Review: Etude House Magic Bubble O2 Water Peeling Pack

Hi. I've been stalling around to review this exfoliant, but because I am running out of the product, I guess it's time to put on the review for Etude House's Magic Bubble O2 Water Peeling Pack. Not finding a way to check the pH is not an excuse, but still, we must go on!

Availability and Price: I bought this months ago, so I could only estimate the price to be around 700 php. It may seem expensive for the frugal, but it is cheaper when compared to other AHAs. Unless you're quite knowledgeable with the cheaper AHAs, this gentle exfoliant is fairly priced. There are a lot of Etude House branches all over Metro Manila, so availability is never an issue.

Packaging: It comes with a pump which is quite nice because it is not messy - product comes out only in the nozzle, as intended. Though the compact bottle itself has no ingredient list on it, it has a complete, step by step "How to use" in English. Etude Philippines thankfully placed a sticker over the bottle's plastic wrap, which contained the ingredient list.

Ignore chubby fingers on the background. Ingredients are up
on COSDNA, by the way.

Texture and Scent: The fluid is clear and gel-like, flow-able enough to apply easily, but not too runny that the product may drip from your face. Even with a generous amount, the product does not slide down the face, which is essential unless you want to exfoliate your eyes as well. The scent is reminiscent of cute stationary from my childhood days, so I was okay with it. It goes away in minutes, too.

Ingredients: This peel is an AHA peel intended for bi-weekly or weekly use, as seen in its actives (lactic acid, glycolic acid, malic acid, citric acid, tataric acid). AHAs are more gentle as compared to BHAs of the same concentration, and AHAs have no restrictions, even for pregnant women.

If you look at the COSDNA entry I made, a couple of ingredients stand out: Cocamide DEA and SLES. Cocamide DEA is listed as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), although the US FDA believes there is no reason to fear this chemical yet as long as the product is properly formulated. Regarding SLES, it may cause allergies to some, but it is also nothing to be scared of as long as you're not one of those who are afraid of chemical because they are "unreadable".

This lady is in a whole other level of anti-science. 
Image from fark.com

Effect: Immediately after using O2 Water Peeling Pack, my skin feels a lot smoother and the whiteheads that were poking through were visibly lessened. Because I was unable to test the pH, I cannot say for sure that the AHAs worked, but the immediate effects speak for the the peel. And I like it.  

Rating: Etude's Magic Bubble O2 Water Peeling pack is gentle on the skin, yet it works. Its immediate effects are laudable, which somehow justifies the price. It does have a questionable ingredient though, but only a properly written and reviewed study will scare me away from this fantastic exfoliator.

Ingredient: 3/5
Value for money: 4/5
Performance: 5/5
Overall: 4/5