Review: Purito AHA BHA Refreshing Solution

AD-PR | The product featured in this review was kindly sent to me by Stylevana. All thoughts and opinions, however, are completely my own.

The AHA BHA Refreshing Solution is one of Purito’s newest skincare products, having been released in June this year. Following their sunscreen controversy, I think many people are wary of putting their trust in Purito again, so I was really interested to see how the brand would bounce back from this.

Since the scandal, it seems like Purito has really focused its efforts on sustainability which I’m super pleased to see. The newer products have different (renewable) packaging and it really feels like Purito is trying to reinforce its image as a brand that holds simple skincare at its core.

So, with all that said, let’s jump into my review of the Purito AHA BHA Refreshing Solution.

What is it?

This an exfoliating toner that’s targeted at oily and combination skin types that suffer with acne and redness. The BHA (salicylic acid) is meant to reduce blemishes, while the AHAs (glycolic and citric acid) remove dead skin cells making the skin appear brighter and more radiant.

What are the standout ingredients?

Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Water – A plant extract that gently exfoliates the skin while reducing redness and irritation.

Glycolic Acid (7%) – An alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that breaks down the bonds between dead skin cells.

Salicylic Acid (2%) – A beta hydroxy acid (BHA) often used to treat acne. It penetrates pores to dissolve excess sebum. It also helps even out skin texture.

Arginine – An amino acid that protects the skin from free radicals and improves collagen deposition.

Citric Acid (0.28%) – An AHA that’s mostly used to balance the pH of skincare products. It certain concentrations it encourages cell turnover and exfoliates the skin. However, other AHAs – like glycolic and lactic acid – have proven to be more effective.

Allantoin – A plant-derived ingredient that soothes and softens the skin.

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate – A humectant, derived from liquorice root extract, that provides moisture and reduces flaking.

Check out the full ingredients list below and visit Incidecoder to find out exactly what each one does.

How should you use this product?

Since this solution includes AHAs and BHAs which can increase photosensitivity, Purito recommends using it at night. If you are going to use this toner during the day, make sure to follow up with a broad spectrum sunscreen.

After cleansing, swipe the product across your face using a cotton round or your hands. Go in with your essence of choice and then finish your routine off with some moisturiser.

How do I feel about?

THE SCENT

This really doesn’t smell as strong as I thought it would. It’s got a very slight acidic scent, but I wouldn’t say it’s overpowering.

THE CONSISTENCY

This ‘refreshing solution’ has a very lightweight, watery consistency which makes it really easy to apply. I prefer to use my hands to do this as I find that cotton pads (both disposable and reusable) soak up too much of the product.

Finish-wise, it does leave a very slight tacky feeling on the skin. But this doesn’t bother me too much as I apply my moisturiser right over the top of it anyway.

THE PACKAGING

The packaging is fairly simple. The toner comes in a small plastic bottle with a white label containing a short description of the product and a few of the key ingredients. I don’t think it needs to be more extravagant since it seems, taking the outer cardboard packing into account, that Purito is going for a kind of minimalistic concept.

I have, however, noticed a few issues when dispensing the product. The nozzle is really short and the toner is really runny which means that it has a tendency to drip down the side of the bottle. I’d have preferred something a bit longer, like the nozzle on The Ordinary Glycolic Toner.

After a few uses, I’ve also noticed that the lid doesn’t seem to fasten as tightly as it did before, so the product is leaking a bit. This might just be an individual issue with my bottle though!

Notes on sustainability

Ethical: Purito is completely vegan and cruelty-free. They don’t test any of their products or ingredients on animals, nor do they sell their products in countries where animal testing is required.

Environmental: I feel like Purito have really concentrated on making this product as sustainable as they can. The bottle is, unfortunately, made of (recyclable) plastic. But, on a more positive note, the cardboard box is made from 100% biodegradable sugarcane bagasse and all the writing is printed using soy ink.

Overall thoughts

This is a really lovely toner that would work great for those with oily or combination skin. It seems to do a good job of controlling oils and brightening the skin. I also don’t find that it dries out the skin to the point that it overproduces sebum either. Purito have really hit it out of the park with this one!

Since my skin is a little sensitive, I was initially apprehensive about using a toner that contains both AHAs and BHAs. However, I found this to be surprisingly gentle – perhaps due to the inclusion of willow bark water.

I probably wouldn’t use this as often as the brand suggests (3 to 5 times a week) as I feel this could potentially cause sensitivity. But I will definitely be keeping it in my skincare routine as a weekly exfoliant!

Where can I buy it?

You can buy a 100ml bottle of the Purito AHA BHA Refreshing Solution for £10.79 from Stylevana. If you use my code INF10STUDY, you’ll get 10% off.

Alternatively, you can pick this up from Skinsider or YesStyle.

Have you tried the Purito AHA BHA Refreshing Solution? And which other Purito products do you love? Let me know!