I’m willing to bet that most of the contributors for TIA already have the perfect regimen for their skin that took a long time to come together through trial and error. I believe I do, and part of that regimen is my Humphreys Lilac Witch Hazel Toner ($6) that has so many good things in it and leaves my skin so hydrated, soft, and radiant that I often don’t apply anything else after using it. Because I believe my toner to be the gold standard, I thought it would be tough to review Arcona’s Triad Pads ($30).
That didn’t turn out to be true, as Arcona has a wonderful product here. The first thing you will notice about Arcona Triad Pads is the scent provided by the cranberry fruit extract. The pads smell just like Osmosis Polish ($44 in the shop), and I was immediately endeared to them. In fact, I won’t throw the pads out after using; instead, I leave them out like an air freshener. The cranberry not only smells good, but is rich in vitamin C. Additional ingredients include: rice milk, sodium lactate, witch hazel, and the antioxidants white tea, vitis vinifera, and vitamin E as d-alpha tocopherol (considered to be the biologically most active form of vitamin E).
The ingredients are cosmeceutically formulated and cold pressed – so as not to “destroy the enzymes and active ingredients in the formula.” By the way, Arcona Triad Pads contain nearly identical ingredients to the Arcona Cranberry toner ($32 in the shop) Marta recently tested except the pads have a touch of benzyl alcohol for preservation, which may turn some people off. A couple of times this gave me pause, but the amount is so small that I can’t imagine it’s harming my skin’s barrier.
I do think Arcona’s triad pads are a bit pricey for a toner, but there’s a generous 45 pads per jar and each of those pads is absolutely soaked with more than enough toner to cover my face, neck and hands. My skin’s been a little dry after washing my face lately and the triad pads provide instant relief. After using the pads, my skin feels refreshed, soft and tight. The cranberry scent lingers on your skin long after use; anyone near you will comment on that and want to use them. A couple of times while girlfriends or family members were having a smell, they almost instinctively went in for the grab.
These pads are also very convenient to use. I was in an accident recently, and I don’t have use of my right arm or leg. I have kept Arcona’s Triad Pads next to my bed and they do a perfectly good job of cleaning my face during those times that I’m just not motivated enough to get out of bed and do a real wash. Plus they are far better formulated than any cleansing towelettes I have researched.
Though I probably won’t be permanently changing my toner, Arcona’s Triad Pads were a treat to use: they smell gorgeous, are formulated with effective well-known ingredients, the packaging is beautiful as well as 100% recycled, and I’m already thinking they would make a perfect gift.
Ingredients for Arcona Triad Pads and Cranberry Toner: Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Rice Milk, Sodium Lactate, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, D-alpha-tocopherol (Vitamin E), Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Essential Oils
Ingredients for Arcona Cranberry Toner: Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Rice Milk, Sodium Lactate, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, D-alpha-tocopherol (Vitamin E), Citric Acid, Essential Oils