This post contains affiliate links. Product provided by Stylevana.
Buying travel kits is a great way to try out products before committing to full sizes. They are much better than sample sachets, since people often need more than a single application to decide if they want to keep using the product. This summer, I received Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Travel Kit. I already own a full size version of their famous toner (review here), but the serum and cream were totally new to me.
A few versions of this kit are available on YesStyle (use reward code KBHOBBIT to save), Stylevana (discount code INF10KBH), Olive Young, and Amazon. You can watch the unboxing video here.
The kit promises to relieve inflammation and treat irritated or troubled skin.
What’s included (note that some kits also come with soap):
AHA, BHA, PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner 30ml - a watery, slightly acidic toner made with tea tree
AHA, BHA, PHA 30 Days Miracle Serum 10ml - a minty-green, fairly runny liquid made with centella asiatica and tea tree
AHA, BHA, PHA 30 Days Miracle Cream 20g - a light gel-like texture, also made with tea tree and centella. Non-sticky finish
How to use:
Swipe a cotton pad soaked in toner over the face after cleansing (I prefer my hands)
Follow with serum, gently pat in for better absorption
Finish with cream
All of these products smell like mint to me, toner being the most fragrant. They can also tingle on the skin a bit.
My impressions
I have an issue with the way this line is marketed. The name alone - 30 day miracle - implies that these products should be used daily, and probably all together. But a quick look at the ingredients reveals peppermint, geranium, and orange peel oil among other potentially irritating components. My combination skin isn’t particularly sensitive, so these things do not generally bother me, but they are definitely not for everyone. And let’s not forget that every one of these items contains exfoliating acids - AHA, BHA, and PHA. It’s a good idea to introduce exfoliators slowly, 1-2 times a week at first, and definitely one product at a time. Having each skincare step contain them is confusing.
I don’t think advertising this for irritated, troubled skin is right. A lot of people with a compromised skin barrier may experience worsened irritation from all of the ingredients. Even someone like me with pretty healthy skin could over-exfoliate using a BHA in every step. I focus on using just one of these in a routine (and that’s after patch testing them first), and that seems to be enough for me.
My favorite BHA is from Glow Recipe (review here). Some By Mi isn’t bad, and there are a lot of people who love it - if that’s you, carry on. But it’s not generally something I recommend to those seeking products for acne prone skin. I do notice a reduced appearance of pores and congestion when using this, but again there are other products I enjoy more.
The BHA serum format doesn’t make much sense to me. Typically, exfoliators should sit on the skin for a bit before the next step. So if I use a BHA toner, I wait a few minutes before doing the next steps and introduce some hydration with essences and serums. But a BHA serum would have to sit on the skin as well (right?), basically evaporating and taking all the other hydration with it. I would restart my toners and essences after that, since usually cream is applied after serum. I don’t know if it makes sense to anyone else, but to me BHA should be in the toner or maybe a cream, but not a serum.
The cream is a nice product to use on the legs between hair removals to prevent ingrowns - the texture is light and not sticky at all.
Have you tried any Some By Mi products? What did you think?
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Some by Mi Miracle Toner ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Water (10,000ppm), Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta (Lentil) Seed Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera (Sacred Lotus) Flower Extract, Swiftlet Nest Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Fructan, Allantoin, Adenosine, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Xylitol, Salicylic Acid (100ppm), Lactobionic Acid (100ppm), Citric Acid (500ppm), Sodium Citrate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Benzyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Raspberry Ketone, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil
Some By Mi Miracle Serum ingredients: Water, Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola) Extract (14.77%), Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Propanediol, Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Water (10,000ppm), Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis (Baikal Skullcap) Root Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum (Japanese Knotweed) Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Sodium Lactate (18,375ppb), Sodium PCA (7,875ppb), Citric Acid (7, 875ppb), Lactic Acid (3,150ppb), Malic Acid (3,150ppb), Glycolic Acid (3,150ppb), Pyruvic Acid (525ppb), Tartaric Acid (10.5ppb), Gaultheria Procumbens (Wintergreen) Leaf Extract (105ppm), Lactobionic Acid (105ppm), Pentylene Glycol, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract, Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Leaf Extract, Syringa Vulgaris (Lilac) Extract, Houttuynia Cordata (Tsi) Extract, Angelica Keiskei Extract, Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow) Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Madecassoside, Camellia Oleifera (Tea-Oil Camellia) Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Seed Oil, Rosa Canina (Dog Rose) Fruit Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Sodium Chloride, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Flower Extract, Xanthan Gum, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Flower Oil, Boswellia Carterii (Frankincense) Oil, Melia Azadirachta Bark Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Amyris Balsamifera (West Indian Rosewood) Bark Oil, Moringa Pterygosperma (Moringa Oleifera) Seed Oil, Ocimum Sanctum (Holy Basil) Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Limonene, Citronellol, Citral
Some by Mi Miracle Cream ingredients: Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola) Extract (70.78%), Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Water, Niacinamide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Water(10,000ppm), Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica (Ivy Gourd) Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum (Holy Basil) Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Calendula Officinalis (Pot Marigold) Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Origanum Vulgare Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Extract, Fructan, Albatrellus Ovinus Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract, Lens Esculenta (Lentil) Seed Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Houttuynia Cordata (Tsi) Extract, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Betaine, Allantoin, Madecassoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Adenosine, Ceramide NP, Oleanolic Acid, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid (100ppm), Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lactobionic Acid (100ppm), Citric Acid (11ppm), Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Benzyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Raspberry Ketone, Disodium EDTA, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Limonene