Complexion Renewal Pads

These are leave-on exfoliating pads, which makes them meaningfully more active than a rinse-off exfoliant. Contact time is the variable most people overlook: an acid in a cleanser is on the skin for under a minute, an acid left on stays for hours.

Two acids, two routes

Salicylic acid sits high in the ingredient list. It is a beta hydroxy acid and oil-soluble, so it moves into sebum within the pore rather than working only on the surface.

Glycolic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid and the smallest of them, which means it penetrates faster and further than lactic or mandelic acid at equivalent concentration. It works on the surface, loosening the bonds between corneocytes.

Using both covers surface texture and follicular congestion in one step.

Urea

Urea is unusual in being both humectant and keratolytic depending on concentration. At low levels it binds water. At higher levels it disrupts the protein bonds holding corneocytes together, which is why it appears in products for thickened or rough skin. Here it supports the acids rather than acting alone.

The alcohol base

Alcohol is the second ingredient. It serves as a solvent, helps the pads dry quickly, and produces the immediate matte finish these products are known for. It also means the formula is drying, which is a deliberate choice for oily and congested skin and a poor one for skin that is already dry.

The t-butyl alcohol and denatonium benzoate are denaturants, present to make the alcohol undrinkable rather than for any effect on skin. Denatonium benzoate is one of the most bitter compounds known.

The botanical layer

Eight plant extracts, several of which are more than decoration. Camellia sinensis is green tea, a well-studied antioxidant. Phellodendron amurense bark and pterocarpus soyauxii wood are both used in formulations concerned with tone. Spiraea ulmaria is meadowsweet, which contains naturally occurring salicylates. Crithmum maritimum is sea fennel, and artemisia vulgaris is mugwort.

Fragrance

This product is fragranced and declares four recognised contact allergens on the pack: citronellol, hexyl cinnamal, limonene and linalool. Relevant if you have reacted to fragranced products before

Oily or congested skin concerned with texture, visible pores and uneven tone. Suits skin that tolerates actives well and has used acids before.

Not the right product if your skin is dry, sensitive or reactive, or if you have rosacea. Two acids, urea and a high alcohol content is a demanding combination, and there are gentler routes to the same outcome.

Wipe over cleansed skin in the evening, avoiding the eye area. Do not rinse.

On frequency. Start no more than two or three evenings a week and increase only if your skin stays comfortable. Daily use suits some skin and not most. Can be used twice a day for very tolerant skin.

Sun protection is mandatory, not optional. The pack carries a specific warning: use sunscreen, wear protective clothing and limit sun exposure while using this product and for a week after stopping. Broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher, every day, without exception.

Keep apart

Any other exfoliant. No scrubs, no acid serums, no exfoliating cleansers on the same day.

Retinoids on the same evening. Alternate nights, and only once your skin is settled with each individually.

Vitamin C serums immediately afterwards, where the low pH of the pads may cause stinging.

Use alongside

A hydrating serum and moisturiser afterwards. This formula is drying by design and needs replacing what it removes.

Daily broad-spectrum SPF, continuing for a week after you stop.