WHAT: Pixi Retinol Tonic
WHY: Retinol is one of the most confounding skincare products possibly on earth. We have a vague idea that we should be using it for its magical anti-aging and brightening abilities, but we’ve also heard it can be harsh, a nightmare for sensitive skin, can redden your skin and make it flake off, and mostly, we just have no idea where to begin.
While we love a professional-grade retinol serum that promises to zap every last wrinkle overnight, we also know that, when it comes to retinol, most of us need to start with something easy and gentle.
So if you’re just now dipping your toe in the retinol waters, there’s no easier place to start than Pixi’s Retinol Tonic. Like their famous, cult-status glow tonic, Pixi’s retinol tonic comes in toner form, and is supremely easy to use. After cleansing, squirt some tonic on a cotton pad, gently sweep across your face, and then follow it with the rest of your routine per usual.
The formula, which is gentle and alcohol-free, has jasmine flower and antioxidants to heal and replenish, so if you’re prone to sensitive skin or have been scared away by retinol horror stories, this is a very safe bet. It’s also full of peptides, which are blessedly skin-firming and collagen-boosting.
It always leaves us with soft, bright skin that’s never red, angry, or irritated.
PRICE: $18