sunday riley glycolic acid reviews
You should also avoid mixing lactic acid with other acids and exfoliants (such as other AHAs or benzoyl peroxide) as well as retinol; this can cause redness or dryness. If your skin is particularly sensitive, the brand recommends using Good Genes as a 15-minute mask rather than a leave-on treatment.
Sunday Riley’s Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment
Jenna Igneri is a fashion and beauty creative. She was formerly the fashion and beauty editor at NYLON, where she covered everything from the latest launches and trends to the brands championing sustainability, inclusivity, and diversity.
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Good Genes Glycolic Acid treatment is also suitable for all skin types, however those with very reactive skin might want to try to get a sample first. Again, it can be used as a serum or mask, with the former being my preference. Glycolic Acid is a smaller molecule so it can penetrate the skin more deeply to declog the pores and remove more layers of dead skin than Lactic Acid, which in turn diminishes the appearance of fine lines. This product also contains Lactic Acid, Prickly Pear and Lemongrass, all of which combine to brighten, reduce inflammation and clarify the skin. Curiously, I didn’t experience any tingling with this product even though it is more potent than the original version.
Beautylymin
I’ve mentioned several times on the blog over the last 3-ish years, that I am a huge fan of Sunday Riley Good Genes . I repurchased the original Lactic Acid version numerous times but, as I mentioned in my recent Sunday Riley post , Good Genes has been reformulated and is now a Glycolic Acid Treatment. This is because the original formula had concentration and pH levels, which were higher than the EU will allow (the original formula had a lactic acid concentration of 7% and pH of 3), however it is still available to purchase in the U.S. so I bought a backup from Sephora – I knew that my skin would miss it and the new version (with a glycolic acid concentation of 7% with a lactic acid salt of 3% and a pH of 3.5%) wasn’t released until October in the UK. I have been using both and want to share my thoughts with you today.
If you are unfamiliar with the difference between Lactic Acid and Glycolic Acid, they are both AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) but Glycolic Acid is the stronger of the two, which means that those with sensitive skin and are new to AHAs, should probably start with a Lactic Acid product. You may experience some tingling when you first use acid products but this should lessen as your skin becomes accustomed to them.
Good Genes All In One Lactic Acid treatment is suitable for all skin types and it will improve texture and hyperpigmentation. It can be used as a serum or as a mask – personally, I only use it as a serum as I don’t want to wash it off! I love that I can practically feel it eating away at the dead skin cells and my skin always looks brighter and feels softer the morning after using this product.
Good Genes Glycolic Acid treatment is also suitable for all skin types, however those with very reactive skin might want to try to get a sample first. Again, it can be used as a serum or mask, with the former being my preference. Glycolic Acid is a smaller molecule so it can penetrate the skin more deeply to declog the pores and remove more layers of dead skin than Lactic Acid, which in turn diminishes the appearance of fine lines. This product also contains Lactic Acid, Prickly Pear and Lemongrass, all of which combine to brighten, reduce inflammation and clarify the skin. Curiously, I didn’t experience any tingling with this product even though it is more potent than the original version.
I decided to use the original formula on one side of my face and the new glycolic version on the other in order to give a fair comparison because I was going to be biased towards the lactic version otherwise (I compare all acid treatments to the original Good Genes because I love it so much!). I didn’t experience any redness as a result of the reformulated version and I have to say that it was difficult to see a difference between the two sides initially – both looked bright, firm and with refined pores, I would say that on the glycolic side, my fine lines very a little less visible, but the real test came when I had a breakout due to eating dairy over the course of a week or so (crisps and dairy are both sure to cause breakouts for me but sometimes I just can’t resist!). I found that the side where I used the Glycolic Acid Treatment healed faster but also the scar faded more quickly than on the Lactic Acid side.
If you loved the original version and are as gutted as I was that it was reformulated, don’t be. In terms of how my skin looks, I have found both to work equally as well – my skin is bright, smooth, soft with minimised pores. I think that the extra benefit of the new version (the speed at which it cleared my breakout and also how quickly the scar faded) is a real bonus and gives it the edge for me. I really didn’t expect to like the Glycolic Acid Treatment as much as I do but I am very relieved given that the Lactic Acid version isn’t available to buy on this side of the Atlantic.
Have you tried either of these or both? Which do you prefer? I’m curious to know if a product you have really loved has ever been reformulated or discontinued?
In the fall of 2019, Sunday Riley settled a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission after having been accused of falsifying reviews on Sephora’s website. Based on information from a whistleblower, the FTC claimed that the founder, Ms. Sunday Riley herself, asked staff to leave five-star reviews on products like Good Genes and to “dislike” negative reviews. As part of the settlement, the company agreed to not engage in illegal posting moving forward but did not have to admit to any wrongdoing. This was especially shocking considering Good Genes and the rest of the Sunday Riley lineup have always been top shelf by beauty lovers.
My personal experience using Good Genes
I prefer to use Good Genes in the evening as part of my nighttime routine. That said, it is safe to use during the day if one prefers. Regardless of when you use it, it’s absolutely imperative that you remember to use SPF during the day since the ingredients in Good Genes can increase your sensitivity to UV rays.
Considerations for those with sensitive skin:
If you have very sensitive or dry skin, you can use it as a mask as opposed to a leave-on treatment. Simply apply for 15 minutes like you would any mask and then wash it off before doing the rest of your skincare routine. If you’re going to use it as a night treatment, you can use it on top of other serums or Sunday Riley’s popular Luna Sleeping Night Oil, and before your moisturizer. While one usually layers oil on after a serum and moisturizer, in the case of Luna Oil specifically, you want to use that before Good Genes and moisturizer.
Considerations for those with oily skin:
People with oily or combination skin may not even need to moisturize at all after using Good Genes. I find that I only need to layer on a light moisturizer and I’m good to go, though I’ve been known to skip it if it’s a particularly humid evening.
The Sunday Riley Good Genes treatment is recommended for daily use. As with many acids and treatments my sensitive skin just doesn’t like that. However, I feel this product does give my skin that pick me up I need once a week to make it come alive. In fact, I am finding myself looking forward to my weekend pamper evening which is when I use this as a first step and then top it off with a moisturizer. It’s been lovely on my skin: I have had no issues with my skin and my skin hasn’t been overly reactive as a result. This is gentle enough, but if I were to use this every day I am sure I would develop some sort of sensitivity for it over time. By using it just once a week, I am making it last a bit longer as at this moment I am still undecided whether I find this worth the repurchase.
How does this product work?
I like it when skincare gives me instant results, but without my skin freaking out. This certainly gave me that. I only use this once a week, but it’s been a great product in my routine. It is lightweight and easy to use. I use less than I pumped out here as this is so expensive and I feel this is easy to use only a little bit of. I love the bottle and the pump twists shut so you are sure the formula stays stable and you can use it for a while.
Water/ Aqua/ Eau, Dimethicone, Glycolic Acid, Squalane, Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate, PPG-12/SMDI Copolymer, Potassium Lactate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, PPG-24-Glycereth-24, Bis-Stearyl Dimethicone, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Fruit Extract, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/ Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Ceteareth-20, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Xanthan Gum, Sorbitan Isostearate, Potassium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Citral, Geraniol, Limonene
The ingredient list seems quite simple for such an effective product. There is some silicone in this, but the glycolic acid is high up the list as is squalane. And if there is one skincare ingredient that I am finding my skin loves it is squalane. It is a great hydrator and also the other ingredients promised are there but they are more towards the bottom of the list.
Many people use toners and other harsh products to exfoliate skin and end up overdoing it, Finney said. AHAs, like lactic acid, as well as beta hydroxy acids, are more gentle on the skin. That’s why this treatment is a good option to replace those harsher (and less effective) exfoliation methods. “This product would be good for someone with oily or combination skin who suffers from hyperpigmentation or who may be looking for a good exfoliating lotion,” Finney said.
How to use Sunday Riley Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment
To use, the brand recommends applying one to three pumps of the formula on clean, dry skin towards the beginning of your skin care routine. It can be applied either in the morning or at night.
The treatment can potentially cause irritation, Finney said, so people with sensitive skin may need to tread lightly. If you have sensitive skin, the company suggests treating the product more like a mask and leaving it on for 15 minutes, then rinsing it off and patting your skin dry.
Get the Home and Away Set while it’s on sale or grab the regular one-ounce size, below.
8. Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment
An Honest Review of Sunday Riley’s 10 Buzziest Products
Smartly crafted formulas that are clinically backed, nontoxic ingredients, beautiful graphic packaging, and clever brand names are just a few of the qualities that have earned skincare brand Sunday Riley its cult status. Consistently a Sephora best seller, the results-driven luxury line is always generating hype and flying off shelves. But are Sunday Riley's buzzy moisturizers, serums, and oils (which aren't exactly cheap, mind you) worth all the attention and dough?
My fellow Who What Wear Beauty editor Erin Jahns and I were skeptical (as we always are of skincare brands whose products have unabashed cult followings and high price tags). So we put 10 of its best sellers to the test. For context, Erin has sensitive acneic skin, and I'm a true combo skin type (I've got both congested pores and dryness to navigate). Keep scrolling for our in-depth beauty editor reviews of Sunday Riley's Good Genes serum, C.E.O serum, Saturn mask, Luna oil, and more.
1. Ceramic Slip Cleanser
"Straight up, the only reason I'm not giving this cleanser a full five-star rating is the price. Since cleansers are the most fleeting part of our skincare routines, I just can't warrant spending more than $20 tops on something I'm washing off after 10 seconds. That said, I've been impressed with this gentle but effective cleanser ever since it released last year. It never irritates my sensitive skin or exacerbates any breakouts I have. It has great ingredients that play well with all skin types. The soothing gel to foam formula also really delivers on that super-satisfying clean feeling you want from a face wash but without stripping your skin of necessary hydration." — Erin
Overall score: 
/
2. U.F.O. Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil
"A delicious, fast-absorbing oil that smells like a Jolly Rancher and also helps clear breakouts and clogged pores? Seems impossible. I was so skeptical of this exotic green elixir—the slippery texture and sweet scent seem like something that would break you out rather than clear you up. To my delight, the product sinks in quickly, and its gentle 1.5% salicylic acid visibly works to decongest the little clogged pores I get around my nose and chin. It's not the strongest dose of BHA in the world, so it takes a couple nights to really produce results, but damn, when it does, my skin comes out so beautifully clear and glowy." — Amanda
Overall score: /
3. Saturn Sulfur Acne Treatment Mask
"I don't know about you, but I have a separate stash of products for whenever my skin decides to be on especially bad behavior. And whenever I'm dealing with a frustrating deluge of zits, this mask is one of my favorite antidotes in said stash. I definitely notice that it helps dry out and banish my existing blemishes faster than when I forget to use it, and I'm convinced it slows the formation of new ones. (Breakouts are such a vicious cycle, ugh.) My one issue with this mask, however, is the smell. Since the star and most strategic ingredient is sulfur, I realize this is just par for the course and part of the formula's efficacy, but even after I wash it off, the smell of sulfur lingers on my face, and it's just not the most pleasant olfactory experience to go to sleep with at night." — Erin
Overall score: /
4. C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum
"Okay, this is so hard for me. Because if it was up to this product's brightening and radiance-boosting power alone, I would literally give it 10 stars. But, for some reason, I have issues with it clogging my pores, and I have to be honest about that. I plan on asking my go-to esthetician what she thinks is the exact culprit in the ingredient list (my skin is insanely, insanely finicky and prone to congestions), but for most other people, I honestly think this is one of the best vitamin C and brightening serums on the market. It's Dermstore's top-selling brightening serum under $100, and I think that stat is well-warranted. I'm bummed I can't use this serum anymore, because whenever I would, I'd always receive compliments on how glowy and healthy my skin looked." — Erin
Overall score: /
5. Auto Correct Brightening and Depuffing Eye Contour Cream
"I'm a fiend when it comes to eye cream. And since I have breakout-prone, easily irritated skin, it's one of the only types of skincare products I feel like I can try with zero abandon or worry regarding how it will affect my skin. I've tried (and regularly use) so many eye creams, but I always find myself coming back to this one. It's a cheaper dupe for this amazing, but very, very spendy one from Revive, and it's the first one I recommend to friends and family if they're complaining about puff, circles, or fine lines. It has a bit of a pearlescent tint to it, which helps instantly tighten and diffuse the look of darkness, and pretty much acts like IRL Facetune." — Erin
Overall score: /
6. Luna Retinol Sleeping Night Oil
"Retinol is one of the most powerful breakout- and wrinkle-fighting ingredients, which almost all skin health experts recommend, but certain forms of it can make your face peel. This luxurious oil provides all the same benefits without the risk of irritation using an ingredient called Trans-Retinol Ester (plus blue tansy, which is really soothing and feels amazing on the skin). This product would be really well suited to sensitive skin types prone to acne and redness looking to treat their skin for signs of aging without making it angry. After a few nights of use, I did notice more radiant, youthful-looking skin. I wouldn't call the product a holy grail for my particular combo skin type, and it's definitely a little pricier than I'd like, but it certainly produces results with consistent use." — Amanda
Overall score: /
7. A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum
"So here's a fun fact: This is actually the first-ever retinol I've used regularly. (I know, bad beauty editor). In all honesty, I thought I would hate it but disgruntledly agreed to test it since Amanda asked me to review all the Sunday Riley products I have in my possession, and I still hadn't tried this relatively new launch. In hindsight, I'm SO sad I didn't start using it sooner. I've been applying it a couple of nights a week after I cleanse and without layering anything underneath or on top. (As is the standard protocol for retinol.) Every morning I wake up with what seems like a brighter, smoother, and far more even complexion. I've been struggling with some stubborn acne scarring around my mouth, and I'm completely dumbstruck by its efficacy in helping to lighten my areas of pigmentation. This serum hasn't irritated my skin at all which has always been one of my main fears surrounding retinol, and the consistency is so soft and dreamy. It's not sticky and my skin feels really happy and comfortable post-application." — Erin
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8. Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment
"As one of Sunday Riley's priciest formulas, and perhaps one of the buzziest, I had high expectations for this all-in-one AHA serum. According to the fine print, it's specifically targeted to deal with dark spots, pores, and wrinkles by utilizing a high-potency form of lactic acid to exfoliate way the dead skin cells that make our complexion look dull or congested. As the brand recommends, I've been alternating this with the A+ Retinol every other night so that I'm lifting away the debris the night after the retinol has worked its turnover magic.
"This product is great on its own but combined with the retinol, it's the ultimate power couple. I've gotten a few facials recently, which could be a contributing factor, but my skin hasn't felt so soft, smooth, clear, and naturally luminous since I started using this serum regularly at night. My only qualm is that I'm not used to using an exfoliating agent like this as a last step before bed, and it can feel a bit prickly and stingy. I know that's part of the deal and the formula, but if you're not a fan of feeling your products working, tread carefully. (Though I promise, the end result is worth it!)" — Erin
Overall score: /
9. C.E.O. C+ E Antioxidant Protect Repair Moisturizer
"There's a lot to like about this brightening moisturizer: The rich (but not greasy) formula, which is super hydrating and great for dry or winter weather; the 5% dose of vitamin C; the energizing citrus scent; the gently exfoliating and calming plant extracts, which help the actives absorb while keeping the skin protected and non-irritated. My three-star rating is simply because I personally prefer to get higher doses of my active ingredients in serum form, rather than cream form, and then use a more affordable moisturizer on top. And I also have a preference for moisturizers that come in a tube, rather than a jar. But I can't knock the formula, which I would especially recommend to dry skin types dealing with dark spots or dullness." — Amanda
Overall score: /
10. Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream
"I'll start by saying there isn't anything wrong with this cream, and I do actually think it's really nice and has a great formula. But only if you have super hydration-starved skin. Technically, it's supposed to be agreeable for all skin types, but my combination skin found it entirely too heavy on the moisture quotient. (Although for what it's worth, the luxe, whipped-like texture is surprisingly lightweight). It boasts two different kinds of hyaluronic acid alongside tamarind extract, which is the hard-hitting coupling behind the water-surge of hydration. So, again, if you have super dry skin or will be traveling to the desert anytime soon, I think this is a great option. But it just left my complexion feeling slick, greasy, and over-watered." — Erin
Overall score: /