I bought this because the marketing is gorgeous — sea kelp, sustainability, “clean” in every other sentence. Then I read the actual lab report they publish. It’s not the flex they think it is.
The pH is 3.5, which is fine for an exfoliant. But their “clean” certification allows synthetic fragrance, and let me tell you — this stuff smells like a high-end spa candle. That’s not “clean,” that’s chemistry.
It’s a 10% mandelic acid serum with sea kelp extract, running $38 for 30ml. The claim that sold me: “gentle enough for daily use.” Bold. Wrong for some, but bold.
10% Mandelic Acid
An AHA with a bigger molecular size — so it exfoliates slower and less deeply than glycolic. Good for beginners.
Sea Kelp Extract
Sounds fancy, but it’s basically a humectant. It pulls water into the skin, nothing more.
Sodium Hyaluronate
The salt form of HA — absorbs better than plain hyaluronic acid, which is a genuinely smart choice.
Photo: Poko Skincare / Unsplash
There’s a lot of water here — literally. The formula is water-first, which means the active ingredients are doing the heavy lifting with zero buffer from oils or silicones. That’s why it feels light but can sting if your barrier is compromised.
- Mandelic Acid: Exfoliates but doesn’t nuke your skin — gentler than glycolic
- Sea Kelp Extract: Hydrates superficially, doesn’t penetrate deep
- Sodium Hyaluronate: Plumps skin with moisture, fast-absorbing
- Synthetic Fragrance: Irrelevant to skincare, potential irritant, and not ‘clean’
Photo: ibnu ihza / Unsplash
It’s a thin, watery liquid that drips off your fingers if you’re not fast. Absorbs in like 15 seconds, zero residue. That’s the good part.
By week two, my skin looked smoother, but here’s the thing nobody tells you — mandelic acid can make you purge if you’re using any other active. I had two tiny whiteheads around my chin that I don’t usually get. They went away by day 10. Not a dealbreaker, but a heads-up.
Photo: Kalos Skincare / Unsplash
My dark spots from old breakouts are visibly lighter — like 30% lighter, not 90%. My pores look smaller, but that’s just surface exfoliation, not actual shrinking. The texture is genuinely smoother, though.
Photo: Fleur Kaan / Unsplash
It’s a decent mandelic serum for beginners, but “clean” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. The fragrance makes it not-clean in my book, even if the formula is solid otherwise. Fine product, fuzzy marketing.