HI-REVIEW: Some By MI AHA 10% Amino Peeling Ampoule

Hi Beauties!

Have you ever tried a chemical exfoliant before? If you’ve ever tried the COSRX Toner Pads, or the super popular Some By MI Miracle Toner you definitely would have! But today’s product, the Some by MI AHA 10% Amino Peeling Ampoule is a more concentrated chemical exfoliant compared to the gentle and low-concentration active ingredients we typically see in K-Beauty. 

Price: $38 (NOW: $32) 

Quantity: 35g

How to Use: Some by MI recommends using this product 1-3 times a week depending on the type of skin you have! Over-applying can damage your skin barrier and cause irritation. 

If you have particularly sensitive and irritated skin, it is suggested to simply mix the ampoule to your other serums or creams to use. For those with acne-prone and/or combination skin like myself, applying this product in oily or acne-riddled areas such as the T-zone can be effective in smoothing the skin out! Avoid applying in your lip and eye areas as the skin around these areas are thinner than others 😊

I would also recommend using this only in your NIGHT skincare routine. AHA and other chemical exfoliants can cause your skin to be more sensitive to the sun, and could create more irritation.

Water, Centella Asiatica Extract, Mandelic Acid(10 %), Butylene Glycol, Potassium Hydroxide, Methylpropanediol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Salicylic Acid, Gluconolactone, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Glycine(2,500 ppm), Serine(1,300 ppm), Glutamic Acid(1,300 ppm), Aspartic Acid(800 ppm), Leucine(800 ppm), Alanine(400 ppm), Lysine(400 ppm), Arginine(400 ppm), Tyrosine(300 ppm), Phenylalanine(300 ppm), Threonine(300 ppm), Proline(300 ppm), Valine(300 ppm), Isoleucine(200 ppm), Histidine(200 ppm), Methionine(100 ppm), Cysteine(100 ppm), Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Water, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Madecassoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Panthenol, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Adenosine, Sodium Citrate, C12-13 Pareth-9, Xanthan Gum, Hydrolyzed Sclerotium Gum, Benzyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Raspberry Ketone, Disodium EDTA, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil.

Some By MI claims this product uses an optimal proportion of AHA, BHA, PHA, and LHA to smoothen out your skin while treating a multitude of problems. While exfoliating, it claims to be able to replenish and rejuvenate the skin with ingredients such as sodium hyaluronate, ceramides and panthenol. 

For those fairly new to skincare, I’ll give a short rundown of all the chemical exfoliants that are found in this product! 

• AHA - Used to help promote exfoliation by removing top layers of dead skin cells which in turn improve textural issues, fine lines, and wrinkles. It also provides brightening and firming of the skin
• BHA - Targets deeper layers of the skin for pore care, sebum production, and acne. It is able to unclog pores and reduce oil production in the skin overtime. 
• LHA & PHA - Both of these are large molecules, able to exfoliate the skin gently and treat acne issues. They do not penetrate the skin as strongly compared to AHA or BHA, thus beneficial for those with sensitive skin.  

Although chemical exfoliation can sound daunting and irritating, the ingredients of this product are catered towards more gentle exfoliation. For example, the main exfoliant in this product is mandelic acid (10%), which is an AHA that is much more gentle compared to other AHAs. As well as the addition of LHA and PHA to the exfoliation mix! It also contains salicylic acid which is a BHA found in many other skincare products that cater to acne-prone skin.

It also contains various different ingredients such as niacinamide, which is an ingredient I personally love that is used for brightening hyperpigmentation and reducing acne. Alongside that, there are small amounts of amino acids found which according to Some by MI, maintain the skin’s inner moisture. 

Personal Opinion

Over the few weeks using this product, I noticed my skin is a lot less clogged and more smooth and soft in the mornings. It was so smooth it would sometimes feel like I had already applied my morning skincare routine already! This was especially obvious when I made sure to add a thick layer of moisturizer and healing ointment the night before, which made sure that my skin wouldn’t dry out too much from the exfoliant. I would highly recommend this for those who are looking for a product to help improve dullness and rough skin! 

I also noticed that for me personally, my skin was much less oily in my T-zone by the end of a long day at work. This was a gradual shift in my skin that I only noticed more recently after using the product for a bit more! So I would definitely push those with more oily skin who are looking for an exfoliating product to give this a go. 

On the not-so-amazing side of things, I wouldn’t say this drastically improved the appearance of acne or blackheads on my skin. My hormonal acne couldn’t really be controlled by the BHA in this product 🥲 I also experienced some mild irritation at the beginning of testing this product. But honestly, it wasn’t too bad, it was only a tiny patch of dry skin near my under-eye that fixed itself up after a few days. However, in saying that, my skin has gone through quite a few different strengths and types of chemical exfoliants so I would caution those with sensitive skin.

My recommendation for those who are brand new to exfoliants or simply have sensitive skin, to mix a few drops of this into your creams instead of applying directly to the skin. But for those with oily-skin or anyone who has been feeling that their skin needs a bit more TLC, this would be a great product to try out! 

Thanks for reading ❤️

Happy Shopping!