SUNDAY RILEY PEACE KEEPER ACNE TREATMENT SERUM

Rating : 2/5

Price : $85

Size : 1 oz

Where to Buy : sundayriley.com, Macy's, Ulta, Sephora

Cruelty Free : Yes

After working at both Sephora and Ulta, I had seen Sunday Riley on the shelves. But, I rarely saw anyone ever purchase the brand. It looked and felt very high quality. But it seemed to get lost in the flurry of new and exciting launches from other mainstream brands. Within the last year, they have launched several new products (which it was several years before they had created anything new). One new launch from them was their new acne treatment line which 4 key products heal the skin with holistic ingredients such as salicylic acid, azaleic acid, and probiotics. When we received this product in our training product bag, I was curious to learn about a brand that I hadn't previously tried or played with. This luxe serum comes in a gorgeous purple glass bottle (which is probably part of why it's so expensive). The product itself is 2% salicylic acid and 8% azaleic acid to clear up skin and protect its barrier. Salicylic acid is a BHA (beta hydroxy acid) that clears and prevents acne causing bacteria from reappearing. Azaleic acid is an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) that reduces the appearance of dark spots, smooths texture, and evens tone. If you struggle with any type of acne, these two ingredients are game changers for the skin. Most major skincare brands will have some sort of acne treatment which usually includes salicylic acid. However, I never see acne serums at this price point unless it is medical grade. Sunday Riley is a more expensive brand, but definitely not the most expensive one at Sephora, so I have trouble understanding why they priced this product so high. Obviously the glass package has a little to do with it, but there's not really many other "luxe" ingredients that can justify the $85 price tag... Now, I will say this stuff works. But, it has a horrendous odor that doesn't disappear until you put a moisturizer on top of it. It almost smells like mildew... I'm unsure what causes that smell but it certainly isn't pleasant. Like other products that have salicylic acid in them, there is a slight tingling sensation. That is the acid penetrating the skins barrier and combating the acne. So you instantly feel the serum going to work. I also noticed a significant reduction in redness of the skin too which was nice. But, I just can't recommend this at such a high price. Instead, I would suggest The Ordinary's Salicylic Acid 2% serum. It has the same percent of salicylic acid, does the exact same thing, but is a mere $6.70 vs. $85 (and you get the same size bottle). In this case, I would save your money!