Alpyn Beauty’s Wild Huckleberry 8-Acid Polishing Peel is one of the brand’s top two-selling products. So many customers love that it blends physical exfoliants (bamboo powder and huckleberry seed paste) with chemical exfoliants like alpha- and beta-hydroxy acids to brighten and refine dull skin while providing antioxidant protection. But, according to Alpyn founder Kendra Kolb Butler, there were many customers who wanted to experience the peel in a gentler way. So she went back to the drawing board and developed a peel that’s so gentle it can be used daily. Introducing, the Alpyn Beauty Wild Huckleberry Radiance Recovery Peel ($56).
“There were people who were saying, ‘I really wanna try your peel, but I don’t want the physical or mechanical exfoliation,” says Kolb Butler. “The skin-care industry has made great strides since the St. Ive’s Apricot Scrub of the 1980s and early 1990s. And there are spherical exfoliants that do not cause tears or abrasions on the surface of the skin, but there’s still a clientele with really sensitive, rosacea-prone skin that is scared of a physical exfoliant.”
Similar to the OG peel, the star of the Radiance Recovery Peel is wild huckleberry picked from Kolb Butler’s property in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
“Huckleberry looks like a blueberry,” says Kolb Butler. “It’s smaller, but it’s such an antioxidant-packed power fruit. In studies, huckleberries have actually beat out 40 other fruits and vegetables in terms of their antioxidant content. So this is a super berry, super fruit. They have tons of iron and they are very, very rich in vitamin B and vitamin C.”
The peel also uses eight acids, including azelaic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, and more. However, the brand ditched the bamboo powder and huckleberry seed paste, both physical exfoliants that can be more irritating to super-sensitive skin. They also added hydrating Apsen bark, soothing colloidal oatmeal, and destressing chamomile.
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What it’s like using the Alpyn Beauty Wild Huckleberry Radiance Recovery Peel
I’ve used many at-home peels, some of which were so strong that when I accidentally went overboard my skin got red and started peeling a few days later. This is a mistake that I never want to make again, so I appreciate having gentle peels to fold into my routine when my skin is compromised, and was excited to try this formula.
Even though the Radiance Recovery Peel is gentle, I was expecting it to sting a bit when I applied it but it didn’t—not even a little bit. Instead, it went on feeling creamy, moisturizing, and—dare I say—soothing. To really see how gentle it was I went against the recommended time of five minutes and left it on for 20… while I was washing dishes so the hot steam could let it really sink in.
During that 20 minutes, my skin felt good. No pain, no irritation. I wiped it off with a warm cloth, applied my toner, serums, and moisturizer, and was left with soft and calm skin. I’ll absolutely be reaching for this several times a week, and if you too love gentle exfoliation (and buy the peel), so will you.
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