L'oreal Revitalift Bright Reveal Brightening Peel Pads Review

L'oreal Revitalift Bright Reveal Brightening Peel Pads ($19.99) are brand new for summer 2016 and I found them at my local Walgreens a few weeks ago. When I first posted a photo of the display on Instagram, I ended up getting a lot of requests for a review, so now that I've been using them for about three weeks, I feel like I can finally go in depth and tell you guys what I think. So let's take a look!

What Does Glycolic Acid Do For Your Skin? 

First, I want to talk about the benefits of using glycolic acid for those of you who aren't familiar with a product like this (if you're already a pro, you can totally skip this section). Glycolic Acid is an Alpha-Hydroxy Acid (AHA) and is derived from sugar cane. Other AHA's include Citric Acid (from citrus fruits), Lactic Acid (from milk), Malic Acid (from apples), and Tartaric Acid (from grapes). AHA's work by eating up and removing dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, sort of like mini Pac-Men. Glycolic Acid has the smallest molecules of all of the AHA's so it can penetrate deeper into the skin, making it the most effective option.

Glycolic Acid:

• Reduces fine lines by increasing cell turnover- newer younger skin cells are now visible
• Helps to clear clogged pores and blackheads, which in turn improves acne.
• Helps other products to penetrate deeper into the skin by removing a barrier of dead skin cells and grime.
• Minimizes the appearance of pores by keeping them clear of debris

Ingredients: 

The Loreal Bright Reveal Peel Pads contain 10% Glycolic Acid as well as Citric Acid, for gentle, yet effective results. A lot of you have been asking me to compare these to the Peter Thomas Roth Unwrinkle Peel Pads and the Pixi Glow Peel Pads. Right away, I can tell you that both of those contain 20% Glycolic Acid, making them much stronger options. 

I don't have sensitive skin by any means, but 20% Glycolic Acid is too strong for me to use every day and makes my skin flake so I have to build up to it very slowly. That wasn't the case with the L'oreal Peel Pads...they didn't burn, sting, or dry my skin out (but if you have sensitive skin, you may still have to go slowly with these). I actually prefer the 10% glycolic acid because I can use these every day rather than every few days. Glycolic Acid works best when you use it cumulatively, so stronger isn't always better!

I've heard that the Pixi Glow Peel Pads have a strong rose fragrance, but the L'oreal Bright Reveal pads don't smell like much of anything...maybe just an alcohol-type scent? It's very mild and disappears almost instantly. 

How I Use Them: 

I actually use the L'oreal Bright Reveal Pads a few different ways, so they're a really versatile product! 

1. First, I use them on my face at night after cleansing. They're gentle enough that you can use them every night but I skip them on nights when I use a scrub...using both is too much for my skin and can make them sting a little bit. The reason I use them at night is because glycolic acid can make your skin sun-sensitive (make sure to wear SPF during the day!). Right away, my skin feels smoother and looks brighter. The pads are fairly large and they have just the right amount of solution on them...they're not dry and they're not overly saturated to the point where they're dripping (like some others I've tried in the past). This means I can cover my entire face, neck, and then some! Which brings me to my next use for these...

2. Once I've covered my face and neck, the pad still has a little bit of the solution on it. I like to take it and go over rough areas on my body. I have darkness and discoloration on my knees from kneeling all the time playing with my son. The skin has gotten very thick and dry and it looks terrible! I've been using these on them every day and have noticed a huge difference so far. The darkness is fading and they don't have a thick, dry layer over them anymore. I'm going to keep using them and hopefully my knees will go back to being the same color and texture as the rest of the skin on my legs. You can use these pads on any rough areas...elbows, feet, hands, or anywhere you have dry, dead skin that you want to remove. Just be aware that it'll take weeks of daily application in some cases to see results. 

3. The third way I use these is to take a fresh peel pad and go over my body with it to get rid of scaly, dry skin, especially on my legs! This is awesome if you're using self-tanner because they remove that top layer of dead skin that color tends to cling to. Just start using these a few days before to make sure you get rid of all the dead skin and your tanner will go on much smoother! I feel like these are better (and easier) than scrubs for removing dead skin. 

Overall, I'm really happy with the new L'oreal Bright Reveal Peel Pads! I've found so many great uses for them and have noticed that my skin looks brighter, younger, and healthier the past few weeks.
I think that the 10% concentration of Glycolic Acid is perfect because I can use them every day with no irritation, so if you haven't been able to use other peel pads that have a 20% concentration, you may want to give these a try!

You can find L'oreal Bright Reveal Brightening Peel Pads at drugstores and at Ulta.com

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