This Resurfacing Complex Makes My Cheeks Feel Toddler-Soft
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If there's one thing celebrities can be trusted to do, it's lie about their skin. "All I do is eat really clean and use micellar water at night," is one lie. "Good genes are all I have to thank," is another half truth at best.
While it's true everyone's skin is different, A-listers have a leg up with access to the best treatments, professionals, and products. And when a famous person finally comes out and admits where their glow is really coming from, nine times out of ten, it's at the hands of Biologique Recherche P50.
This exfoliating toner is as celebrated for its efficacy as it is notorious for its rarity — and high price. In fact, curious minds conducting Google research are forced to log into authorized retailers' platforms in order to even reveal the cost, which we'll go ahead and tell you straight up ranges from $106 to $120 for a full size, depending on which formula you go for.
In my own experience, P50 is regrettably legit. A balanced blend of AHA, BHA, and conditioners help slough off dead skin and reveal a gorgeous, glowing facade. Still, given that every skincare formula purchase is just a holdover until the next, I knew a P50 habit wouldn't (or rather, shouldn't) stick.
Moon Juice Acid Potion
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Shop now: $42; amazon.com
It turned out, however, that I never needed to mourn the split. Moon Juice's Acid Potion is a dead ringer for Biologique Recherche's P50, down to the resurfacing complex comprising lactic acid, salicylic acid, and phytic acid that work together to empty out blackheads and clogged pores, dust off the dead skin that causes rough complexion, and promote fast growth of the healthy, supple baby skin that takes its place.
Like P50, Acid Potion makes use of plant extracts and oils that do everything from brighten and balance sebum to soothe redness and fight bacteria. The specific supplementary ingredients differ — P50's formula reads like the herb rack of a French kitchen, while Acid Potion's might make a yummy winter soup — but they achieve the same impressive effects.
Moon Juice's Acid Potion is my no-fail fix for when my skin is looking a bit lackluster. It works remarkably fast at making my cheeks feel toddler-soft even on days when I ate poorly, slacked on my skincare routine, or had too much to drink the night before.
When I first started using it, it scaled back the fine lines I was beginning to notice on my forehead and in my nose creases like it was nothing, like my face was a putty to be gently smoothed by this mysterious force.
At $42 a bottle on Amazon, and considering the bottle lasts forever (I've been using the same one for a year now and it's still got a ways to go), the cost for this majorly appearance-enhancing product comes out to pocket change.
Shop Moon Juice's Acid Potion exfoliant that's just as good as Biologique Recherche P50, but for a lot less.
