[Review] Mizon AHA & BHA Daily Clean Toner

Hallo my dears,

I hope the new year is being good to you so far. I just spend a few days in the city of my old university because I had to request some documents (German bureaucracy is lovely… not) and took the chance to meet with friends and eat a lot of yummy food ^^

Today I will bring you the review of one of my favourite products: The Mizon AHA & BHA Toner.

Toner and Peeling Serum

What they say:
A gentle toner and exfoliant all in one that balances the PH levels of your skin. AHAs work to gently exfoliate dead skin cells while BHA unclogs pores, leaving your complexion smooth, clear and even-toned. Ideal for all skin types.

Ingredients:

Water, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol, Glycerin, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Artemisia Absinthium Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Glycolic Acid, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Lactic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Salicylic Acid, Disodium Edta, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Fragrance

the reflecting package is hard to photograph...

I stumbled upon this toner about half a year ago. I was really disappointed in the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshener (read my review here) and so I decided to look for a new one. At that time I also remembered that I had heard about chemical peels / Ahas and Bhas quite a while ago but never really found the right product to try it out. Chemical peels are not that wide-spread on the German market and it feels like it’s not common to use them so I didn’t really know where to start with my research. And just in that moment, like a wink from heaven, I found Samplehime’s review on the Mizon AHA&BHA Toner and AHA Peeling Serum. It sounded awesome and I found a special value set of both products online and decided to order it. One of the best decisions of my life and I’m already on my second bottle for the toner.

There's even an English description on the package!

But what are AHAs and BHAs?

I’m no chemist in any way so everything written here is based on what I read about this topic online. In short AHAs and BHAs are acids that will exfoliate the skin. Since the whole process is chemical they are said to be more gentle to the skin than mechanical peelings.
Chemical peelings are only effective at a certain concentration and ph, as Paula is saying "AHAs work best at concentrations of 5% to 10% with a pH of 3 to 4, and their effectiveness diminishes as you go above a pH of 4.5. BHA works best at concentrations of between 1% and 2%, and at an optimal pH of 3, diminishing in effectiveness as you go past a pH of 4."

AHA: Also known as Alpha Hydroxy Acids. They are water-soluble and "are best for sun-damaged, thickened, dry skin where breakouts are not a problem." (Taken from Paula's choice)

are best for sun-damaged, thickened, dry skin where breakouts are not a problem - See more at: http://www.paulaschoice-eu.com/learn/explaining-exfoliants/#AHAs_vs_BHA

are best for sun-damaged, thickened, dry skin where breakouts are not a problem - See more at: http://www.paulaschoice-eu.com/learn/explaining-exfoliants/#AHAs_vs_BHA

BHA: Also known as Bety Hydroxy Acids. They are oil-soluble and are "best used where blackheads and blemishes are the issue" (Taken from Paula's choice).

Sources: http://www.paulaschoice-eu.com/learn/explaining-exfoliants/#AHAs_vs_BHA
http://www.paulaschoice.com/expert-advice/anti-aging/_/how-to-exfoliate-skin#difference

Back to the product:

This toner comes in a really nice looking packaging. It looks like frosted glass and is pretty heavy and sturdy but from what I can tell it is made out of plastic. The paper packaging around the bottle is a reflecting silver which made taking picture pretty hard.
When you unscrew the silver cap you will find a seal ensuring that you actually bought a new and unused product. The production date is printed on the bottom.
It is a traditional opening without a spray, which I don’t really mind but some might find that inconvenient.

The product itself is a clear liquid much like water. It has a citrusy smell that is not too strong and that I find very pleasant.

I use this toner like you would use most western toners: dispense some product on a cotton pad and wipe your face with it and most of the time I can see some yellow stuff on the cotton pad which is sebum, I suppose. But you can also put some of the product in your hands and pat it on your skin.

As I said before, AHAs and BHAs need a certain ph in order to work effectively. Sadly I don't have any ph strips right now but as soon as I get them I will test this product. However from the results I got as well as the good reviews from other people I suppose the ph is low enough for the product to work.
Some people might experience a slight burning or stinging when using products containing AHAs and BHAs, however the concentration in this product seems to be really low so unless you have super sensitive skin there shouldn't be any burning or stinging. 
I did a pH testing on this product on I got a pH around 4-5. This is not the optimal pH for AHAs and BHAs to work according to Paula but at-home testing is never 100% accurate.

So far this toner has been really good for my skin. I’m not pimple and break-out free since most of my pimples are related to hormones, especially stress but my skin is definitely looking better than before. It has also helped to minimize the appearance of my sebaceous filaments and absorbed a lot of sebum on my T-zone. I have oily/combination skin and this wasn’t drying at all but I could imagine people with very dry or sensitive skin might not be too happy with this toner so I don't think it is really suited for all skin-types.
Even though toners don't necessarily have a huge effect on my skin I could see some improvements so I will definitely buy this again! However I must say that this is not the cheapest toner around and I run out of it pretty fast...

Pros: fresh smell, oi-control, non-drying, minimized the appearance of my sebaceous filaments, cleared my skin, nice packaging

Cons: doesn't last too long, kinda pricey

Overall: 4.5/5