Hey Sharks! It’s Manya again, with a new series I like to call: “Manya Tries Things So You Don’t Have To!” #MTTSYDHT
Featured this week is: Dr. G Brightening Peeling Gel. It’s from the My Skin Mentor Dr. G brand, a Korean beauty company, which seems to be globally rising. A quick glance through their website proved that it’s not super cheap stuff, but I got my peeling gel off Amazon for $16. It was definitely cheaper than Dr. G’s site ($28).
The packaging was super cute, and I totally dig the soft pastel green. A lot of the instructions on the box are in Korean (for obvious reasons), and I wish I could read it, but I had to stick with the limited English directions. They told you exactly what to do, so it’s not stressful at all to use. (Also, the instructions and ingredients are on Amazon and the Dr. G website as well).
This is a glycolic peeling gel, and a lot of people don’t know what that means and in turn are kind of scared to try it. Glycolic peels are basically made from sugar acids, usually derived from sugar cane or fruits. They’ve become pretty popular in acne treatments. No, it doesn’t literally peel off your epidermis. No, it isn’t a bunch of harsh chemicals. The active ingredients list is literally: Vitamin C & E, Hollyhock, Black Willow, Trehalose, Honey extract (there’s also some other stuff like water and cellulose, mostly just to create the consistency needed to be used as an exfoliator). The formula is labeled mild, and though I don’t have super sensitive skin, sometimes chemical-y stuff tends to burn. Not this stuff. This is me before: (You can’t see it but I low key have hyperpigmentation on the bottom half of my face)
The directions say to start with a freshly cleaned face; then, you apply it to a wet face as you would any exfoliator or face wash… and it feels super cool; not like menthol. The formula starts to pill on your skin becoming a natural exfoliator from the tree bark. They feel like you’re rubbing your face off, but I promise you that’s not happening.
It doesn’t say how long to apply it for, but I massaged it in for a solid 2 minutes (I wanted to glow like Apollo). Afterwards, I just rinsed off the little white “pilly” things with cold water and followed up with a couple drops of my usual face moisturizing oil. It’s important to follow anything chemically acidic with something that will protect your face, be it moisturizer or oil and a serum.
Literally within minutes, I could tell it cleared some gunk up. I don’t usually get super bad acne; but overall, I felt cleaner, lighter, my pores seemed tighter, and my face seemed brighter. So yeah, I think I’d give it a pretty good review (I like to think I’m glowing like Cleopatra after a milk bath). 4/5 stars from me. I hesitate to give it a five right off the bat because I want to use it for a few weeks to see if there’s more permanent effects or if it is temporary. My brief “research” did state that usually glycolic acid peels keep working after you wash them off (another reason to never forget your moisturizer!), so it’s important to avoid going in the sun right after (or with at least SPF 30), and it’s best to do it later in the day/at night (perfect for a chill spa night with pals). Ultimately, I think this product is mild enough that everyone can use it a few times a week.
This has been the first “segment” of Manya Tries Things So You Don’t Have To!
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