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I’ve always been extremely skeptical of skin care products that claim to give you “glass skin.” More often than not, I find that these products overexfoliate and strip the skin of its moisture barrier, leading to more problems than benefits in the long run. However, when I came across the Peach & Lily Glass Skin Face Polisher, my interest was piqued. And after using it daily for an entire month, I can happily report that it is the perfect antidote to tired, stressed-out, irritated and acne-prone skin.
And if you’re thinking that a polisher sounds abrasive, you’re not entirely wrong. As we know, few skin care products have been quite as vilified as the humble physical exfoliant. The backlash endured by early-aughts staples like the St. Ives apricot scrub has been swift and severe. In previous reporting, Dr. Howard Sobel, a cosmetic dermatologist and surgeon in New York City, explained that scrubs with large particles (like St. Ives) should be avoided because they can cause irritation, redness, and flakiness from stripping the outer layer of skin.
“It’s tempting to physically scrub our skin to get the fresh clean sensation, but most people tend to overdo it,” Dr. Jinmeng Zhang, a board-certified dermatologist at U.S. Dermatology Partners in Peoria, Arizona, previously told HuffPost. This exfoliation method usually isn’t gentle enough on your skin and can cause a host of problems.
As a result, I have only used chemical exfoliants — products that use gentle acids to dissolve dead skin and impurities — for the better part of the last two decades. Despite this, I couldn’t resist the call of this wildly highly rated physical exfoliant from K-beauty giant Peach & Lily. I figured it would be the perfect way to keep my fussy skin in check during a month of arduous travel, when I am prone to dryness, breakouts and irritation.
Right off the bat, I could tell that the incredibly fine powder had nothing to do with rough physical exfoliants of the past. The texture is similar to (the more expensive) Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, which I also really like. After just one use in the shower, my skin felt soft, smooth and radiant — but not stripped or squeaky clean. It even lathers up nicely, and while I wouldn’t use it on eye makeup, it works beautifully as a cleanser.
I continued using it every day throughout December, during which I traveled to Los Angeles, Sydney and back to New York again, all while wrangling a toddler and fighting off walking pneumonia, a sinus infection and ear infection. All of these challenges would normally cause my skin to go haywire, and yet somehow it remained bright and clear, even while the will to live slowly left my spirit. I will never go anywhere without it again.
The secret is in the rice-based powder that works gently to polish the skin, removing dead cells and flakiness without creating microtears. The addition of allantoin and green tea helps to brighten and even out skin tone, while repairing and calming inflammation. Reviewer Annie T said, “Having purchased far more expensive polishers before this is by far the smoothest, least harsh one I’ve tried and it does the job well. I just love using it.” I wholeheartedly agree.
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