[ENG] iUNIK Lime Moisture Mild Peeling Gel – KBeauty Review

The iUNIK Lime Moisture Mild Peeling Gel is a Korean aqua peeling with natural AHAs derived from 5 fruit extracts. Find out if this peeling gel is worth a second look in today’s English K-Beauty review!

I must admit that I am always a bit on the fence when it comes to Korean aqua peeling gels – they seem a bit, well, “gimmicky” to me, and I am never really sure if they have any effect on my skin besides a very surface-level cleansing. Being the curious person that I am, however, I couldn’t resist signing up to review the iUNIK Lime Moisture Mild Peeling Gel.° I hadn’t heard much about iUNIK before, and a quick browse on their website intrigued me quite a bit: reasonably-priced serums, toners and cleansing products with mostly nature-derived ingredients, not too shabby!

The iUNIK Lime Moisture Mild Peeling Gel is meant to cleanse, moisturise and remove dead skin cells, leading to a brighter complexion and less visible pores. Well, let’s put these claims to the test!

iUNIK Lime Moisture Mild Peeling Gel – the Basics

Aasian aqua peeling gels have been around for a while, and I was quite surprised when they had a bit of a renaissance last year, with many women’s magazines touting them “the skincare trend for 2016.” Apparently, Korean skincare brands sort of re-discovered and re-formulated what was originally a Japanese invention, with the Cure Natural Aqua Gel (my German review here) probably being the most widely known version out there.

I must admit that even after reading a couple of blog posts about these clear peeling gels I still don’t 100% understand how exactly they work. Basically, the idea is that once the gel is massaged into the skin it draws out any impurities and dead skin cells, creating tiny white or greyish balls the more you massage. These little balls supposedly are the “dirty old skin cells” that can now be washed off, and there is definitely something supremely satisfying about seeing them ball up on your skin’s surface. However, the general consent among the more sciencey bloggers out there seems to be that the white balls are mostly a gimmick, even though no one can fully explain how exactly they form. Because, the thing is – if you rub those aqua peeling gels onto surfaces other than actual skin they won’t ball up, they just stay the same clear gel.

So…they certainly do something to our skin, and indeed whenever I’ve used my Cure Natural Aqua Gel* I’ve noticed my skin feeling much cleaner and more refined. I think Michel from Labmuffin has written the best science-based review of those aqua gels – she suspects that the peeling gels mostly react with the oils on our skin, but that there is definitely also some form of peeling/cleansing happening.

Alright, back to the iUNIK Lime Moisture Mild Peeling Gel. Ingredients-wise, I quite like that it uses natural extracts, though I know that some of you aren’t friends of too much citrus in your skincare. Personally, I don’t mind citrus too much, and I love anything lime-scented.

Here is the full list of ingredients for the iUNIK Lime Moisture Mild Peeling Gel:

“Water, Glycerin, Steartrimonium Methosulfate, Acrylates/C10-30 AlkylAcrylate Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Allantoin, Hydrolized Collagen, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Chamomila Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Lavendula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Asphalatus Linearis Extract.”

A whole bunch of skin-friendly plant extract make up the bulk of the ingredients list, and especially centella asiatica (an acne-fighting Asian herb), licorice root extract (skin-brightening and oil-regulating goodness!) and green tea extract are making me and my skin very happy. The 5 fruit extracts said to be the AHA powerhouses in this formulation are: Lime, Grape, Orange, Apple and Lemon.

Now, the lavender oil might be problematic for some of you, and there are people who claim that it can cause skin irritations and photosensitivity, so be mindful of that. Personally, I kind of doubt that the concentration is very high, and essential oils overall don’t bother me too much. All in all, the ingredient list seems to suggest that this product would be most suitable for oily, combination and acne-prone skin types.

iUNIK Lime Moisture Mild Peeling Gel – How to and Results

The iUNIK Lime Moisture Mild Peeling Gel is a classic aqua gel type peeling. It is a transparent gel with an almost jello-like texture that feels less runny and more compact than the Cure Natural Aqua Gel. There is also a pretty strong but – at least to my nose – nicely refreshing and natural lime scent present.

As with all aqua peeling gels, you use the iUNIK Lime Moisture Mild Peeling Gel on freshly cleansed, dry skin. Make sure that you have really towelled off all moisture from your face, or else the gel won’t work properly.

I use about one teaspoon of product and spread the gel all over my face. Once it gets in contact with skin, the gel starts building these whitish-grey “balls.” You can aid the peeling process by massaging the face with your fingertips in small, circular motions. Be gentle though – you don’t need to massage rigorously to produce a satisfying and thorough peeling effect, and it could damage your skin on a microlevel if you tug and rub with too much vigour.

After maybe half a minute or so you can rinse off the gel and those slightly gross bits that have formed. They are  sticky, so washing them off can sometimes be a bit of a pain, but this seems to be the case with all aqua peeling gels.

The results, however, are worth the annoyance: I was really impressed by how soft my skin felt, how clear and bright it looked! In fact, I feel that the effect was far more intense than with my previously much-beloved Cure Natural Aqua Gel. I feel that the iUNIK Lime Moisture Mild Peeling Gel packs more of a punch when it comes to cleaning out pores and fighting dullness.

This intense cleansing power does come with a price though: my skin definitely feels a bit dry after using the Lime Peeling Gel, and I need some extra moisture to combat this stripping effect. Usually, AHA shouldn’t be stripping to the skin, but I suspect all those citrus and herbal extracts might be a tad drying. Thus, I would advise people with very dry skin to best stay away from this peeling.

iUNIK Lime Moisture Mild Peeling Gel – the Bottom Line

Well, the bottom line is quite simple: I really like this product, a lot! I’ve used it a couple of times now, and it has managed to win my heart as a highly effective peeling. My face just feels so smooth and soft after I use this, and I think it also helps diminish the appearance of my enlarged pores.

If you have very sensitive skin or dry skin, this may not be the product for you, since the promised moisturising effect didn’t really occur, and the ingredients seem to be slightly drying. For my combination skin, this wasn’t much of a problem, however, and I didn’t see any long-lasting negative effects on hydration levels. On the contrary, this gel is a lovely and positive addition to my weekly exfoliation routine!

The best thing about the iUNIK Lime Moisture Mild Peeling Gel? It’s pretty reasonably priced compared to other aqua peeling gels: The 120g tub costs 10,99$. Since you only need a small amount for each use, this tub should last a while, so this is a very decent price point.

Interested in trying out the iUNIK Lime Moisture Mild Peeling Gel for yourself? You can order it online at Yesstyle,* which ships worldwide. And while you’re there, do also check out their pretty darn awesome Rose Galactomyces Synergy Serum* and the Propolis Vitamin Synergy Serum,* which I both tried out in a small sample size and absolutely adored!

So, have you ever tried an aqua peeling gel? Do you think these are gimmicky or really effective?

Take care guys!
Sugarpeaches

°PR Sample, kindly provided by iUNIK
*Affiliate Links