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The Exfoliator

Multi-Hydroxy Acid Toning Pad for Congested, Oily & Blemish-Prone Skin

$60.00
$60.00
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Dr. Colombo's Clinical Promise

"Three acids in one pad, each at a concentration that earns its place. Start a few nights a week — not every night. Everyone wants to sprint with acids and it's the fastest way to end up with a compromised barrier and worse skin than you started with."

Dr. Morgana Colombo, MD · Board-Certified Dermatologist · Reston, VA

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A daily multi-hydroxy acid toner pad designed to clarify and exfoliate combination and acne prone skin.

✦ Three acids, three jobs. Glycolic works on the surface, lactic exfoliates while holding water, and salicylic is oil-soluble — it gets into the pore where congestion actually starts. One pad covers all three.

✦ Works on the body, too. Chest, back, and shoulders get the same breakouts and almost never get treated. One pad reaches places a cream never gets applied to.

✦ Not for sensitive skin. This is built for oily, combination, and blemish-prone skin. If you flush easily or have rosacea or eczema, this isn't your product — and we'd rather say so before you buy.

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  • 2.5% Glycolic Acid

  • 2.5% Lactic Acid

  • 2% Salicylic Acid

  • 60 Pads Per Jar

Congestion isn't a cleansing problem.

If your skin is oily or blemish-prone, you've probably already tried washing more. It doesn't work, because the problem isn't on the surface — it's the dead cells and oil sitting inside the pore, where a cleanser can't reach in the twenty seconds it's on your face.

That's the case for a leave-on acid. Glycolic and lactic acid are water-soluble and work at the surface, breaking the bonds between dead cells so they release instead of accumulating. Salicylic acid is oil-soluble, which is the whole point — it travels into the sebum in the pore and clears congestion from the inside. Combining all three at modest concentrations does more than pushing any single one higher.

2.5% glycolic · 2.5% lactic · 2% salicylic · Witch hazel · Green tea (Camellia oleifera) · Allantoin · 60 pads · Ideal for oily, combination, and blemish-prone skin · Not for sensitive skin

What It Does

Refines, clarifies, and reaches the body.

  • 01

    Refines the Complexion

    The glycolic, lactic, and salicylic combination clears surface buildup, which is what's behind skin that looks flat and makeup that sits on top instead of settling in.

  • 02

    Clears Congestion

    Salicylic acid gets into the pore where blackheads and closed comedones form, rather than working only on the surface above them.

  • 03

    Tightens the Look of Pores

    Pores look larger when they're full. Keeping them clear is the most reliable way to change how they appear.

  • 04

    Works on Body Acne

    Chest, back, and shoulders respond to the same actives and almost never get treated. A pad reaches them in a way a jar of cream never quite does.

  • 05

    Cleanses & Tones

    Witch hazel and green tea extract tone as they clarify — the reason this replaces a separate toner step rather than adding to your routine.

  • 06

    No Scrubbing

    Chemical exfoliation works with the skin's own shedding process. Physical scrubs create micro-injury and make inflamed, blemish-prone skin worse.

What's on every pad.

2.5% Glycolic Acid

An alpha-hydroxy acid that exfoliates the skin surface, breaking down the bonds between dead cells to promote cell turnover.

2.5% Lactic Acid

A gentle alpha-hydroxy acid that promotes the skin's natural exfoliation process while holding water at the surface.

2% Salicylic Acid

A beta-hydroxy acid that promotes the skin's natural exfoliation process to prevent congestion and breakouts. Oil-soluble, so it works inside the pore.

Witch Hazel (Hamamelis Virginiana)

Cleanses and tones alongside the acids — part of why this pad can replace a separate toner rather than adding a step.

Green Tea Extract (Camellia Oleifera) & Allantoin

Antioxidant support and a soothing agent that buffer the acid response on skin that's being actively exfoliated.

The Exfoliator

Modest Concentrations, Chosen Deliberately

Three acids at 2.5%, 2.5%, and 2% do more together than any one of them pushed higher — and leave you with skin you can keep treating.

A few nights a week. Not every night.

01 Start Two to Three Nights a Week

The jar says daily, and some oily skin does eventually get there. Dr. Colombo's clinical recommendation is to begin at two or three non-consecutive nights and stay there for at least a month before considering more.

02 Sweep Over Clean, Dry Skin

One pad covers the face and neck. Avoid the eye area and the corners of the nose and mouth. Don't rinse — let it dry down.

03 Use the Other Side on Your Body

Chest, back, and shoulders if you break out there. Flip the pad and go over those areas after the face — one pad does both.

04 Moisturize, and Skip Your Retinol

Follow with your moisturizer once the pad has dried. Don't use it on the same night as a retinol or prescription retinoid — alternate them instead.

If your skin stings, flakes, or stays pink, drop back a night rather than stopping altogether. Irritation is a frequency problem far more often than a formula problem.

Full Ingredients

Water, SD Alcohol 40-B, Glycolic acid, Lactic acid, Hamamelis virgiana water (Witch Hazel), Cocamidopropyl dimethylamine, Arginine, Salicylic Acid, Ammonium hydroxide, Allantoin, Glycerin, Camellia oleifera extract and Disodium EDTA

CUSTOMER REVIEWS

Real Reviews. Real Results.

Everything you need to know before buying.

The jar says daily. How often should I actually use it?

Start at two or three non-consecutive nights a week and stay there for at least a month. Oily, resilient skin can build from there, and some people do end up using it daily. But frequency is the dial that causes trouble, so move it slowly.

Who is it for?

Oily-prone, combination, and blemish-prone skin — on the face and on the body. It is not suitable for sensitive skin, and it isn't the right choice if you have rosacea, eczema, or a compromised barrier right now.

Will it sting?

A brief tingle as it dries is normal. Stinging, burning, or redness that lasts means you're using it too often — drop back a night rather than stopping altogether.

Can I use it with a retinol?

Yes, but not on the same night. Alternate them. Acids work on the cells already at the surface; retinoids change cell behavior underneath. They compound well on separate nights and irritate when stacked.

Can I use it on my back and chest?

Yes. That's one of the best uses for it. Flip the pad after doing your face and go over the chest, shoulders, and as much of the back as you can reach.

Do I rinse it off?

No. Let it dry down, then follow with your moisturizer.

Can I use this if I am pregnant or nursing?

Salicylic acid in leave-on products is usually limited during pregnancy. Check with your OB before using this one.

  • The Exfoliator
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1 6

Three acids. A few nights a week.

2.5% glycolic, 2.5% lactic, and 2% salicylic in a single pad that works on the face and the places you've never treated. Built for oily, combination, and blemish-prone skin.

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