When it comes to caring for my skin in summer, I get pretty lazy. I can strip back my routine to the bare bones of cleansing and moisturising, and my complexion doesn't seem to be the slightest bit affected. Winter, however, is a whole other story. As soon as the temperatures start to plummet, so does my skin's appearance. My lips chap, my eyes water, my skin becomes irritated, and almost every morning I wake up to find a new spot has taken up residence on my face.
Sure, it used to knock my confidence, but as I've come to expect this annual skin meltdown, I know how to better combat it. I start reintroducing acids to my regimen and have various masks on rotation. However, as my skin is suffering more this year than most—I put it down to fabric mask wearing, spending more time indoors, and generally just feeling a bit run-down—I've begun looking for new products to improve my skin. And as it so often happens, I feel as if I'm being followed on social media by one specific product.
Cue Summer Fridays' Soft Reset AHA Exfoliating Solution, the latest buzzy skincare product everyone is raving about on my feed. I first started to take notice of Summer Fridays' skincare range when I was given a tube of its cult Jet Lag Mask (£23) to try by a colleague. It'd been hyped all over Instagram, which tends to make me skeptical. I've been lulled into buying products touted as "game-changing," only to end up disappointed and out of pocket more times than I can count (yes, it happens to editors, too), so I always take rave reviews with a pinch of salt. However, I can confirm that I was impressed with how hydrated, plumped, and glowy the mask made my skin look after just a few uses. Since then, I've also tried (and loved) the Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm (£20), and I'm hoping the Soft Reset AHA Exfoliating Solution is going to live up to my experiences of the brand so far.
I'm keen to try it because so many people have said it has done wonders for their dull winter skin. Right now, my skin is so lacklustre, but everyone who appears to be using the Soft Reset AHA Exfoliating Solution has the radiant skin I so crave and haven't had since the start of September.
Described as a powerful three-in-one overnight treatment, the Soft Reset AHA Exfoliating Solution promises to brighten the skin and reduce the appearance of pores (another one of my current skincare concerns). Recommended for nighttime use, a sweep of the concentrated solution of 16% AHAs (alpha-hydroxy acids, a class of chemical exfoliants which have increased exfoliating properties) on a cotton bud across your face is all it takes to lift dead skin and refine the skin's texture. Meaning, you should wake up to a softer, smoother fresh-faced glow. Yep, this product may as well be directly marketed at me.
Still, the solution isn't cheap. The formula only comes in one size and costs £49. Admittedly, this isn't the most expensive beauty product in my rotation, but make no mistake, this is a considerable amount of money. And there’s one thing I’m not: a gambler. So I reached out to someone I trust to give me an honest appraisal of Summer Fridays' Soft Reset AHA Exfoliating Solution.
Shannon Lawlor is a fellow Who Wear Wear contributing editor, beauty expert, and firm fan of Summer Fridays' skincare. Naturally, she's already put the solution to the test, and she had some pretty interesting things to say about it.
"Having used other Summer Fridays products in the past (and present), in my opinion, they're high performing and live up to the hype. I tried the Soft Reset Solution a few times, but I have really sensitive skin, which it just wasn't suited to in my opinion. That said, I basically struggle with every AHA solution I've used, so it didn't come as a surprise, but I just had to try it given my past successes with Summer Fridays. I did, however, pass it on to a friend who is loving it. She hasn't experienced any problems with it whatsoever, and it has her waking up glowing and has massively helped her blackheads."
What I can take away from Shannon's experience is that skincare is, and always will be, subjective. You can pretty much guarantee that what works for one person is not going to work for another. And, of course, vice versa. Knowing what my skin can withstand and how it has held up with other AHA products in the past, I have to say I'm still very tempted to try it—especially as her friend has reported glowy results with minimised pores to boot.
I only wish it came in a handy travel size so I could give it a whirl without having to fully invest. Shannon has the right idea though. If you do invest in beauty that doesn't work for you, never throw it away. Instead, pass it on to someone you know who might benefit from it.
SOLD ON SUMMER FRIDAYS' SOFT RESET AHA EXFOLIATING SOLUTION? SHOP IT:
OTHER BRILLIANT AHA PRODUCTS FOR EVERY BUDGET:
Opening Image: @aysha.sow
Next Up: These French Women Just Told Me the Beauty Products They Swear By
