The INKEY List - PHA Toner Review
Purchase: This was one of the products I ordered in July 2021 along with all the other The INKEY List products I've reviewed. Like the others, I ordered this after reading positive reviews of the product.
First Impressions: Based on both the looks and consistency, it reminded me of plain water. It's clear and runny. Though unlike water, it has a very faint, almost negligent 'sweet' smelling ingredient which (thankfully) isn't an artificially added fragrance but rather a skincare ingredient's organic smell. The product also bubbles up when you shake it.
Usage: Before I stored it away in my skincare drawer more than a year ago, I'd use it day and night after cleansing my face and spraying avene water. I would take 5-6 drops straight into my cupped palm before rubbing my hands together and going straight in. I find this technique less wasteful than using cotton pads, with the added benefit of more control on the pressure and slip with your palm over a cotton pad. Following this, I'd usually apply a serum and then my moisturizer.
When I pulled this product out of my drawer this time around in September, I used it solely as a day-time toner straight after cleansing my face (without avene water). As a tretinoin user, I didn't want to mix an exfoliant with tretinoin at night in the same routine so it made more sense using it solely for mornings. That being said, PHA is the gentlest of chemical exfoliants and can be used daily in this formulation as I did, unlike BHAs or AHAs. I followed straight with my daytime moisturizer, BYOMA Moisturizing gel cream instead of using a serum this time around.
Duration: It comes in a 100ml bottle which looks remarkably smaller than most toners I've owned. I pulled it out of my skincare drawer on September 24th when it was around 25% full. I finished it October 27th, so 25ml of this toner lasts a month of single, daily use. Safe to say the entire product, 100ml, would last you little over 3 months.
Thoughts: It's an extremely fast-absorbing formulation. My skin absorbed this toner seconds upon application and it made my skin look like glass. It also did a great job providing hydration to my skin straight after cleansing. With makeup though, I recommend going in with a moisturizer before priming as alone this toner might not be enough for dry skin. The most impressive observation was just how long it lasted. For example, I didn't expect for such a tiny amount of toner, 25ml, to last me over a month (considering you use more drops of toners than you would serums). Which goes to show that you really only need a little to cover your entire face and to keep your skin hydrated for non-makeup days.
Final: I bought this product for $13.99 2 years ago and it costs $17.49 today. It does what it says it does but overall nothing about this wow-ed me. I prefer toners that assist with skin concerns like hyperpigmentation, evening skin tone, fading acne scars, etc., over a basic toner like this one, which is why I won't be repurchasing it.
