Review: iUNIK Peeling Gel & Toners

I recently got contacted by the iUNIK team and they asked me if I'd like to try 3 of their products and of course I said yes, since I'm in perpetual search for my next holy grail skincare item. Most of their products contain ferments, which break me out, so I settled on the 3 products that don't contain ferments: Vitamin Hyaluronic Acid Vitalizing Toner, Tea Tree Relief Toner, & Lime Moisture Mild Peeling Gel.

This is my usual skincare routine (I've added Vitabrid's Dual Serum to the routine since then):

Here are the items I replaced with the iUNIK products:

• All Hada Labo serums
• CosRX BHA toner
• Holika Holika Lazy & Easy Smooth Egg Peeling Gel

Brief background on my skin, I'm very breakout prone and often combating terrible cystic acne. I have a really oily t-zone while being very dehydrated from within, and I'm also aging. Basically, my skin hates me.

For those of you who prefer watching to reading, here's the video review:

Lime Moisture Mild Peeling Gel

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Steartrimonium Methosulfate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol,Allantoin, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita(Matricaria) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Pentylene Glycol , Aspalathus Linearis Extract

Price: $12.99

This peeling gel is meant to be used right after you wash your face, on a dry face. Just slather this all over your face, wait 10 seconds, then start rubbing and watch all the dead skin rub off. I've been using peeling gels for several years now, and I credit them for getting rid of the frequent whiteheads I used to get.

This is definitely the harshest peeling gel I've ever tried. I got that squeaky clean feel on my face after I used this, and that feeling scares me since it usually means that whatever I'm using is way too harsh on my face. I have to wash my face multiple times before I stop feeling things peeling off my face. It doesn't hurt me, but it definitely scared me. I used this only 3x over 3 weeks, because I felt it was far too harsh.

I'm now using it for my body instead of my face instead. If your face isn't as delicate as mine, maybe this is a product you'll like, but my face is sensitive so it's not for me.

This product contains a lot of citrus extracts, which increases your photosensitivity, so be sure to wear sunscreen religiously and avoid excessive sun exposure if you're using this.

Tea Tree Relief Toner

Ingredients: Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Water, Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Centella Asiatica Extract,Betaine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Caprylyl Glycol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract, Medicago Sativa (Alfalfa) Extract, Brassica Oleracea Capitata (Cabbage) Leaf Extract, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Extract, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Extract, Raphanus Sativus (Radish) Seed Extract, Allantoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder, Ormenis Multicaulis Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Aspalathus Linearis Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract

Price: $21.99  

This is the first step after cleansing for me. I apply it to a cotton pad, and then wipe my entire face with it. I do think the ingredients are great, but I think it wasn't a good idea replacing CosRX's BHA with this. Thanks to my lack of BHA, I do notice that I ended up with way more blackheads and my pores seem to have gotten larger. I think this product is probably good, but I'm not sure how to squeeze it into my routine, especially since I really need CosRX's BHA. I'm thinking I'll just use it after I pop my pimples because it does contain a lot of soothing ingredients.

Vitamin Hyaluronic Acid Vitalizing Toner

Ingredients: Sodium Hyaluronate, Water, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Trehalose, Caprylyl Glycol, Thuja Orientalis Leaf Extract, Zanthoxylum Schinifolium Leaf Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Pentylene Glycol, Aspalathus Linearis Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract 

Price: $21.99 

This product made me realize how AMAZING Sulwhasoo's First Care Activating Serum is. Without the First Care Activating Serum, this just doesn't work with the Tea Tree Relief Toner. At first, I tried applying this right after I've wiped my face down with the Tea Tree Relief Toner, patting it in like I would with any other toner. What happened was that it won't get aborbed, and created this sticky, foamy white stuff instead. I thought at first that I didn't wash my face wash off properly and that's where the foam was coming from, but after this consistently happened 3x in a row, I decided to try adding my Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum back into my routine. Lo and behold, the white foam disappeared. Turns out, I need the First Care Activating Serum to get my skin to absorb this.

This product is also extremely sticky, even with the First Care Activating Serum. The serum helps a lot though. If you watched my video, you can see how much the First Care Activating Serum reduces the stickiness at the 08:06 mark. I applied the First Care Activating Serum to half my face only, and you can see that the tissue on that half doesn't get stuck that long, compared to the tissue on the half without the serum.

So yeah, I guess I'm going back to my Hada Labo hyaluronic acid serums. They're more effectively absorbed by my skin AND cheaper as well. This iUNIK serum is $21.99 for 200 ml, while my 170ml bottle of Hada Labo costs about $14-17 depending on which country I buy it from. That makes it about $17-20 for 200ml.