Design by Leah Romero; Photo Courtesy of Innisfree
These Brightening Toner Pads Cleared My Dark Spots
A testament to what efficacy and consistency can do.
By Marilyn La Jeunesse
Want to know if a product really works? Welcome to Slow Beauty. Since it can take up to six weeks to see results from using a new formula, we have testers try the best and buzziest in hair and skin care for double that amount of time to determine what actually makes a difference.
I’m in my early 30s, but my skin still feels stuck in my teenage years. I often deal with bouts of acne, the kind of breakouts that leave my skin looking blotchy and uneven, due to the dark spots left behind. The fight for clearer, brighter skin is something I’ve struggled with my whole life, but now that I’m older, I recognize the importance of investing in my skin care journey. I want to find products that will help keep my skin looking healthy and youthful, without breaking the bank. Lately, I’ve been hearing a ton of good things about K-beauty from my beauty writer friends, and I’ve seen the popular Korean brand Innisfree all over TikTok. So I knew it was time to finally put one of their products to the test.
Since I’m particularly focused on evening out the appearance of my skin, the brand’s recently launched Green Tea Enzyme Vitamin C Brightening Toner Pads seemed like the perfect place to start. Formulated with green tea, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and niacinamide, this product is meant to help brighten dark spots and exfoliate the skin. Usually, I don’t opt for single-use products—it’s recommended to use the pads twice daily for optimal results—but they’re biodegradable and gentle enough to be left on your skin for several minutes, which is a win-win in my book. But could these toner pads actually help smooth out my textured, scarred complexion? After 12 weeks of testing, here are my thoughts.
COURTESY OF INNISFREE
Confession: I’m a bit of a picker. At the tail end of a hormonal breakout, I took a moment to assess the leftover hyperpigmentation from the zits I picked and knew these pads had their work cut out for them. I appreciate the thoughtful inclusion of a tiny pair of tweezers inside the cap of the toner pads, and I love that they don’t have a fragrance or a strong chemical smell. While the product doesn’t leave me feeling oily or greasy after using it, I’m not 100-percent sure I love the tight texture it leaves behind on my skin. It might just take a little getting used to.
Making this a twice-a-day habit has become easier now that I’m starting to see the results. I’ve since developed a system that seems to work: At the onset of a breakout, I apply the toner pads as a pretreatment instead of waiting for the zit to disappear to target the discoloration. Usually, after a breakout, I have hyperpigmentation for weeks, but most of my dark spots have already begun to fade.
I recently started a new medication that’s bringing my cystic acne back, hence the very splotchy red marks on my right cheek. However, these wipes are the one thing stopping me from picking at my face. I know I’ve been working hard to reduce my hyperpigmentation, and seeing the first signs of results has motivated me not to pick as much.
By now, it’s safe to say that using these toner pads twice a day has been paying off. Not only has the hyperpigmentation on my cheek faded after only a few days, but my friend told me my skin was glowing—a compliment I don’t think I’ve ever gotten in my life.
COURTESY OF INNISFREE
Week after week, I’m seeing great results using these pads. I don’t always have time to leave them on for 20 minutes, so it’s great to see that even just wiping my face twice a day for a few seconds can help visibly reduce the discoloration. Surprisingly, it has also helped fade the bruising around my jawline from a cosmetic procedure.
I don’t think my skin has ever looked this good. After six weeks, I can clearly see a massive difference in its appearance; it looks healthier and much more even than when I began. While I still experience acne, I believe there has been a significant reduction in the time needed for the scars to fade.
I’m not one for routines, but I look forward to using these toner pads every morning and night. They feel quite refreshing and provide my skin with a much-needed dose of hydration. I said this before, but I don’t think my skin has ever been this glowy, even without makeup. My skin is clearer and more even, a simple lesson in the benefits of being consistent with your beauty routine.
Although a new medication caused my adult acne to flare up, these toner pads have been incredibly helpful in dealing with the repercussions. These days, my acne scars heal a bit faster, and I still feel like my skin has a more even complexion than before. I just stopped taking this medicine, so hopefully I’ll be able to see an improvement soon.
COURTESY OF INNISFREE
While I am obsessed with these pads, traveling with them is a pain. I’m on a two-week trip right now, and packing them in a tiny Tupperware container to save space in my toiletry bag is not ideal. I wish there were some sort of travel case or smaller packaging for moments like these.
If you’re super observant, you’ll notice that my face looks incredibly different than it did during those first few weeks. I recently found out that not only have I been dealing with a previously unknown soy allergy, but the medication I had been taking for a chronic illness resulted in me experiencing facial edema (or facial swelling), where a build-up of fluid makes you look completely unrecognizable. Needless to say, having these toner pads as a consistent part of my beauty routine has helped me feel less self-conscious about my edema. At least I’m swollen with good skin! I can definitely see a difference in my complexion, and I’m no longer afraid to go bare-faced (even if I am breaking out).
It’s strange, but I feel a sense of sadness now that I’m almost done testing this product. As a beauty writer, the product has to be really impressive to make me want to buy it with my own money. So, is $28 for 60 pads worth it? Genuinely, I think it is, but if I decide to repurchase, I might switch from using these pads twice a day to once a day so the product will last a bit longer. I still think I’ll get the same results, especially if combined with a brightening moisturizer.
Looking back at the photo from week one, I can see a significant improvement in my skin. The girl who was once afraid of stepping outside makeup-free now has a more glowy and even-looking complexion, along with the confidence to match. Despite all the setbacks (curse you, medication-induced zits!), these toner pads have become a welcome addition to my skin care routine. I want to emphasize that, during this experiment, I did not use any additional brighteners or toners on my face. I ceased using everything, except my moisturizer, to ensure I tested the product properly. While $28 is a steep price to pay, I love that the pads are biodegradable and can be left on like a mini mask when you need to tackle an especially stubborn spot. Personally, I don’t think you need to use them twice a day to see results—you could easily make one jar last for two months using one pad daily.
Courtesy of Subject
Final Thoughts
I’ve been thoroughly impressed by my skin’s transformation over the past 12 weeks. Typically, when I have a breakout, the spot lingers for months; I wish I were exaggerating, but as you age, your skin heals more slowly. Since using these toner pads, I’ve noticed a significant difference in how long acne spots remain on my face. Even if I do get a zit here and there, I’m not worried about any dark spots. The Green Tea Enzyme Vitamin C Brightening Toner Pads are truly a testament to what an efficacious product and consistency can do.
Innisfree Green Tea Enzyme Vitamin C Brightening + Exfoliating Toner Pads
