Have you ever used a product that you don’t feel anything has changed, but suddenly one day people have been complimenting how good your skin looks? That’s how I feel about the Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner.

I first got to know about Some By Mi through social media and simply thought some of you might like this toner, because I know many of you love the Mediheal Tea Tree Mask, so I got it. I’m not a huge user of acids due to my sensitive skin and I don’t find acids effective for treating my hormonal acne. The same goes for Tea Tree. I’ve never had any good results with Tea Tree oil. But it was surprisingly gentle, to a point where I don’t remember I’m using an acid. I used it for a month without much thinking.

Recently, I’ve been getting multiple compliments about how good my skin looks. And I started to notice the difference myself. My skin is a lot smoother, brighter and radiant. The glow on the skin is incredible.

On the other hand, the thing that I’m most afraid of – the thinning of the skin on my cheeks didn’t happen with the use of this toner, which is a great relief.

Packaging

Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner comes in a dark green plastic bottle with screw top. It’s pretty basic and practical. It’s a good size that I would take around for travels.

Ingredients

Water, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract (10,000 ppm), Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta (Lentil) Seed Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Swiftlet Nest Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Fructan, Allantoin, Adenosine, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Xylitol, Salicylic Acid, Lactobionic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Benzyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Raspberry Ketone, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil

Most of this toner is Water. Niacinamide is 5th on the list and comprised only 2% of the total content.

The other three top on the list are Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol and Glycerin, which are common solvents, humectants and helps with penetration of other ingredients.

I elaborated in my 50 shades of a Toner post about whether water-based toners are inferior. To be honest, I don’t think so. Not all ingredients are meant to be used at 100%, that’s where formulation will differentiate the good from the ok.

Tea Tree Leaf Extract comes next at 10,000ppm or 1%. The use of Tea Tree Leaf Extract rather than Tea Tree Oil is another reason that this toner has performed better than other Tea Tree labelled products.

Salicylic Acid (BHA), Lactobionic Acid (PHA) and Citric Acid (AHA) are all very low on the list. This explains why this toner works so well for my sensitive skin.

Colour

Clear.

Scent

Slight peppermint.

Texture

Same as water.

Application

I apply this toner with the Pyunkang Yul 1/3 cotton pad. Using a cotton pad is because I didn’t want to slap too much acid on my face. The cotton pad allows me to smear a thin layer of the toner all across my face without worrying about applying too much product.

I always follow with 2~3 other hydrating toners to pump up the hydration level of my skin and make sure I’m not stripping my lipid barrier.

I use the toner morning and night, except when I’m using a sheet mask.

Results

The exfoliating action of the acids was noticeable. My skin feels smooth and soft. However, it’s not to the point where my skin feels over-exfoliated. Over-exfoliation is my biggest fear. The skin on my cheeks is already very thin so the last thing I want is to make it thinner.

My skin feels brighter. This toner only contains 2% Niacinamide, so I didn’t expect much brightening effects at all. But it has done a much better job than other toners which contained 5% Niacinamide, which reinforced that more is not always better.

As a result, my skin is glowing, it’s the by-product of the exfoliation and brightening effects.

So is this toner perfect?

No. It’s not hydrating enough and it doesn’t stop my hormonal acne. That’s why I layer on my hydrating toners. For acne, nothing beats the Nacific Fresh Herb Origin Toner.

Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner – Results

Price

Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner retails for 32,000 Won (~$40 AUD) for 150ml of product. I feel it’s a bit more expensive than what it’s worth. But it’s quite a special product that I can’t think of a cheaper alternative.

Verdict

Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner is an effective toner that would give you a brighter and more radiant complexion. The gentle formulation with low concentration of acids is the king. I would recommend this toner to people with dull, clogged or rough skins. People with enlarged pores and excessive sebum production will really benefit from this.