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A New Love: Origins Brighter by Nature High-Potency Brightening Peel

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There are only a few things you can do when you want the results of a 30% glycolic acid peel on a student’s budget:  take out a loan; beg a dermatologist (“Can’t you see the need?!” she wailed, pointing to her solar lentigines as security dragged her away); or keep dreaming.  So imagine my excitement when I discovered Origins Brighter by Nature High-Potency Brightening Peel ($37.50, Origins.com), which reports to have the same results of a 30% glycolic acid peel over the course of 20 weeks (five months)!

The Secret: A Potent Combination of Fruit Acids

Now wait, my most-informed readers are thinking, the most potent glycolic acid peels available legally over-the-counter in the United States are 10%.  And that’s absolutely right.  How Origins gets away with delivering the potency of a 30% glycolic acid peel is two-fold:  First, the peel does not technically contain any alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) per se (i.e., no glycolic or lactic acids).  Instead, the formulation consists of a clever meld of fruit-based acids that produced in-house results similar to those of a 30% AHA peel.  Secondly, Origins Brighter by Nature High-Potency Brightening Peel slooooowly delivers the results.  Like a fine wine, the results take a while for their full effect to develop:  The product is designed to be used for two days a week over the course of twenty weeks, so there’s far less risk of irritation than getting the full monty in one sitting.

The highest concentration fruit acids in Origins Brighter by Nature High-Potency Brightening Peel are lime and grapefruit peel oil.  Lime oil has long been known to make the skin more susceptible to sun exposure, as established in this 1941 article in Archives of Dermatology.  However, before you go running for the hills, keep in mind that many high-potency skin care treatments – from AHA to retinol to in-house chemical peels – tend to make the skin more sensitive to the sun.  The reason for this is that they slough off the top layer of the skin, not only revealing fresh new skin to the surface, but also making it easier for UV rays to penetrate into deeper layers of the skin.

Grapefruit oil also does not have much empirical peer-reviewed evidence for its efficacy in skin care products.  It is widely surmised on the internet that topically-applied grapefruit oil may be useful for everything from cellulite to mild depression, but actual clinical studies outside of Origins/Estee Lauder R&D remain to be seen.  Despite this, it is likely that the product has similar efficacy to a glycolic acid peel over the course of twenty weeks simply because of its acidic pH and the duration of the treatment.

Does It Work?

According to Origins in-house studies featured in the product’s press release, 100% of panelists noted that their skin tone had improved and 94% felt their skin looked brighter after four weeks of use.  My mother bought me a Origins Brighter by Nature High-Potency Brightening Peel set in celebration of the day I came to America (I’m adopted, so it’s like our anniversary!), and I’m hooked.  The best part was that this was the only over-the-counter product I have used in the past six years that has gotten rid of my blackheads and made my pores appear smaller. As I have discussed before, most products that are designed to “shrink your pores” either use alcohol to swell up the skin surrounding the pores (making the holes appear smaller in contrast to the swollen skin cells), or use mechanical force to extract debris from your pores (ultimately tearing the holes bigger in the process).   This product contains a high concentration of alcohol, which temporarily makes pores appear smaller, but also features a high concentration of salicylic acid to actually clean out debris without substantially stretching the pores.  As a result, I’m absolutely in love with the Origins Brighter by Nature High-Potency Brightening Peel – and that newfound sheen on my nose!  (haha)

Overall Opinions

I love Origins Brighter by Nature High-Potency Brightening Peel because it’s an efficacious lightweight chemical peel that delivers results slowly, without the risk of looking like Samantha at Carrie’s book premiere party in Sex and the City.  If you’re willing to stick with it, you really do see results over time.  I’ve been using my set for about a month now, and I absolutely love it: My skin appears brighter and more even-toned, my pores seem smaller, and yes, fully sensitive and all, it has yet to experience any irritation.

My only qualm with Origins Brighter by Nature High-Potency Brightening Peel is that the company recommends using a lightweight microdermabrasion scrub, such as the Origins Modern Friction Microdermabrasion Scrub, a few minutes after.  Call me old-fashioned, but it is normally the dermatological equivalent of buying a first-class ticket down Irritation Avenue when you combine microdermabrasion with your chemical peel.  Even though Origins Brighter by Nature High-Potency Brightening Peel is far lower potency than most peels on a use-per-use basis, I still prefer to wash with a gentle cleanser, such as Love Renaissance Sukayhime Facial Cleansing Oil (available in Hawaii and online here) two to five minutes after the treatment.

With that said, this is a spectacular product, and I highly recommend it.  Just be sure that you use this product at night, and religiously apply a broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen (and preferably a wide-brimmed hat) during the day! The results are sensational, but to keep looking younger long-term, protect your freshly revealed face from the sun.  Product Rating: 9/10 (High concentration of well-established ingredients: 2/3.  Unique formulation or new technology: 3/3.  Value for the money: 3/3.  Sunscreen: N/A, 1/1).

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Nicki Zevola is the founder and editor-in-chief of FutureDerm.com. Named one of the top 30 beauty bloggers in the world by Konector.com since 2009, Nicki

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