This Exfoliating Lotion Is Almost Every Editor's Secret to Gorgeous Skin
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There’s a phrase, often whispered between beauty editors: “She has P50 skin.” It indicates that the individual in question emits a tell-tale radiance—her skin look looks healthy, well-cared for, expensive. And it is a look that comes very, very specifically from one product: Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 Exfoliating Toner.
The name is something of a misnomer. Is it a lotion? No, it has the consistency of water. Is it a toner? Not in the classical, pore-tightening sense. Does it exfoliate? Yes, but also not in the way you might expect. All of which helps to explain the fact that Lotion P50 has been around for more than 50 years and still maintains a mystique. Developed by the French biologist and physiotherapist couple who founded Biologique Recherche in the 1970s, Lotion P50 is described by the brand as being an “epidermal reconditioner”—and by those who are devoted to it as “a facial in a bottle.” It is, in fact, the cornerstone product in miracle-working treatments done by two of New York’s—and arguably, the world’s—top facialists, Aida Bicaj and Joanna Czech.
It was in Bicaj’s capable hands that I was first introduced to the stuff. She uses it to prep complexions for her famously uplifting micro-current facials, and there is no one who leaves her spa without being advised which version of P50 (there are seven, calibrated for different skin types and concerns) they should be religiously using at home. My first impression of the elixir was not wholly positive. For a start, let’s be clear: It smells like embalming fluid. And it stings. At least it does the first few times you use it. Once your skin acclimates to it, the sensation is delightfully different—it’s cooling, pleasantly tingling, as if you can feel your pores being purified, taking a deep breath of fresh air. The scent, too, becomes weirdly addictive—piquant and nose-hair-singing as it may be, once you’re converted, you kind of want to huff it.
Personally, I’m partial to Lotion P50 1970, which is the original—some might say most aggressive—iteration. It also has the strongest scent, in part because it contains phenol, an ingredient that has been banned in the EU due to its potential for irritation. I have sensitive skin, and I’m fine with it, but those who wish to tread more carefully should stick to the reformulated, phenol-free Lotion P50 that spas sell and recommend here and abroad. Facialists suggest drizzling the liquid onto a cotton bud and then pressing it into skin, in quick tapping motions, from the forehead down to the décolleté. Within about a week of daily use, you will begin to notice that your skin is changing: hyperpigmentation fades, acne clears up, oil production levels out, and that signature glow begins to show. Because P50 revs up cell turnover, it has many of the same benefits as retinol, and some—myself included—prefer it. While it does not play nice with retinoids (do not under any circumstances use them together), I find that it works beautifully with just about anything else I use on my face, including my beloved, also stinky, Skinceuticals CE Ferulic. Because it’s whisking away those dead skin cells, and balancing the skin’s pH at an optimal 5.5, it optimizes the absorption of other products.
After reading all of this, I’m sure you’re wondering: What is in this stuff? The ingredients vary slightly according to which version you’re using, but generally P50 is a blend of exfoliating acids—including lactic, malic, and salicylic—that do the sloughing, along with vinegar, and extracts of botanicals such as onion, horseradish, thyme, and burdock root, that do the rebalancing. It also contains a hefty slug of niacinamide, which is a wonderful form of B3 that quells redness, tackles uneven skin tone, and has serious anti-aging properties. Mostly, I guess, you could say Lotion P50 contains magic—or at the very least some mysterious x factor that can deliver a post-facial tautness and luminosity while you’re standing at your bathroom sink. If someone were to say about me, “She has P50 skin”? That would be one of the highest compliments I could imagine.
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