Review: AHA Honey & Propolis Peeling Liquid (Commleaf)

This product was sent to me for review purposes.

I’ve been testing another Commleaf product and this time it’s their AHA Honey & Propolis Peeling Liquid, a chemical exfoliant that claims to dissolve dead skin cells and also improve the efficacy of your skincare. I left this one to last to test out because I do tend to use a lot of actives in my skincare and I wanted to make sure that the rest of my routine as fairly simple when I used this.

In general, my skin condition has been pretty good lately – all of those break outs I had before have died down (even during my time of the month), there’s a nice hydrated brightness to my complexion and it’s also been feeling pretty strong!

This is probably a good thing too because I was a genius and went into trying out this Peeling Liquid before reading the instructions… so instead of getting my skin used to the product by using it twice a week, I jumped head first into using it every night! Thankfully, my overall results have been pretty good.

I received this to review from StyleStory so jump onto their website if you want to grab a bottle too, or check out any of their Commleaf offerings – the AHA Honey & Propolis Peeling Liquid is currently selling for AUD$29.95 on their website with free shipping in Australia on all orders over AUD$80.

So, without any more rambling, let’s get into it!

Product Description

According to the product description on StyleStory, this product is enriched with AHA to soften and even out skin texture (through exfoliation) and also helps with the absorption of your skincare products. It claims to soothe, hydrate and protect skin, while giving it a refreshed and healthy appearance. Although it is called a ‘peeling liquid’ this is essentially a chemical exfoliator, so don’t expect any flakes like you might from a peeling gel (and, in my opinion, this can be used much more consistently than that).

The star ingredients are as follows:

• AHAs: Work to dissolve old dead skin cells, hydrate and nourish skin for a more moisturised, healthy appearance.
• Honey extract: An antibiotic that keeps skin moisturised and healthy.
• Propolis extract: Helps remove harmful substances in skin and protects against skin aging.
• Sugar cane extract: An antiseptic and natural exfoliant, it can smooth and brighten skin’s appearance.
• Sugar maple: Full of powerful antioxidants, which can help to fight wrinkles, reduce dryness and promote healthy, vibrant skin.
• Sodium Hyaluronate: Holds 1,000 times its weight in water, which is what makes it an effective moisturiser. It helps skin retain moisture.
• Lavender Flower Oil: Antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, cleansing, balancing, and soothing.

To start using this Peeling Liquid, the instructions recommend to start off by using it only once or twice per week – which would be especially important if you have sensitive skin or are new to using AHAs. As I did say, I was a fool who forgot to read this so I jumped in using this daily from the get-go but had no issues, most likely because I already use actives in my normal routine (and had never had sensitivity to it). It isn’t something that I would generally recommend though.

In addition, they also instruct not to combine this product with other chemical exfoliators or AHAs (as this can over treat the skin and cause irritation), don’t combine it with scrubs or any manual exfoliators and – of course – use sunscreen when you’re working with AHAs.

Packaging

So the packaging for this AHA Honey & Propolis Peeling Liquid is, admittedly, not as fancy as their Skin Relief Soothing Toner that I reviewed previously. This one has a similarly simple box unit carton – which gives a modern and trendy aesthetic – but the actual bottle that it comes in is made of plastic and does not have the brand’s famous wavy shape. However, considering that this product is substantially more affordable than the toner, I don’t mind this at all.

Although it is made of plastic, the actual design of the packaging is still really nice. I like that soft yellow gradient colour, which hints at the ingredients, and also the super simple and minimalist typography. It gives the impression that this is a more ‘fancy’ product. The plastic material is an average quality though – it’s a little bit soft so not the sturdiest, but isn’t too bad either. I wish that they had customised the cap though because the white design is a bit too basic and actually cheapens the overall look.

In general, I like the look of the bottle, though I feel like the quality can be improved. There doesn’t seem to be as more attention to small details or refinement as their Skin Relief Soothing Toner and, if you remember, that was what really made their design spectacular and unique. It is definitely not as beautiful as some of their more instagrammable products but at half the price, I’m not complaining.

Application & Usage

This product has a very watery liquid consistency and, upon application, gives a hydrated feeling but is immediately absorbed but zero residue. To use the Peeling Liquid, I tend to saturate a cotton pad and then swipe it over my face. I find that this extra motion helps to lift dead skin and debris further – and it’s visible when you do it. I would also recommend not using too much of this product at once too, because it is unnecessary – just enough to be damp on the cotton pad is good.

As part of my routine, I used this product in lieu of my usual toner (I am currently finishing off my bottle of the COSRX Calming Liquid Mild, which contains some exfoliants) – I then followed it up with the hydrating Missha First Treatment Essence and then my usual serums, moisturiser and sleeping mask. It fit into my routine easily but, when you do use this, I would highly recommend to take a quick look over your products and ensure that you’re not doubling up on anything.

You can also see the below photos for the consistency of the formula and how it absorbs fully.

Personal Experiences

After using this product, I actually notice an immediately brightening and refreshed look to my complexion – most likely from the combination of the exfoliator and hydrating benefits. As this uses AHA, the Honey & Propolis Peeling Liquid would be best used to remove surface layer dead skin cells and to improve skin texture (this will not be removing excess sebum, which is actually the function of a BHA acid).

Using this for a while, I can definitely see the benefits to my skin – especially in the current dry, cold weather – but the functions of this aren’t long term. Dead skin cells will naturally build up again, so this is a product that you will need to use regularly. For me, I use it every night but this can be customised to what works best for you. I personally find it quite gentle. For me, I feel like it is lifting dead skin cells but just isn’t as intense as my own expectations.

The one thing that really surprised me with this Peeling Liquid is the scent! I just cannot shake off the feeling that it smells like Splice Ice Cream to me – which is really nice and actually quite light, but is a strange experience. Maybe I am being overly particular about it though and it just smells like Honey… someone please correct me or give me your thoughts on this.

Here’s the verdict!

SO WHAT IS IT?

An AHA chemical exfoliant liquid that using Honey and Propolis as star ingredients

THE GOOD

• Decent pricing
• Modern packaging design
• Smells like Splice Ice Cream (?) and the scent is lightweight
• Great list of star ingredients – I’m especially happy that this also contains Sodium Hyaluronate (which is especially good if you live in humidity)
• Gives immediately brightened and refreshed appearance
• Visibly lifts dead skin cells
• Also visibly soothes and hydrates skin
• Non-harsh formula that can be used every day

THE BAD

• Average plastic bottle quality – can be improved
• Only contains AHA, so won’t lift excess sebum
• No long term effects evident

RATINGS

• PACKAGING | 3/5
• PRICE POINT | 4/5
• SCENT | 5/5
• SOOTHING | 4/5
• HYDRATION | 4/5
• EXFOLIATION | 4/5

OVERALL RATING? 8/10

WOULD I RECOMMEND?

I enjoy using this and, even though I did briefly criticise it for being too gentle, I like that this is a formula I can use every day without worrying about over treating my skin. Both the formula and price point is good, so I would definitely be recommending this! I just want them to improve the quality of the packaging (but maybe not with a higher price tag – which may be a silly ask).

WHERE TO GET IT FROM

The AHA Honey & Propolis Peeling Liquid is available at StyleStory for AUD$29.95 and you can also check out the other products from Commleaf – such as the Skin Relief Soothing Toner that I recently reviewed!

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