A'pieu Vitamin AC Pad
3:47 PM
This year, I've been really into using pads in my skincare routine. I've always loved the Cosrx pimple pads but I've also tried the Neogen wine pads, some pads from Wishformula and CommonLabs (reviewed here) and a couple of others.
Today I have a review of some Vitamin A and C pads from the Korean brand A'pieu that I got from Jolse.
A'pieu is a brand I like because they have affordable yet effective products. Their products are usually fuss-free but very interesting!
And second point, I love vitamin C and these pads contain vitamin C, that's why I was curious to try them :D
INTRODUCTION
In terms of skincare, there are 3 ingredients that are backed up by a plethora of scientific studies to address their effectiveness. These 3 ingredients are: Vitamin C, Retinol, and Niacinamide. Of course, exfoliants, such as BHA and AHA, also have in-depth scientific background but these 3 are the holy trinity of skincare ingredients! And…in these pads, you have 2 of them: Vitamin C and Retinol plus a BHA and AHA! That’s a lot of things in there…the BHA and AHA are however in lower amount so far more gentle. The main actives of these pads are mainly Vitamin C and Retinol. You also have soothing plant ingredients, which are always a nice plus when using retinol.
Importantly, note that I don’t mean that you need to use these 3 ingredients to get beautiful skin and the more you use them, the better. It’s not that easy, you need to listen to your skin and understand what it needs and how much it needs. It’s not necessary to use the 3 of them or it could even be a disaster if you use too high concentrations of one of these active ingredients. Vitamin C and retinol can be irritating if used in too high amount or too often, so yes listen to your skin and try to understand what it asks for.
WHAT ARE THEY?
They are exfoliating pads that contain vitamin C, retinol and in lower amounts BHA (betaine salicylate) and AHA (glycolic acid). Vitamin C has brightening properties and can decrease the appearance of fine lines and spots. Retinol can also decrease the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improve the firmness of the skin, smooth and refine the surface. They also contain a powerful antioxidant, Glutathione.
In one word: they will make your skin smoother, brighter and more radiant.
In one word: they will make your skin smoother, brighter and more radiant.
PACKAGING
35 pads are contained in a plastic jar. The jar is hermetic and therefore avoids evaporation. I’ve just finished the jar and the last pad was still soaked in solution.
As retinol and vitamin C deteriorate when expose to air and light, don’t let the jar open and close it immediately after opening it. I’m not sure how they are formulated in the pads but I hope they don’t degrade too fast…note also the presence of glutathione which helps stabilize vitamin C! That’s a good point.
HOW TO USE THEM
“Wipe smoothly with the embossed side, and wipe again with the smooth side.” Use them in the evening, directly after cleansing.
It’s always important with retinol to start slowly. Typically start using a pad a week first and then increase to twice a week and up to 3 times a week. They are actually quite gentle and therefore 3 times a week should be OK, even one every 2 days shouldn’t be a problem in my opinion but again, that’s something you have to test and see how your skin react. Personally I use it between 2-3 times a week.
And don’t forget to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen rated SPF 30 or greater during the day.
And don’t forget to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen rated SPF 30 or greater during the day.
Oh and do I have to mention that they have the most delicious lemon sorbet scent! (not lemon but really lemon sorbet :D )
INGREDIENTS
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Glycerin, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Retinol, Biotin, Glutathione, Riboflavin, Anthemis Nobilis (chamomile) Flower Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaft Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract, Salicylic Acid, Betaine Salicylate, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Melaleuca Alternifoila (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Arginine, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate
INGREDIENT ANALYSIS
In terms of ingredients, these pads are soaked in a solution of:
- Solvents (water, dipropylene glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol)
- Emulsifier (Glycereth-26 with with hygroscopic properties, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil))
- Humectant (glycerin) that draws water into the skin and is important for hydration
- Panthenol (vitamin B5): anti-irritant/soothing, moisturizer, help skin heal faster
- Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C): is a super ingredient with many proven benefits. It is an antioxidant, it can increase collagen production and therefore reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, reduce the appearance of skin discolorations, strengthen the skin barrier, and reduce inflammation. It also has some brightening effects.
- Retinol (Vitamin A): Retinol can help visibly diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles, increase the appearance of firmness, improve uneven skin tone, smooth and refine the surface of skin, and help mitigate the effects of environmental stressors.
- Biotin (Vitamin B7): necessary vitamin for the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, amino acids. However there is no reported benefit for the skin when applied topically.
- Glutathione: is a tripeptide (cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine) and powerful antioxidant which naturally occurs in the skin where it serves to help defend it against the visible effects of environmental damage. It’s one of the most important endogenous antioxidants produced by the cells, that participates directly in the neutralization of free radicals and reactive oxygen compounds. Importantly, it also maintains antioxidants such as vitamins C in their reduced (active) forms. In cosmetics, glutathione has also been associated with skin lightening ability. It could inhibit melanin synthesis as well as its agglutination. Due to its powerful antioxidant property, it can protect the cells from environmental stressors that generate free radicals that cause skin damage and hyperpigmentation.
- Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): no clear benefit when applied topically
- Some plant extracts, such as chamomile (soothing, antioxidant), Portulaca Oleracea (soothing), aloe (soothing), willow bark extract (soothing), tea tree oil (soothing, antioxidant), and lavender and orange (both can be irritant but I can’t tell for sure if it is here). It also contains betaine salicylate (BHA exfoliant) and glycolic acid (AHA exfoliant) as well as sodium hyaluronate, a humectant.
THOUGHTS
These pads are advertised as pads containing a complex of vitamins, aka Vitamin A (Retinol), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin C, Vitamin H (Biotin also called Vitamin B7), Vitamin B5 (Panthenol), and Vitamin G (Glutathione), which is true! That said, the most important effects you will get are from the Vitamin C (brightening, anti-aging) and Retinol (smoother and firmer skin, anti-aging). The other vitamins are also pretty high in the ingredient list and panthenol and glutathione are both very interesting for their soothing and antioxidant activities, but riboflavin and biotin don’t have clear benefits when applied topically though.
So yes, pretty impressed with all these ingredients. They are very interesting from a scientific point of view to make the skin brighter, smoother and overall more radiant and healthy looking. I don’t know the concentration of actives in these pads. After using up the jar, I can say that my sensitive skin tolerate them when used about 2-3 week, which mean they aren’t very strong in my opinion. They are more on the gentle side but better be careful and introduce them slowly. Did I notice any benefits? I think my skin looks indeed a bit brighter and I had a couple of very fine lines on my forehead that look slightly less noticeable but this is not super obvious. I should perhaps you them for a longer time and follow with a second jar or just use them as maintenance to keep my skin healthy. Whatever it is, I enjoyed using these pads and would gladly repurchase them. I think they can be interesting to keep the skin radiant and/or improve its radiance. I would be curious to know how much vitamin A and vitamin C are in these pads though.
Purchase info
The A'pieu Vitamin AC Pads can be purchased from jolse.com. They are listed here for USD 12.98 (11.68 at the moment).
By the way, Jolse is one of my favorite stores to purchase Korean cosmetics. I've been using them for many years now and I've always been happy with them. They have lots of products in store and offer free international shipping.
4 comments
These sound like they give really nice, gentle exfoliation. To be honest though I'm not a fan of pad products. Seems wasteful to me if the product can be applied with hands instead? But that's just what I think - if people like them they can keep using them :)
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alexisadrienne.net
They are great for gentle exfoliation indeed ;)
DeleteI like pads for exfoliation because I always apply exfoliating products with a pad anyway. So that's a step I don't have to do, i.e. take a pad and soak it with the product. For other steps, I don't use pads because as you said, using hands is faster and more efficient. That's probably why I haven't tried the cosrx moisturizing pads yet.
After I first tried Korean cream, I can not do without this cosmetics. I'll try these pads, I was interested in a delicious smell :) The fact that they really work I do not doubt.
ReplyDeleteHi Vanessa! Thanks for stopping by! Korean brands have some amazing products, I agree! They have more choice than anywhere else!
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