My HG exfoliating cream: The Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment

On my 32nd birthday last February, I bought myself two of my absolute favorite products from Sephora PH: the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray and the Sunday Riley Good Genes. I try a ton of products because of my job, but these two are on top of my list for reliability in terms of efficacy. They just work. All the time. They’re expensive but they’re truly worth every cent.

Today I’ll be talking about the Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment (P5,095 /30ml at Sephora.ph). I first tried this in 2018 as part of a bundle with the Sunday Riley Luna oil; it was 85 USD at the Sephora in New York and I thought the price wasn’t too bad for 15ml of each product. I loved the face oil that I finished it to the last drop, but I balked at the P3,375 for 15ml or P6,215 at 35ml price tag. It’s good - but not P3,000+ for 15ml good, at least for me. There are other moisturizers that can deliver a similar effect.

My skin felt the loss of Good Genes though. It’s a light cream with lactic acid to exfoliate skin and de-clog pores. It’s an exceptionally gentle exfoliant that doesn’t sting, yet it’s highly effective in brightening skin and smoothing out any textural or pigment issues. IT IS SO GOOD. My skin looks super clear and even with this in my routine. I held off for as long as I can before I bought a new bottle, but on my birthday I thought it was a worthy gift. That’s how much I love it!

I use this about one or twice a week at night to exfoliate, before my moisturizer or sometimes by itself. I rotate it with the In Her Element Glow Job or Petal Skin Rose Clay Mask (both amazing exfoliators as well)! Sunday Riley recommends it as an overnight treatment but if you have sensitive skin, you can also use it as a 15-minute mask and then wash it off. Of course, if you’re using any sort of chemical exfoliant, you must use sunscreen every day to protect your skin from sun damage.

Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment Ingredients:

Botanical Blend [ Aqua, Opuntia Tuna Fruit Extract, Cypripedium Pubescens Extract, Opuntia Vulgaris Leaf Extract, Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae (Yeast) Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate], Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Lactic Acid, PPG-12 / SMDI Copolymer, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Disiloxane, Ceteareth-20, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass) Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Phytate.

So I guess there’s a relevant question here - why is this so expensive? The formulation isn’t that complex or all that expensive at first glance. However if the first in the ingredients list “Botanical Blend” is to be believed, then the base consists of pure liquid/gel plant extracts. Notice there’s no water listed. The way “Botanical Blend” is written out in the list means that it’s a pre-made raw material. It already even has the preservative in it, which makes me think that’s already one entire product, plus lactic acid and texture modifiers! This is just based on what I know about formulation. I think it’s cool.

So yes, try to get a sample of the Sunday Riley Good Genes when you can on your next Sephora purchase. They have a small sachet sample on the website every so often. Actually whenever you see a Sunday Riley sample as part of your free sample set, you should just get it. They have really good stuff! They’re expensive but if your skin really likes it they are worth it IMHO.

The good news is that Sephora.ph is coming back tomorrow (July 23) after four months of taking a break. ^_^ Enjoy browsing and carting!