K-beauty fans have probably heard of NEOGEN, a brand famous for being cruelty-free. NEOGEN recently launched an upgraded series of products including new versions of its peeling pads, cleansing sticks, cleansing foams and toners enriched with real flowers. I chose to try all three products in NEOGEN’s Dermalogy Bio-Peel Gentle Gauze Peeling series. It was my first time using a peeling pad and I’m glad I tried it!
The Bio-Peel is available in Wine, Green Tea and Lemon
A point to note when you purchase NEOGEN products from YesStyle is that there is no difference between US/EU edition products and Korea edition products. They are exactly the same but distributed differently due to brand restrictions.
These photos show the evolution of NEOGEN’s peeling pads:
2012: NEOGEN launched Korea’s first peeling pad.
2015: The pads were upgraded to 3 layers and pre-soaked in essence.
2017: The essence was upgraded with the patented PHA formula.
The latest 2017 version is marked by the words “GENTLE GAUZE PEELING” instead of 2015’s “GAUZE PEELING.” It boasts of NEOGEN’s patented 3-layered design for the pads and a PHA (polyhydroxy acids) formula to prevent irritation while exfoliating skin physically and chemically. The essence also serves as a toner that needs no rinsing.
1st Layer: 100% pure cotton gauze pad
Lattice weave designed with a structure similar to human skin to remove dirt and dead skin cells without irritation.
2nd Layer: Cushion pad
Soaks up essence and serves as a buffer when force is applied to prevent gauze from hurting skin.
3rd Layer: Embossed pad
Supplies skin with essence and mops up remaining dead skin cells.
The pads are available in Lemon, Green Tea and Wine versions although they all smell the same. Natural essential oils are used instead of artificial fragrances to make the essence suitable for even sensitive skin like mine. Here are the main ingredients and functions of the 3 different versions:
Lemon: Contains lemon water, extracts from lemon, orange and lemongrass plus lactic acid to brighten and smooth skin.
Green Tea: Contains extracts from green tea, Centella, mugwort, aloe and Houttuynia cordata to refresh and soothe skin.
Wine: Contains Resveratrol derived from red wine, blueberry and raspberry extracts plus lactic acid to reduce wrinkles and firm skin.
I used each version every three to four days for over one month, and I’ve concluded that there isn’t much difference among the three. Still, I lean towards the Lemon and Green Tea versions for sentimental reasons (I believe they’re more refreshing.).
The expiry date is at the bottom. There is just enough essence to soak all 30 pieces.
The jar is sealed off with a plastic film
Each clear plastic jar contains 30 gauze pads soaked in essence. The jar is sealed with a plastic film beneath the screw cap and wrapped in clear plastic film. There is no paper packaging or included tweezers. The whole thing looks gigantic but the pads are a manageable size.
When I first opened the jar and removed the pad, I found that it smelled like Lemon Coke – a scent that I absolutely love. To use the pad, I gently slip my second to fourth fingers into the sleeve and massage my freshly cleansed face with the gauze side, starting from the chin and moving towards the forehead.
I used to spend one full minute exfoliating, using 10 seconds each for the nose, chin and each cheek, and 20 seconds for the forehead (based on the one-minute cleansing rule from Clarisonic.) But after a few safe trials, I stopped counting time and decided to exfoliate for 2 to 3 minutes – it’s just so soothing and satisfying! There are no visible signs of dirt or dead skin cells on the used pads but I could definitely feel my skin becoming softer and smoother afterwards. I also use it to exfoliate my lips and it’s excellent!
The pad is a manageable size fit for 2-3 fingers.
Use the gauze side first
Followed by the quilted side
After exfoliating, I pat my face using the quilted side. The essence doesn’t feel sticky at all and dissipates quite quickly due to the presence of alcohol. There’s a slight cooling sensation on my skin that feels instantly refreshing. It leaves my skin silky smooth, clean and oil-free without feeling tight or dry. I usually finish with a serum and a moisturizer.
I began my trial in early November, when Hong Kong was still rather warm (around 22 degrees Celsius) and humid (around 76% relative humidity.) Problems arose when the temps dropped to 14 degrees Celsius and relative humidity to 50% in December. While still exfoliating twice a week, I realized my skin became more sensitive and zits began to pop up. I blame this on the change in weather that requires me to exfoliate less. Still, I’ve fallen in love with NEOGEN’s Bio-Peel and I trust that it will be especially useful come summer or before I apply makeup.
As a bonus, let me share NEOGEN’s informational videos on the Bio-Peels here. They’re actually pretty comprehensive:
How to use:
Differences between the Lemon, Green Tea and Wine versions:
Differences between the 2017 and 2015 versions:
Effect on makeup: