Pixi glow tonic review before after năm 2024

I think it’s fair to say that toner is the ‘forgotten’ step in a lot of skincare routines. I myself rarely touched the stuff until I discovered the Liz Earle Skin Tonic a few years ago. If you want to pinpoint one toner that has exploded in the bloggersphere, it’s Pixi Glow Tonic. It all started back in 2012 when it was ‘discovered’ by well known skincare guru Caroline Hirons, who likened it to the hugely popular (and expensive) P50 and it all snowballed from there. It became incredibly difficult to get hold of for a while but now the hype seems to have dyed down it’s readily available on the Pixi website or in their London store.

Repackaged in a brand new bottle, Pixi Glow Tonic is an oil-free, alcohol-free toner packed with Aloe Vera & Witch Hazel which are great for spot fighting and Ginseng – great for jumpstarting skin hydration. An exfoliating toner, you can use this up to twice a day to exfoliate you skin. It removes dead skin cells and reduces the appearance of fine lines so it’s easy to see why it’s so popular. The other important ingredient is Glycolic Acid, which is an Alpha Hydroxy Acid or ‘AHA’ for short. AHA’s loosen dead skin cells to exfoliate the skin without the need for any beads of grains that you find in the old school exfoliators. The concoction of ingredients work together to tone, firm and provide oxygen to the skin making for a more happy complexion.

I’ve been using this for just over a month now and feel confident to report back some results. I started using this product twice a day but I found that even though it says it’s ok for people with dry skin to do that, it was still a little drying. I’ve cut it down to three to four times a week and I’ve found that it’s the perfect amount for my skin. I’ve noticed that since using Glow Tonic, my blackheads are a lot smaller and that my skin feels super smooth. I feel like there was a bit of a purge stage at the beginning so that is something to be mindful of. I’ve been really impressed with Glow Tonic and will definitely be keeping it as part of my weekly routine!

Pixi Glow Tonic is available from the Pixi website for £16.00 for 250ml but be warned they’re not the quickest with delivery. I waited two weeks for mine!

I thought I’d continue with the reviews on AHA products, by tackling another common holy grail: The Pixi Glow Tonic Exfoliating Toner.

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A gentle but effective glycolic acid product, which despite some claims out there does exfoliate the skin. More about that in a bit.

Let’s start out by examining the ingredients.

Table of Contents

Ingredients and Benefits.

Check out this hot stuff.

Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Leaf Extract, Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut) Seed Extract, Glycolic Acid, Ammonium Glycolate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Fructose, Glucose, Sucrose, Urea, Dextrin, Alanine, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Hexyl Nicotinate, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Biotin, Polysorbate 20, Fragrance.

• Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

  What the non-skincare-addicts slater on their sunburns after a long day at the beach. Of course, that doesn’t apply to us because we’re diligent about our sunscreen use. Right? 😉

  Aloe vera is an ingredient as old as time, with its skin uses dating back 3,500 years! It has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, skin lightening, and healing properties. (1 2, 3, 4, 5) A couple studies have also confirmed it’s an effective treatment against psoriasis. (6, 7, 8, 9) I can confirm this.

  Yes, I’ve dealt with psoriasis in the past, and it blooooows. Here’s what it looks like in case you’re wondering.

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  Or more simply put, Witch Hazel. A strong antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties that scavenges free radicals to reduce damage to skin cells. (10, 11)

  Studies have also shown it can regenerate vitamin E (another antioxidant), reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL), protect skin against irritation, and prevent the formation of erythema (redness).(12, 13)

  • Glycolic Acid (AHA)

    The chemical exfoliant inside the Pixi Glow Tonic. Glycolic acid is a water soluble alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that can be found naturally in the cane sugar of fruit juices like grape and orange. (14) It has the lowest molecular weight of all the AHAs (e.g. acetic, mandelic, lactic), which makes it potentially more irritating because it penetrates the skin easily. (15)

    It increases cell turnover rate, exfoliates the surface of skin, decongests closed comedones and clogged pores (though less effectively than Salicylic Acid), reduces the appearance of wrinkles, acne scarring, and helps treat hyperpimentation. (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)

    In also increases collagen production and the hyaluronic acid content in skin. (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)

    Every time I use the Pixi Glow Tonic I definitely see a reduction in pore size and some pretty drastic skin brightening, which is to be expected when using a glycolic acid product. Funnily enough, I thought I was the only one that noticed, but a friend of mine said I looked “refreshed” about a month after I started using it. He asked me if I had been sleeping more (LOL). Definitely not the case.

    BUT GET YOUR BEAUTY SLEEP! It’s very important for overall health and skin. :p

    Related reading: Best Glycolic Acid Products: Top 5 Picks From A Skincare Junkie

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    Soothing ingredient that helps calm rosacea and skin redness.

    • Glycerin

    A humectant that draws water from the environment to moisturize the skin.

    • Fructose, Glucose, Sucrose

      These are all natural sugars. There has been some preliminary studies showing that similar sugars (e.g. xylitol) can help dissolve pathogenic biofilms and balance the skin microflora (in other words, the healthy bacteria and yeast that live on our skin). (28, 29)

      A biofilm is simply a group of sticky cells made up of microorganisms that adhere to the skin’s surface. Think of it as a thin layer of bacteria stuck on the skin. Biofilms have been implicated in skin diseases like atopic dermatitis (eczema) and seborrheic dermatitis, and are linked to approximately 80% of all human infections. (30)

      • Urea

      A non-pH-dependent exfoliant and powerful keratolytic agent. (31, 32) Keratolytic, just being the fancy science term for saying it detaches and sloughs off dead skin.

      Studies have shown Urea helps dry itchy skin, increases the water content of the stratum corneum (outer most layer of skin), and reduces the irritation of harsh detergents like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). (33, 34)

      It’s a commonly prescribed treatment for atopic dermatitis (eczema), and may be a suitable alternative to anti-fungals. (35, 36)

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      Inhibits melanogenesis which might help lighten dark spots. (38)

      Now to answer the question on everyone’s mind….

      Does the Pixi Glow Tonic exfoliate the skin?

      Yes. And don’t underestimate its ability to do so!

      There’s been some confusion thrown around regarding whether the Pixi Glow Tonic is considered a chemical exfoliant or an “acid toner” — in other words, a product simply intended to drop the pH of skin back to a healthy equilibrium after cleansing.

      The whole controversy started after someone noted that the Pixi Toner’s pH is around 4-5. AHAs, like glycolic acid, require a pH of “4 or lower” to effectively exfoliate the skin. While that is true, it doesn’t capture the whole picture. Let me explain.

      Chemical exfoliants have something called a free acid value (FAV), which tells you the true strength of its exfoliating prowess. The FAV is the amount of acid in a solution that will freely exfoliate the skin. When the pH of a product is below 2, it means the entire acid in that solution is “free.”

      For example, say we have a 5% salicylic acid product with a pH of 2. That would mean, the entire 5% is “free” to exfoliate the skin. However, when the pH is raised slightly, less of that 5% will actually work. At neutral pH (7), the salicylic acid would essentially be rendered useless as far as chemical exfoliation goes.

      With that said, the Pixi Glow Tonic has a pH around 4-5, meaning there is still some active acid that will exfoliate. Trust me on this, don’t underestimate this product just because it’s a “weaker exfoliant.” The first time I bought it I stupidly began using it twice daily because I heard it doesn’t exfoliate — BIG MISTAKE. I had glassy over-exfoliated skin within a few days.

      Keep in mind though, that my skin is fairly sensitive. Just use this bad boy as tolerated and you should definitely see a reduction in skin discoloration, and increased skin brightness (a.k.a. glow).

      Related reading: Why the pH of Skin and Products Are Crucially Important

      Application, Feel, and Scent.

      The Pixi Glow Tonic goes on and feels exactly like water. You probably wouldn’t even be able to tell the difference if it weren’t for the scent.

      It’s so watery I had a hard time trying to get a few drops to sit still as I took a photo. It dries fairly quickly; I’d say it’s completely gone within 2 or 3 minutes. Once it’s evaporated it’s not noticeable on the skin at all, but it definitely leaves it softer and smoother. I’ve found that it layers really well under other products too.

      Be warned: this bottle is pretty small, so compared to something like Paula’s Choice AHA Gel, it wont last that long. It doesn’t help that it has minimal slip because of its water consistency, meaning it will take more product to spread across the skin.

      Pro-tip: don’t use cotton balls; they waste product. Simply apply it into the palm of your hands before spreading it across the face. That’s how you’ll get the best bang for your buck.

      As for the scent — very simply put, it smells like a “rose lipstick.” Yeah, just took another whiff… it’s like a clean lipstick with a tinge of rose in it. I quite enjoy the smell to be honest. But then again, I’m a sucker for roses. Haha :p

      How to Use the Pixi Glow Tonic.

      Because this is a pH dependent product, the order of it in your routine matters. You want to use it right after cleanser and before other exfoliates, serums, or moisturizers. To give you a better understanding of where to place it, here’s a sample routine taking into consideration many steps. I’m sure not all of these will apply to you, so just make sure to adjust it accordingly.

      1. Oil cleansing method, or oil cleanser.
      2. Gentle pH-balanced cleanser (5.5 or below)
      3. Use the Pixi Glow Tonic here.
      4. Low pH serums like ascorbic acid. Wait approximately 25 minutes.
      5. Salicylic Acid (BHA). Wait approximately 25 minutes.
      6. Stronger AHAs. Wait approximately 25 minutes.
      7. Retinoids (for example, tretinoin).
      8. Spot treatments, creams, or other gels like Azelaic Acid or Benzoyl Peroxide.
      9. Moisturizers.
      10. Occlusives (for example, CeraVe healing Ointment, Vaseline, Aquaphor etc.)

      The Takeaway.

      • Ingredients: 5/5

      A fantastic and gentle ingredient list that includes aloe vera, witch hazel, 5% glycolic acid, glycerin, fructose, glucose, sucrose, and urea.

      • Benefits: 5/5

      Exfoliates gently, soothes the skin, brightens skin tone, reduces hyperpigmentation, and provides a little bit of hydration.

      • Application: 5/5

      Feels like water, dries matte, and smells like rosy lipsticks.

      • Packaging: 5/5

      No real complaints here. I wish the bottle was slighter bigger, but I enjoy it so much I’ll leave the 5 star here.

      • Value: 4/5

      Just a tad too expensive for the amount of product you get, but it’s still on the cheaper side of things so I can’t complain. Just make sure to not use cotton balls (saves product) and it will be worth the price!

      Overall: 4.8/5 (highly recommend)

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      All in all, a lovely little glycolic acid product, that’s both soothing and mild, and an excellent option for those with sensitive skin in need of some chemical exfoliation. My skin is stupidly sensitive, and I can get away with using this almost daily without irritation.

      Does Pixi Glow Tonic really work?

      After only a few days of using the Glow Tonic, I began to see an improvement in the texture of my skin, particularly around my cheeks and nose. Pores can't change in size, but the exfoliation from the toner means they become less visible. As well as that, my skin looked brighter, healthier and clearer.

      Can I use Pixi Glow Tonic everyday?

      It's gentle enough to use everyday but we suggest adding it to your nighttime routine, as the acids increase skin's sensitivity to UV rays (you'll still need to slather on a moisturiser with SPF in the morning).

      Does Pixi Glow Tonic remove dark spots?

      I have been using Glow Tonic for just over a month now and the difference it has made to my skin is incredible. I am prone to acne on my chin which has led to some dark spots and scarring.

      Does Pixi Glow Tonic lighten skin?

      Glycolic Acid (AHA)Every time I use the Pixi Glow Tonic I definitely see a reduction in pore size and some pretty drastic skin brightening, which is to be expected when using a glycolic acid product.