Review of Ultra Light Serum and BHA Toner Formulations

Thank you for sharing your detailed review and experience with your homemade Ultra Light Serum and BHA Toner formulations. It's great to hear about the positive results you've seen after 15 days of use, especially the reduction in clogged pores, smoother skin texture, and improvements in redness and dark spots from the toner, as well as the feeling of firmer and stronger skin from the serum.

Let's look at the ingredients in your formulations and their known benefits:

Ultra Light Serum Ingredients:

• Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8): This peptide is known for its ability to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles, particularly those caused by muscle movement, such as expression lines.
• Matrixyl 3000 (Pal-GHK, Pal-GQPR): This peptide blend works to stimulate collagen synthesis and other components of the skin matrix, helping to reduce wrinkles, improve skin elasticity, and promote a more youthful appearance. It is often used in conjunction with Argireline for comprehensive anti-aging effects.
• Stem Cell (Apple Stem Cell Extract): Apple stem cell extract is used to help protect skin cells and promote their longevity, contributing to anti-aging effects and helping the skin maintain a youthful look.
• Resveratrol: Known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, Resveratrol can help protect the skin from environmental damage, support collagen production, reduce inflammation, and improve skin tone and texture.
• Syn-Coll (Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5): This peptide is designed to stimulate collagen production, effectively helping to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and improve skin firmness.
• Ectoin: This ingredient helps protect skin cells from environmental stress and damage. It provides intense hydration, strengthens the skin barrier, and has anti-inflammatory and anti-aging benefits.

Your observation of the serum feeling non-greasy, absorbing quickly, and making your skin feel firmer and stronger aligns well with the properties of these potent anti-aging and skin-strengthening ingredients.

BHA Toner Ingredients:

• N-Acetyl Glucosamine: This ingredient works well with Niacinamide to help reduce dark spots and improve skin tone. It also helps the skin produce Hyaluronic Acid, contributing to hydration, and can offer gentle exfoliation.
• Natural Moisturizing Amino Acids: This blend of amino acids and Sodium PCA mimics the skin's natural moisturizing factors, providing hydration, keeping the skin soft and smooth, and supporting skin barrier function.
• Calendula: Known for its soothing and anti-inflammatory properties, Calendula can help calm irritated skin.
• Bisabolol: Derived from chamomile, Bisabolol is an effective anti-irritant and anti-inflammatory ingredient that helps soothe the skin and reduce redness.
• Licorice: Licorice extract, particularly components like Glabridin or Licochalcone A, is known for its anti-inflammatory and skin-soothing properties, helping to reduce redness and irritation.
• Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide): A versatile ingredient that helps reduce redness and dark spots, improve skin barrier function, reduce oiliness, and has anti-inflammatory benefits. It works synergistically with N-Acetyl Glucosamine for brightening effects.
• BHA (Salicylic Acid): This is a beta hydroxy acid known for its ability to exfoliate the skin, penetrate pores to dissolve तेल and debris, and reduce clogged pores and acne. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.

The slight stinging sensation you initially experienced from the BHA toner is a common effect of Salicylic Acid, especially when first introduced or at higher concentrations like 2%. The inclusion of multiple soothing ingredients like Calendula, Bisabolol, and Licorice, along with hydrating components like Natural Moisturizing Amino Acids and Niacinamide, likely helped to minimize overall irritation, as you noted.

Addressing Stickiness and Pilling:

The stickiness you experienced with the toner is likely due to the high concentration of various active and moisturizing ingredients. As suggested, using a thinner layer of the toner can help reduce this feeling.

Pilling, or the formation of small balls or flakes on the skin, can occur when layering products, especially if one product contains certain polymers or film-forming ingredients (like some silicones, although not explicitly listed in your ingredients, or certain thickeners) and is not fully absorbed or allowed to dry before the next product is applied. The advice to ensure the toner is completely dry before applying the serum, and applying the serum thinly, is a good approach to minimize pilling. Exfoliation from BHA can also sometimes contribute to visible skin flaking.

Storage:

Regarding storage, keeping homemade formulations in the refrigerator is generally recommended to maintain ingredient stability and extend shelf life, especially for sensitive ingredients. However, as discussed, leaving the product at room temperature for a day or two is unlikely to cause significant degradation, similar to how commercial products are stored before purchase.

Overall, your formulations contain a good combination of active ingredients targeting anti-aging, hydration, soothing, and acne/clogged pore concerns. Your experience highlights the importance of understanding ingredient properties and application techniques for optimal results with homemade skincare.