‘Do I really need prep water?’ I was questioning myself. It wasn’t because of the idea itself but that extra step to my already extended AM and PM skincare routine. Well, I gave By Wistrend Mandelic Acid 5% Skin Prep Water a go, and I couldn’t believe it.
Put your laziness aside for a couple of weeks like I did. An extra step like By Wishtrend Mandelic Acid 5% Skin Prep Water can really do something extra to your skin…
By Wishtrend Mandelic Acid 5% Skin Prep Water: product and packaging
The in-house brand of e-commerce Wishtrend has a skin preparation water that sits right after your cleanser, between it and your toner. By Wishtrend Mandelic Acid 5% Skin Prep Water is a watery treatment that exfoliates the skin and prepares it for the next steps while keeping hydration at top-notch levels. The product comes in an amber-toned sleek tube with 120ml of liquid. It seems rather small!
Formula
The key ingredient of this kin prep water is mandelic acid (5%), an acid from the AHA family extracted from bitter almonds. Compared to AHA brothers and sisters, mandelic acid is the gentler AHAs you can ever try. It’s found in chemical peels and products to target acne and blemishes. By Wishtrend Mandelic Acid 5% Skin Prep Water also contains panthenol and Centella Asiatica to keep the skin barrier protected and healed. The aim of this prep water is to exfoliate/peel the skin, keep it moist and promote cellular turnover.
Scent and texture
The scent of this preparation water is rather evanescent and unsubstantial. I hardly feel a sweet and alcoholic note. But hold on because things change during the application. As the liquid dissolves dead skin cells, I can clearly notice the sweet and slightly unpleasant smell of some peeling products (ex. Real Chemistry Luminous 3 Minute Peel via Birchbox), and I can see well some yuck on the cotton pad. Both are signs that this watery solution is really doing its job.
The texture resembles that of water: crystal clear, and weightless. No sign of stickiness; this skin prep water disappears. On healthy skin, one might just feel a rubbing sensation as one passes the soaked cotton pad across the skin but broken skin – even with the smallest broken pimple – will feel the burn.
How to use By Wishtrend Mandelic Acid 5% Skin Prep Water
Sprinkle some drops on the palm of your hand and tap your skin. To intensify the exfoliation, soak a cotton pad and apply it. Let it dry and continue with the rest of your routine.
PROS:
- it’s an effective exfoliating treatment,
- suitable for many skin types,
- lightweight,
- gentler than the other AHAs,
- cruelty-free,
- vegan-friendly,
- fast drying,
- it has a low-irritant formula,
- doesn’t dry the skin,
- promotes even skin.
CONS:
- it may burn on broken skin,
- smell during the use (subjective note),
- small quantity.
I put – on a purpose – By Wishtrend Mandelic Acid 5% Skin Prep Water to the test when my skin was ‘blooming’ with clogged pores and after having extracted them with a tool the day before. My skin was not happy at all with some scabs here and there, and my skin texture was still gritty. I stand a bit of pain and kept testing.
All in all, this watery exfoliant does its job nicely and then it disappears, leaving the skin ready to absorb the next steps without stickiness or tightening feelings. This is the trick: every single following treatment will perform better or this is my impression. My skin looked smoother and even in tone, application after application. My pores shrunk in size but they didn’t clog as usually happens to me.
From my tests, this skin preparation water is highly compatible with other tone-perfecting treatments and other brands as well. When I introduced it to my regime, I entirely switch it to fit my new necessities (clearing and evening my skin): I follow it with some anti ageing drops (dear, Klairs Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop), then with a vegan alternative to snail mucin skincare – Vegreen Nature Mucin Toner and Nature Mucin Serum – and I complete with a face cream from Estée Lauder, Adaptology or by Wishtrend depending on how I feel it.
The results don’t let you wait too long. In a couple of applications, you can feel an improvement by touch and you’ll be surprised by how fast your skin looks dramatically clearer.
By Wishtrend Mandelic Acid 5% Skin Prep Water is available in two sizes: a 30ml miniature ($9) and the regular size, 120ml for $22.
Note: enjoy a special deal: as a loyal reader of ValentinaChirico.com, you can enjoy an additional 15% OFF your order with the code VALENTINA15 at the checkout.
I wish I could have discovered this product months ago! Although By Wishtrend Mandelic Acid 5% Skin Prep Water is actually an extra step in your skincare regime and peeling your skin doesn’t produce a nice smell, it’s worth putting laziness and smell aside…
Valentina Chirico aka Valens
Source: About Mandelic Acid
