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Malic Acid, PEG-8/SMDI Copolymer, Arginine, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Glycerin, Alpha-Bisabolol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Adenosine, Sargassum Muticum Extract, Magnesium Hydroxide, Farnesol
My experience:
Philosophy the Microdelivery Triple- acid Brightening Peel has been a long wanted product that I wanted to try out and I finally splurged on it for my birthday. Now that I have used last pad I am ready to report to you what I think of it. First of all the packaging is very classic and in line with other Philosophy Peeling products. The box contains 12 peeling pads and you are supposed to use only one pad per week. If you follow that rule, the box will last you whooping 3 months.
Each pad comes in an individual sachet which is super easy to open. The usage is also very straight forward. Wash your face, make sure it is completely dry and then just swipe everything with the pad. Avoid getting close to the skin around the eyes since this zone is very sensitive and prone to redness and vicious peeling. The pads are super thin and are made of thin cotton, it feels like it is a piece of fabric which is flexible and lays easy in hand.
Peeling solution of the Philosophy the Microdelivery Triple- acid Brightening Peel is very liquid and transparent. It is runny like water but has some light stickiness to it if you rub it between the fingers. One major thing that I don't like about the fluid is that it reaks of alcohol and something very sour. Considering the price point the company could add some natural occurring oils (bergamot, lavender, citrus), pretty much anything to mask the stench. A girl may wish... Pad is just large enough to wipe my entire face and I managed to pull some of the solution down to my neck.
Once applied, my face felt some tingle after 10 minutes into the peeling process. It went away fairly quickly leaving my face shining bright like a diamond. I was wowed at how well it managed to even my skin tone in one use. My acne scars on my chin and near my nasolabial folds got diminished by the time I was on the 8th pad. My pores were getting smaller and the surface of my skin smoother with each consecutive use. Afterwards, using last 4 pads was just for maintenance and me and my partner did see a tremendous difference in the skin color. I did try to use 2 pads in one week 4 days apart and my skin was not happy about it. Instead of being bright and smooth it became red and irritated for couple of days.
If your skin is oily and you have large pores that are tough to manage, this peeling pad set would be a lovely investment for you. I'd personally not use it in the summer months knowing how active it is on my skin. As with application of any acids (AHA, BHA or PHA) you should be wearing sunscreen EVERY DAY, no matter the weather. People with dry and dehydrated skin would need to moisturize and hydrate the face properly while using this product. Due to the high concentration of acids and added alcohol, your skin will need every extra you offer. Best part about such peeling solutions is that due to the excellent resurfacing properties your skin will be able to absorb other skincare better so be prepared to layer your toner and hydrators.
Would I purchase it again? YES, but knowing what it does to me, I'd split the pack into half and do this peeling for 6 weeks once a week. Afterwards I'd switch to gentle mandelic acid daily for a month followed by 6 weeks of pads. I feel that in this way I'd offer my skin a small break in order to avoid sensitizing it. I hope this review is helpful for you.