Most BHA exfoliants are just that: exfoliants that get rid of dead cells inside and outside your pores for clear skin. Gloness 2% BHA Exfoliant promises to go one step further: It’s enriched with chamomile and co to reduce irritation and soothe even sensitive skin types that might not otherwise be able to tolerate it. Now the only question is: does it deliver? I’ve tested it to find out. In this review, I’ll share what makes it so gentle, what results you can expect, and whether it’s really even suitable for sensitive skin. Let’s dive in!
Key Ingredients in Gloness 2% BHA Exfoliant: What does it do?
salicylic acid
Salicylic acid is a BHA (beta-hydroxy acid) and the main reason it works so well on congested, oily skin is that it is oil soluble. In other words, this means it can get inside your pores. AHAs can’t do this – they remain on the surface. Salicylic acid goes in, breaks up the nasty mix of dead skin and sebum that causes your blackheads, and gets rid of it.
It’s also keratolytic, which basically means it dissolves the glue that holds dead skin cells together so they actually fall off instead of accumulating and blocking everything. A 2006 review in Dermatologic Surgery confirmed that it normalizes the exact process that causes pores to clog.
The downside: It can dry out your skin, especially if you’re just starting out with acids. This makes your skin more sensitive to the sun, so you really need an SPF – not a compromise.
Connected: Everything You Need to Know About Salicylic Acid for Oily, Acne-Prone Skin
soothing ingredients
Here’s the thing: Exfoliation always has the potential to be a little irritating (especially if you overdo it). These ingredients are present to balance and soothe the skin:
Remaining formulas and ingredients
Comment: colors indicate effectiveness of a component. It is illegal to add toxic and harmful ingredients to skin care products.
- Green: It’s effective, proven to work, and helps the product work the best it can for your skin.
- Yellow: There’s not much evidence that it works (at least not yet).
- Red: What is he doing here?!
- Aqua: Everything else here (acids, extracts, all of it) requires water to dissolve so that your skin can actually absorb it.
- Pentylene Glycol: It draws moisture into your skin, like it literally draws water and pulls it into your skin cells which is great. But it’s also doing this secret second job of helping preserve the formula and making it harder for bacteria to grow in there.
- Polysorbate 20: Do you know how oil and water do not mix? It’s an emulsifier that keeps everything mixed together.
- Glycerine: It works by drawing water from the air around you and from deep in your skin to the top layer, where it’s really needed.
- Panthenol: This is provitamin B5. When you put it on your skin it turns into something that your skin actually uses to repair its barrier.
- Polycrylate Crosspolymer-6: It’s totally a fabrication thing. This is what gives it that nice smooth gel feel.
- Zinc Gluconate: It is anti-inflammatory and also helps control how much oil your skin produces.
- Phenoxyethanol: A preservative that prevents the growth of bacteria.
- sodium citrate: Salicylic acid only does its job properly within a very specific pH range. Sodium citrate keeps that pH stable.
- xanthan gum: A natural thickener obtained by fermentation. It gives the formula good body and smooth consistency and it also helps in distributing everything evenly.
- propylene glycol: Another humectant that also helps certain ingredients dissolve properly in the formula.
- Tetrasodium EDTA: Water naturally contains metal ions like calcium and magnesium and these ions will interfere with the preservatives and deplete the formula faster. This ingredient binds to those ions and basically deactivates them so that the preservative system can do its job properly.
- citric acid: At this stage of the formula it’s not exfoliating your skin, it’s just adjusting the pH.
- 1,2-hexanediol: Part of the preservative system that works with phenoxyethanol.
- Ammonium Glycyrrhizate: It comes from licorice root and is a solid anti-inflammatory.
- Caffeine: Yep, the same thing that’s in your coffee. It acts as an anti-inflammatory on your skin and it constricts the blood vessels slightly which helps reduce redness and swelling.
- Liquor: So this is ethanol and it helps dissolve some of the ingredients and keeps the texture light.
- Biotin: Vitamin B7. Wonderful as a supplement for hair and nails, but over the top? There’s very little evidence of what effect it actually has on your skin. Possibly there is some conditioning effect.
- Caprylyl Glycol: A preservative booster and humectant combo. This is part of the mechanism that keeps bacteria out of the formula and also contributes to that smooth feeling when you apply it.
- sodium hydroxide: It sounds scary but it’s just a pH adjuster
- Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract: Horse chestnut, it has anti-inflammatory properties.
- Bidens Tripartita Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract: A plant extract with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
texture
This exfoliant has a beautiful gel consistency that feels silky on the skin and absorbs quickly without leaving any stickiness. It is neither thick nor thin. It has the right stability to function without compromising on the sensory experience.
Fragrance
This exfoliant is fragrance-free – and I like my exfoliants that way. Fragrance is the most irritating ingredient in skin care, so it has no place in anything that soothes the skin (or anywhere else for that matter).
How to use it
Like all exfoliants, you apply directly after cleansing. I suggest you start with a few nights a week and gradually move to every other day. Do not use it on the same night as you use retinol. Also, avoid using it with other powerful active substances like benzoyl peroxide.
Connected: Mix and Match: Which skin care ingredients should you not use together?
packaging
This exfoliant comes in a smooth green tube with a pump Applicator. It’s sturdy, easy to travel with, and the pump releases just the right amount of product you need. Plus, it looks good on your vanity (the eye wants its share too, as we say in Italy).
Performance and personal opinion
I’ve tried several salicylic acid exfoliants and the Gloness 2% BHA exfoliant strikes the perfect balance between effectiveness and gentleness. I have a nose and combination skin that regularly attracts clusters of blackheads *sigh*. This exfoliant does a good job of keeping it under control. Admittedly, if your blackheads are really old, it will take a long time for any salicylic acid exfoliant to melt them away, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t see results the next day. As I exfoliate regularly, mine becomes easier to dissolve.
This exfoliant also does a good job of exfoliating the surface of my skin. After each use, my skin becomes softer to the touch and looks a little smoother. It also helps prevent pimples and, when one brings out its ugly side at any time (usually during that time of the month for me), it heals a little faster. I didn’t experience any side effects: no stinging, no redness, no dryness. This is very gentle. That said, if you make the mistake of thinking that, just because it’s gentle, you can pile it on every day without any consequences, you’d be wrong. Even the mildest exfoliants can have side effects if misused.
What I like about Gloness 2% BHA Exfoliant
- Light, fast-absorbing, gel-like texture
- fragrance free
- Gently exfoliates the skin
- Helps treat and prevent acne including blackheads
- Makes skin soft and smooth
- practical packaging
- Enriched with soothing ingredients for gentle exfoliation
What I don’t like about Gloness 2% BHA Exfoliant
- Currently available only in UK and USA
- Misuse may also cause skin irritation
Who should use it?
- Anyone with blackheads, whiteheads, and acne is looking for a gentle exfoliant that won’t irritate the skin.
- If you have sensitive skin that can’t tolerate other BHA exfoliants, this is worth a try. Just do a patch test first. Sensitive skin is a wild card and you won’t know how you react to it until you try it.
- If you don’t have any type of acne (including blackheads), you don’t need a salicylic acid exfoliant.
Does Gloness 2% BHA Exfoliant Live Up To Its Claims?
| Claim | Truth |
|---|---|
| Refines pores, smoothes texture and enhances shine. | Truth. |
| Advanced plant-derived salicylic acid 2% helps clear away built-up oil and dead cells for visibly tighter looking pores. | Truth. Visibility is the key word here. Blockages inside the pores cause them to tighten, making them appear larger. When you open them, they return to their original size and hence look smaller. Keep in mind, no single ingredient can make pores smaller than their genetically determined size. |
Price and availability
Decision
If you’re looking for a gentle salicylic acid exfoliant that unclogs pores and provides acne relief without inflaming your skin, this is a great one to try.
Aqua, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Glycerine, Salicylic Acid, Panthenol, Polycrylate Crosspolymer-6, Zinc Gluconate, Phenoxyanol, Niacinamide, Sodium Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Propylene Glycol, Tetrasodium Edta, Citric Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Caffeine, Alcohol, Biotin, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Fex Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Bidens Tripartita Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
