[JOLSE] TIAM Aura Milk Face Peeling Toner

Hey peeps~ I am back with another Jolse sponsored review. By sponsored, I mean I got selected for reviewing the TIAM Aura Milk Face Peeling Toner. 😆If you have a blog or a public social media account, watch out for Jolse's product event events! They tend to have one every couple of weeks and it is a great opportunity to try out new products and connect with everyone!

Now, I was quite interested in the toner as I have never used a chemical exfoliant on a regular basis. I have tried COSRX BHA liquid before but it was very on and off. (I believe the two brands are sister brands😄) Since it is winter time, and past experience tells me I will have a lot of flaky skin. This is the perfect product to try out and I am so glad I got picked for it.



Previously, I had packages that arrive after 3 months, well past the review posting due dates. So I was slightly concerned that I would once again miss the deadline. But luckily, this arrived within a month and gave me enough time to test it out before the review is due! Yay!!! Luck is on my side for this product!

Now, let me preface this review by stating that even though I received this free from Jolse. All opinions stated are my honest opinion on the product.

The package is very simple and minimalist. It is just white box and black lettering. I have to admit. I LOVE IT! No flashy packaging, just let the product speak for itself.

The product comes in a long, transparent plastic bottle with the same lettering as the box. It has a "ruler" on the side, which indicate the amount you should be using each day. I find that quite helpful as I can keep track of how long I have been using it and how much I need to use every day.

The bottle has a small hole for pouring out the product. I think it is an okay way of delivering the product. But my gripe with it is that you need to shake the bottle prior to usage each time. Within the first week or two, with the volume being quite close to the opening, it leads to some leakage each time. It gets annoying after awhile, because the opening is always wet and I am losing precious product. >_< But if I shake it gently, then the product doesn't get mixed properly. So I think a better delivery mechanism would be better. Like maybe a pump to control the volume instead of a ruler on the side.

Now on to the product.

It touted to contain PHA complex, milk, AHA and BHA to gently exfoliate the skin for an even and moist glow. It is a mild toner, so the assumption is that it would be gentle enough to use daily.

The full ingredients list is below:
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Lactobionic Acid, PEG-40 Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Citrate, Milk Extract (100ppm), Gluconolactone, Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Salicylic acid, Ethyl Ascorbyl Ether, Bifida Ferment Filtrate, Panthenol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance

CosDNA

The CosDNA analysis indicate that the toner does not contain anything that are acne or irritant triggers. Which means this should be good to use for most people. But because this is a chemical exfoliant, it may be too much for those who have sensitive skin.

Now, the toner looks like it is a bottle of homogeneous milk. However, it is actually a bi-phased solution. I left it sitting undisturbed for a day, and it slowly separated into an opaque white top layer ( the oil phase), and a semi-opaque water looking layer. Thus, it needs a good shake prior to each use to ensure the two layers mix properly. Hence my gripe with the opening and the lost product through the opening with each shake.

 The instruction said to moisten cotton pad and wipe on the face using gentle circular motions, then allow it to be absorbed into the skin. The ruler on the side indicate how much to use within 1 week. I found it to be semi-useful. Because I shake the bottle prior to each use, there is quite a bit of bubbles on top so it is hard to see where the actual meniscus line is. I always end up shaking out extra as it is so watery. So I am going to reiterate my earlier statement that a redesign of the product dispersion method would be better.

Oh! Important to note. Avoid your eyes and lips area as this is a chemical exfoliant, so you don't want to ingest any of it or have it come in contact with your eyes. Another important thing to remember is that you should wear sunscreen if using it during the day. As the acids will make your skin a bit more sensitive to UV rays than usual, so you don't want to get a burn.

Back to the product. Once the bi-phase solution is mixed, it looks like a cup of milk. Which lives up to the milk part of its name. Even though it looks like milk, I can see little spots of oil floating on the surface. It pours out easily, like milk but it has a very light floral scent. I was surprised by this as I was expecting a chemical or a milk scent to it. Not floral. But it is welcomed! It makes me think I am wiping on a floral toner instead of a mild chemical exfoliant.

Now for performance.

At first, I didn't think it did much exfoliating. Instead, I thought it was just like any moisturizing toner, as my skin felt quite dewy and smooth after it sunk in. That was until I got the sniffles and my nose was irritated through constant contact with the tissues. I wiped the toner on, and OMG!!!!!! IT BURNS!!!! >___<  Now, it wasn't a really harsh burn, and my skin didn't turn red and all irritated. But I can FEEL the pain.. It was this dull pain like my nose has been punched by hundreds of tiny fists and it wouldn't go away even after I put on all of my moisturizer. I learned my lesson after that.

So yes, even though it doesn't look like it. This is a chemical exfoliator and it does what it is advertised to do.

Ok, so burn aside. It does actually exfoliate my skin gently. I didn't notice the difference at first. But when I used a peeling gel after using the toner consistently for a week, it didn't ball up at all. Which is an indication that there's not flaky skin. Yay!

I also noticed a difference when I decided to lay off of it for a few days. I can feel my skin being rougher to the touch. And it was VERY prominent when I decided to put on some BB cushion and my forehead and nose was just dead skin zone. After I returned to using the toner every other day, my skin felt and looked a lot better. (I am using it every other day because I just want to be cautious and don't over exfoliate my skin. Especially after the painful burn with my nose. 😆)

Overall, I think this product is a nice introductory product to chemical exfoliants. It is very gentle and have a nice floral scent. There is no irritants in the ingredients list. However, because it is so gentle, it is easy to overdo it. So be cautious with your application each time. Follow the ruler on the side of the bottle to ensure you don't use more than the recommended daily usage. My only issue, which has been mentioned a few times now, is that the opening can be changed to something a little less messy.

Lastly, I just want to thank Jolse for picking me to try this product. I appreciate that this is my introduction to a gentle chemical exfoliator.