Day 3 my chin peeled like a sunburned snake. Not cute. Day 14? Strangers asked what foundation I was wearing (none).
The two-step system is marketing genius — but also the easiest way to over-exfoliate if you ignore the instructions like I did.
**SECTION 2**
$48 for two bottles — a prepping acid toner and a leave-on serum. The claim: “professional resurfacing without downtime.” Bold. Almost true.
Step 1: PHA Prep Pad
Feels like water. Wipes away dead skin without that sting you expect from acid.
Step 2: AHA Serum
Thick, almost syrupy — dries in 45 seconds flat. No waiting around.
The Twist
You’re supposed to use both. But your skin will tell you *loudly* when to skip Step 1.
Photo: Maria Lupan / Unsplash
**SECTION 3**
Two exfoliators in one routine means they had to be smart about pH. Step 1 uses PHA (gluconolactone) at 5% — gentle enough for daily use. Step 2 hits harder with 10% lactic acid, plus niacinamide to calm things down.
- Gluconolactone (PHA): Gentle enough for morning use, actually hydrates while exfoliating
- Lactic Acid (10%): The exfoliant that also brightens — but can sting if your barrier’s weak
- Niacinamide (2%): Band-aid ingredient. Helps redness so you don’t look like a tomato
- Allantoin: Fancy name for soothing. Keeps irritation in check.
Photo: Poko Skincare / Unsplash
**SECTION 4**
Step 1 is literally like splashing water. Step 2 feels like a light moisturizer — almost too thick for my oily T-zone. Absorbs fast, but leaves a slight tackiness that makeup grips onto.
Week 2 my skin rebelled — tiny bumps I’d never had. Kept going. By week 3, those bumps smoothed into the softest texture I’ve felt since accutane. The glow hit week 4, not week 2 like the ads claim. Patience is not optional here.
Photo: Poko Skincare / Unsplash
**SECTION 5**
Pores? Still there — just smaller. Texture? Drastically smoother, like sandpaper to satin. Blackheads on my nose? 70% gone. The dark spot from that zit in March? Faded maybe 40%. Not a miracle worker for hyperpigmentation — don’t believe the TikTok claims.
Photo: Andrey Zvyagintsev / Unsplash
**SECTION 6**
This serum delivers glass skin — but only if you respect the two-step system as a suggestion, not a rule. I’d buy it again, but I’d also buy a good barrier cream alongside it.