T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial is an exfoliating mask whose mission is to improve skin's texture and radiance while minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Thanks to a formula that contains 25% AHAs (led by glycolic acid) and 2% BHA (salicylic acid), we're happy to report all those benefits are possible, and quickly, too. The only concern is that the combined AHA potency is intense and can be too strong for some, especially those with sensitive skin. However, the manner in which this product is used should make a difference in terms of whether the high concentration of AHA will be an issue or not. As with any such active product, pay attention to how your skin responds.
Per Drunk Elephant's instructions, you're advised to use T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial once a week, leaving it on skin for 20 minutes before rinsing off. While we usually advocate for leaving an AHA or BHA exfoliant on skin longer, at this strength and the formula’s pH, 20 minutes should be long enough for exfoliation to happen. After rinsing, you should see improved skin texture and tone along with enhanced softness.
If you're new to using an AHA exfoliant or haven’t tried one that contains this much AHA, stick to the once per week usage recommendation. The brand mentions that slight tingling may occur within the first couple minutes—if that's the case and if the tingling persists, we recommend rinsing before the 20 minutes are up. AHAs don’t have to tingle to work but it can happen, the likelihood increasing in tandem with the concentration of AHAs. To their credit, Drunk Elephant took steps to minimize this possibility by including soothing plant ingredients such as green tea, milk thistle, and a form of anti-irritant licorice.
As for the rest of the fragrance-free formula, it contains several antioxidant-rich plant extracts, as well as replenishing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and restorative niacinamide, which help boost T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial's anti-aging power. However, those ingredients aren't quite as useful as they would be in a product that is left on skin instead of rinsed, but it’s still nice to see them included.
Along with the aforementioned soothing agents, the 2% BHA deserves special mention because it unleashes additional anti-inflammatory benefit along with helping to unclog pores and eliminate blackheads (although the latter concern needs more than once-per-week attention to remain in the clear).
You may notice that Babyfacial contains finely milled green tea and chickpea powder. The particles are dispersed so intermittently that you may not even detect them, but either way, they're completely gentle—neither a help nor a hindrance.
The bottom line: T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial delivers on its promises of smoothing all skin types, and although it might seem pricey, it costs less than a professional in-office peel and comes pretty close to delivering the same results. If you have extra-sensitive skin, you might want to check out the options on our list of Best Exfoliants or consider leaving Babyfacial on skin for 5 to 10 minutes and seeing how your skin responds.
PROS:- High-strength glycolic acid (AHA) successfully improve skin's texture and radiance.
- BHA adds pore-unclogging benefit.
- Antioxidant-rich plant extracts, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide boost the anti-aging power.
- Contains plant-derived soothing agents to enhance tolerability of the high amount of AHA.
- Fragrance-free formula.
CONS:- This potency of AHA can be sensitizing for some (prolonged stinging or tingling are a sign of this).