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PR | The product featured in this review was kindly sent to me by Stylevana. All thoughts and opinions, however, are completely my own.
I’m super excited to be back with another product review from the box of goodies Stylevana sent me. This time the Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel is under the magnifying glass!
This product caught my eye almost immediately because 1) I’ve never tried anything from Beauty of Joseon and 2) I’ve also never tried a peeling gel. I’ve heard really good things about the brand though so I was hopeful that I’d like this one.
Keep reading to find out whether it lived up to my expectations…
What is it?
The Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel is a gommage peel that uses natural plant extracts to gently exfoliate the skin. Since it doesn’t contain any microbeads, grounds or shells, this is supposed to slough off dead skin cells and impurities in a safer, less abrasive way than traditional manual scrubs.
What are the standout ingredients?
Arginine – Protects the skin from free radicals and improves collagen deposition.
Allantoin – Soothes and softens the skin.
Apple extract – Rich in antioxidants, polyphenols and catechins which protect the skin from environmental stressors and free radicals.
Green tea extract – Reduces inflammation and fights acne-causing bacteria.
Lotus flower extract – Brightens the skin and helps control oil production.
Rice extract – Softens the skin and provides antioxidant protection.
Japanese plum extract – Contains phytochemicals which reduce signs of ageing.
Blueberry extract – High in anthocyanins which protect against UV skin damage.
Check out the full ingredients list below and visit Incidecoder to find out exactly what each one does.
Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel Ingredients
Water, Prunus Mume Flower Water, Cellulose, Methylpropanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carbomer, Arginine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Sorbitol, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA
How should you use this product?
Cleanse your face and pat it dry. Squeeze out a coin-sized amount of product and gently massage it into your skin, avoiding sensitive areas or dry patches.
Do this for about a minute before rinsing off the product with lukewarm water. You’ll notice that the gel starts to solidify as you rub it in, so be careful not to overdo it as you could make your skin sore.
How do I feel about?
THE SCENT
This gel isn’t strongly scented (at least in my opinion) which surprises me given the number of fruit extracts it contains.
THE TEXTURE
Since I’d never used a peeling gel before, the texture took some getting used to. As I mentioned, this gel sort of balls/pills the longer it’s rubbed into the skin … and I wasn’t expecting that to happen at all!
But it’s not your skin that’s ‘peeling’, it’s just the way the gel interacts with the oils on your face. Cellulose and carbomer are the ingredients that cause this bunching, so there’s nothing to worry about in that respect!
If you want a deeper explanation on how peeling gels work, Lab Muffin has a great piece which you can read here. She concludes that peeling gels, though often being classed as chemical exfoliants, work mechanically by forming little fibres that scrub at the skin.
Personally I found this peeling gel to be gentler than traditional face scrubs. However, it does still have a certain roughness that people with sensitive skin types could find irritating.
THE PACKAGING
This gel comes in a standard plastic tube which has a pink and white ombre effect (matching the cardboard box). It must have been recently repackaged as many sites still list it with a 50-50 split tube design.
I like the way it looks and I think the tube makes it really easy to dispense the product. I wouldn’t say it necessarily stands out, but it’s suitable for the product it holds.
Notes on sustainability
Ethical: Beauty of Joseon is 100% cruelty-free as it does not test on animals anywhere in the world. Not all of their products are vegan, but luckily the Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel is!
Environmental: I can’t find too much online in terms of environmental sustainability. From what I can gather, just by looking at the product itself, the cardboard packaging is FSC labelled and comes from responsible sources. The tube, while being made from plastic, is also recyclable.
Overall thoughts
When I first started using this product I was a little on the fence … but I’ve actually grown to like it.
Initially, I was uncomfortable with the physical exfoliation aspect. I haven’t used a manual scrub in years and I was afraid that this peeling gel would wreak havoc on my skin.
Although I would describe my skin as combination-oily, it’s still quite sensitive and can react negatively to new exfoliants. So, I really made sure to follow the instructions to a tee, and I didn’t leave this product on my face for any longer than a minute.
What I found was that my skin did feel smoother and less congested after using this gel, especially in my T-zone where I get the most texture. I also didn’t experience any breakouts like I thought I would!
I’m pretty happy with the results and I will definitely continue to use this once a week to refresh my skin. For an exfoliant I don’t find it overly drying, but I imagine if I tried to step it up to twice a week, my skin would start to get irritated. I’d only really recommend physically exfoliating semiweekly if your skin gets congested super easily. If you can, try to alternate between a physical and chemical exfoliant so you’re not at risk of creating micro-tears.
Where can I buy it?
You can purchase this Beauty of Joseon Peeling Gel from the Stylevana website. If you use my code INF10STUDY, you’ll get 10-15% off your order.
Have you tried the Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel? And what are your thoughts on peeling gels in general? I’d love to know!
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