Rave: Ole Henriksen Glow2OH Dark Spot Toner is the best thing that happened to my skin
I don’t rave about skincare lightly. As someone who develops skincare products for a living, it’s easy for me to filter out what works and what doesn’t. I like to say that a quick ingredients check should tell us everything we need to know if something works or not! Most of the time, how good a product is isn’t determined by fancy formulations, but the quality and concentration of the ingredients used.
Such is the case with the Ole Henriksen Glow2OH Dark Spot Toner (P2,020 / 190ml and P1,080 / 65ml at Sephora.ph). I’ve been using almost everyday this since around June last year and it basically transformed my blemished skin into something that doesn’t require much concealer. Too good to be true? Let’s take a look at the ingredients list:
Aqua/Water/Eau, Glycolic Acid, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum/Fragrance, Phytic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Santalum Album (Sandalwood) Extract, Benzoic Acid, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Tocopherol, Citral, Limonene, Linalool
The most important ingredients to pay attention to are the ones that appear before the Parfum/Fragrance or the preservative used (in this case Phenoxyethanol). Most products in the market require less than 1% of these in the formulation - for preservative, think way less, like under .5%. So any ingredients that are listed after the fragrance and preservative are very low in concentration, with barely noticeable effects. They’ll probably do a little something something but they’re more of an extra than the main hitters.
This toner has a translucent milky color - always shake it before use. It has a mild sour smell, but nothing too unpleasant. It’s just the usual acid scent.
In this formulation, it’s the Glycolic Acid, Witch Hazel Water, and Lactic Acid that work to reduce blemishes, brighten skin effectively, and smooth out texture. Glycolic Acid follows right after the Water base so it’s the main acid, an Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) that exfoliates the skin nicely. The concentration is high enough that even veteran AHA users like me will feel a sting the first few times this toner is used! My very loose guess is it’s in the 5% to 10% range.
That being said, I don’t recommend this Ole Henriksen toner if you’re not used to chemical exfoliation. It’s a bit of a shock to the skin, even for me! I even use a small fan until now right after application to make sure it dries down as fast as possible. It still stings sometimes especially when I accidentally use it with another strong active or when I have an open wound on my face (typically from a popped pimple).
Unfiltered photos a year apart from before and after I used the Ole Henriksen Glow2OH Dark Spot Toner regularly
But man, is this a hard worker! It dries pimples fast and fades blemishes faster. A blemish on my face will disappear within two weeks max when I apply this everyday. DO NOT APPLY THIS EVERYDAY, by the way! It’s too intense. It’s best applied 2-3x a week. But my skin is used to it and of course, I wear sunscreen daily.
I use my fingers to pat the Glow2OH on right after my In Her Element Low pH Rose Radiant Cleanser, then I follow with the Shiseido Ultimune serum, then the Shiseido Vital Perfect moisturizer (another thing I must rave about). That’s pretty much my evening routine. I don’t apply it in the day time because it’s best not to apply anything with strong actives when the sun is out.
As you can see, I’m on my final third of the bottle already. It’s quite concentrated so I don’t need more than maybe three or four big drops, plus I don’t use a cotton pad so there’s no product wastage. I’d say a 190ml bottle will last me over a year of use! That’s really good cost per wear ha. The only time I take a break from this is when I use the Ole Henriksen Dewtopia (a much stronger acid serum which I will write about another day) or when I go to the beach.
So yes, try out the Ole Henriksen Glow2OH Dark Spot Toner if you want to fade blemishes and improve skin texture dramatically - with caution, of course! I’m due to buy a new bottle soon, that’s how much I love it. Let me know how it goes!
