Purist Glycolic Acid 7% Toner

It's one of the more well-established AHAs out there. The mechanism is simple: it loosens the "glue" holding dead skin cells together so they shed faster than they would on their own, which is what gives skin a smoother, brighter look over time. The catch is that it has to be introduced slowly — jumping in with daily use is where most people run into trouble.

Twice a week in the evening is a safe starting point. Give it a few weeks before considering every-other-night use, and hold off on pairing it with a Vitamin C serum until your skin has adjusted — two actives at once, too soon, is the most common reason people think a product "doesn't suit them."

Either works — a cotton pad gives more even coverage, clean hands work fine too. Apply after cleansing, sweep across the face (skip the eye area), and leave it on. There's no rinsing step here, so go straight into your moisturiser, and don't forget sunscreen the next morning.

A little flaking in the first couple of weeks is actually a sign it's working — your skin is shedding faster than usual. What you don't want is redness, stinging, or heavy peeling. If that happens, scale back to once a week and lean on your moisturiser more until things settle.

To an extent — since it works by clearing surface buildup, it can help dullness and marks that sit near the surface look less noticeable over time. It's not a targeted pigmentation treatment though, so if dark spots are your main concern, this works best alongside a dedicated brightening product rather than on its own.

Best not to stack it with another active, like a Vitamin C serum or Salicylic Acid cleanser, on the same night. It's an easy way to accidentally overload your barrier. Splitting them across different nights gets you the benefit of both without the irritation.

It changes one thing, and it's non-negotiable: sunscreen, every single morning. Exfoliating removes a layer of protective dead skin, which leaves what's underneath more sensitive to UV. Skip SPF in strong sun and you risk undoing any progress the toner's making — sometimes with new dark marks to show for it.

Check with your doctor first. This is standard advice for AHA exfoliants in general during pregnancy or breastfeeding, not a flag specific to this formula — but it's worth a quick conversation before adding it to your routine.

No fragrance added — nothing in the formula beyond what's needed for the exfoliation and texture. As for long-term use, this is designed to stay in rotation 2–3 nights a week indefinitely, as long as sunscreen stays part of the deal every morning after.