Personal Pick: Origins Brighter by Nature
I remember that first onslaught of teenage hormones, and all the pimples that came with it. Because I did not understand that pimples were ordinary cells inflamed with blood because of dirt and oils trapped under the skin, I thought they were nasty exterior bugs that were trying to gobble up my sweet and childlike freckles. 
Perusing through the anti-acne aisle of the local drug store for the first time, I was looking for the most powerful killing agent to do away with these nasty sores, and the best thing I found was a toner that smelled like lighter fluid. It recommended daily use with a light rub application with cotton balls, and I went overboard, hoping that the vile smell was doing equally vile things to the red bumps on my face.
Of course, it only took a couple months of an extremely red and sore face (and more and more profound pimples) to realize that exfoliating toners were not achieving the results that I wanted. I understood why they were useful, and continued to use exfoliating creams on my knobby knees and crusty elbows, but never again on my face – I had put it through too much pain. In the throes of teenage angst and hormones, though, we’re always looking for that quick-fix solution to our beauty malfunctions.
Toners don’t have to be so extreme: beauty companies have learned that toners are too harsh for the delicate skin on our face, and today offer a whole host of more mature products to help us exfoliate, gently, in the proper way. I recently tried Origins Brighter by Nature high-potency brightening peel with fruit acids, which is actually a container full of liquid-infused pads to use to gently scrub and exfoliate your face. It recommends only twice weekly treatment, with a follow-up of the Brighter by Nature correcting serum to smooth and moisturize the freshly scrubbed area. Though I didn’t get a chance to try the serum, the pads were delightful, and smelled fruity and delicious. I like how the pads show you how much dirt you removed from your face, but I noticed that the Brighter by Nature pad dries up quickly and is a little flimsy if you try for a second, thorough application on your face. But maybe that’s a good thing: it keeps you from over-scrubbing.
Top marks for Brighter by Nature, but don’t forget to try other facial exfoliating gels (that are cheaper than the pads) and the exfoliating masks and scrubs that have recently hit the shelves. What do you think works best?
Image Source: flickr.com/photos/ownyuen/202359665
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