Pixi Glow Vitamin C Tonic

Pixi Glow Vitamin C Tonic

In recent posts I've being testing and analysing the Pixi Tonics as they provide relatively cheap and good tonic options. However, while they are much better than a lot of toners/tonics out there, most of them are not skincare gold and some of them are better than others.

But there are another 2 tonics left to look at before concluding the series and in this post we will be looking at the Pixi Vitamin C tonic.

Is the Pixi Vitamin C Tonic skin nourishing and worth your time or just one more marketing type product? Let's find out.

PS. If you are wondering what the difference is between a toner and a tonic, it's minimal to none. Practically, they are the same type of product but generally toners tend to be more nutritious than tonics that are usually lighter products. Nevertheless, I am referring to this product as a toner throughout even though the brand labels it as a tonic. It really doesn't matter that much.

For all Pixi Tonics posts check out:

Pixi Tonics – Which one is best?

Pixi Toners Part E: Pixi Milky Tonic – In-Depth Review and Ingredient Analysis

Pixi Toners Part D: Pixi Vitamin C Tonic – In-Depth Review and Ingredient Analysis

Pixi Toners Part C: Pixi Rose Tonic – In-Depth Review and Ingredient Analysis

Pixi Toners Part B: Pixi Glow Tonic – In-Depth Review and Ingredient Analysis

Pixi Toners Part A: Pixi Retinol Tonic – In-Depth Review and Ingredient Analysis

Packaging

The Pixi toners don't come with outer packaging. However, they do come wrapped up in plastic so you will know if they are brand new or if someone opened them.

They all come in different coloured but clear plastic bottles with a green lid and the Pixi brand label. The design is minimal and yet they all look elegant and beautiful.

I love that they are colour coded, so you can separate each toner immediately by colour, as well as the text on the label. The Pixi Vitamin C Tonic bottle is light yellow which suits the vitamin C theme of this product.

Price

One 250mL bottle retails for £18. That's actually overall fairly cheap when you compare it to other toners that even if they are around that price (£20ish), they can contain half the amount of product. But also, considering how long it will last (2-4 months depending on usage).

Texture and Colour

The Pixi Vitamin C Tonic is a transparent, clear, watery liquid. This means that the yellow colour comes entirely from the yellow tinted plastic bottle. There are no dyes in this tonic which is an advantage over the Pixi Glow Tonic which contains a red dye.

Smell

This toner has a strong scent of sweet lemon (or generally sweet citrus) which comes from some of the ingredients such as the various citrus extracts. There are no ambiguous fragrance ingredients in this tonic which again is an advantage over the Pixi Glow Tonic.

Skin Compatibility

This toner is suitable for all skin types.

Avoid contact with eyes and never use cosmetics on broken skin. If you have sensitive skin it might be better if you test it first on small areas.

Other

This toner lasts for 12M which is a good amount of time.

Here's what the brand says about the product:

"Vitamin C has potent antioxidant power, promotes healthy collagen production and is known to boost skin luminosity.

• Probiotics help fortify skin's barrier while willow bark & fruit extracts gently exfoliate.
  •Alcohol free.
  •Great for all skin types."

Practicality of use – user experience

The Pixi toners are very easy to use. The cap unscrews easily and the product pours out the small hole in a relatively slow and controlled way.

All you have to do is apply the product on a cotton pad and then spread on clean face. No rinsing required.

Results

This toner was very pleasant to use and my skin was sometimes a little brighter after continuous usage. Other than that, I haven't noticed any skincare changes from using this toner but, as I said many times before, you really shouldn't notice much from toners alone. It's the rest of your skincare that should do the heavy lifting. If you notice major skincare changes from small skincare addon products like toners and tonics, it's time to re-evaluate your skincare regime.

Nevertheless, this toner took off traces of makeup and other dirt and left the skin feeling clean and soft but not dry. Additionally, it was absorbed quickly by the skin and did not leave any sticky residues behind.

Ingredients

The Pixi Vitamin C Tonic contains 37 ingredients of which 30 will offer you some skincare benefit (some more than others), no negatives but many potential irritants.

Overall, the toner is way better than a lot of other ones in the market but there is some room for improvement. A lot of the attractive ingredients, all the extracts, sound more fancy than they actually are good and effective for the skin. Additionally, they tend to be mixtures of many compounds which essentially means that we don't know exactly what's inside this tonic. All those unidentified compounds could also cause sensitisation and irritation to sensitive skin and it would be very hard to figure out which extract or compound it is!

On the plus side, this tonic contains some of the skincare must have ingredients such as vitamins C & E, a vitamin A pre-cursor, phospholipids and hyaluronic acid. However, they are likely present in small amounts and perhaps this is why Pixi labelled the product as a tonic instead (which is generally a lighter product than a toner).

This toner has a pH of 5, which is within our skin's normal pH levels, meaning that it is a good product for maintaining healthy skin function. Even if you ignore all the skincare positive ingredients, this product is good for ensuring that your skin has been returned to the right pH after cleansing etc.

To keep this article short, I am only listing the skin nourishing or skin positive/negative ingredients and ignoring the ones that only play formulation purposes. For the full list of these products' ingredients scroll down to the "full list of ingredients" section.

Ingredient positives :

1. Aqua/Water/Eau based formulation.
2. Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Water – Fragrance and skin conditioner.
3. Propanediol– Can hydrate the skin but is also used to increase the absorption of other ingredients.
4. Glycerin –Found naturally in the skin so can be seen as a skin replenishing ingredient. A skin conditioner that helps improve and smooth the appearance of skin. A good moisturiser that is almost always present in moisturising products.
5. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice – Skin conditioner, locks moisture in (=humectant). Some consider it to have anti-flammatory properties and protects against UV-damage. This is not a sunscreen and you still need SPF. Some have reported it to stimulate collage production and therefore, reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
6. Ascorbic Acid – This is the natural form of vitamin C, a hero anti-oxidant molecule that can sooth the skin (although it can irritate some) and improve the appearance of the signs of ageing. It can brighten the skin and reduce hyperpigmentation and age spots. It can boost the immune system, help and protect cells and aid in the skin's collagen production. Science supports the wonders of applying vitamin C to the skin and therefore is a must have in your skincare. For more information check out:Vitamins C & E – Do they work in skin care?
7. Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Extract – A skin conditioner, protector and fragrance.
8. Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract – Skin conditioner and fragrance.
9. Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Fruit Extract – Fragrance and skin conditioner.
10. Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Extract – Skin conditioner and fragrance.
11. Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract– Also known as Green Tea Extract. This ingredient has multiple benefits including: anti-oxidant, fragrance, skin conditioner, UV light absorber, anti-microbial, astringent, skin protecting, tonic and possibly helping the appearance of wrinkles and sagging skin.
12. Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract – Fragrance and skin conditioner.
13. Beta-Carotene – Skin conditioner, anti-oxidant, can get converted to vitamin A.
14. Ferulic Acid – An anti-oxidant that an enhance the activity of vitamins A & E. Also a UV-absorber.
15. Tocopherol– Refers to a class of compounds with similar activities to vitamin E. A skin conditioner, anti-oxidant and fragrance agent. Check out: Vitamins C & E – Do they work in skin care? and Is mineral oil in cosmetics safe?
16. Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil – A skin conditioner, anti-oxidant, anti-microbial and UV-absorber.
17. Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Extract – Skin conditioner.
18. Microcitrus Australis Fruit Extract – Potentially a skin conditioner, there isn't a lot of information on this ingredient.
19. Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract – Skin conditioner.
20. Citrus Glauca Fruit Extract – An anti-static, skin and hair conditioner and humectant (=locks water in).
21. Caffeine– Potent anti-oxidant, improves puffy eyes, sooths and penetrates the skin providing a constricting effect which reduces redness. Slows down the process of photo-ageing.
22. Sodium Hyaluronate– A hero compound, known as the "fountain of youth"  Plays a major role in anti-ageing processes and is found in embryos in high concentrations. Can hold onto water 1000 times of its weight meaning that it is an amazing moisturiser by locking moisture in. Helps wounds and burns heal and it's linked to increased collagen generation Also used as a temporary cosmetic filler.
23. Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract – Skin conditioner.
24. Citrus Junos Peel Extract – Skin conditioner.
25. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride– A skin conditioner and replenisher. Can enhance the delivery of vitamins, pigments and other ingredients. Can act as a cleanser too and provide a lightweight non-greasy barrier of lubrication.
26. Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil – Anti-oxidant, skin conditioner and fragrance.
27. Phospholipids– Skin replenishing molecules. Skin conditioner. Essential for healthy and youthful skin.
28. Citric Acid – A natural preservative, can be used to even out skin tone.
29. Ethylhexylglycerin – A weak preservative and skin conditioner that is often used in ointments for eczema.
30. Sodium Citrate– An anti-oxidant and preservative.

Ingredientnegatives:

N/A

Ingredients that can cause irritation to some:

This is actually really case specific, as different people have different sensitivities and allergies. Just because a compound has been reported by some to cause sensitivity, it doesn't mean you will have an issue. "Sensitizer" compounds being present is not a negative in my opinion, as this is the case with pretty much everything out there and funnily enough I've seen products that are targeted specifically for sensitive skin, containing some compounds that have been reported by some, or are known to be, sensitizers.

If you have sensitive skin or you are prone to skin sensitisation and unwanted reactions, try a little bit of this at the back of your hand first and consult a medical doctor if you are concerned.

Check out:What is sensitive skin? What are the causes and what can we do?

The following compounds present in this tonic have been either proven or claimed by some to be sensitizers, irritants, allergens etc: Ascorbic Acid, Caffeine, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide.

While the extracts contained in this tonic are not specifically labelled as sensitisers or irritants, they might be to sensitive skin. This is because these extracts contain many compounds and it's hard to know exactly all of them and their concentration.

Full list of ingredients:

Aqua/Water/Eau, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Ascorbic Acid, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Beta-Carotene, Ferulic Acid, Tocopherol, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Extract, Microcitrus Australis Fruit Extract, Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract, Citrus Glauca Fruit Extract, Caffeine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Citrus Junos Peel Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Phospholipids, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide.

Verdict

The Pixi Vitamin C Tonic is a better toner than a lot of others in the market and even contains some of the skincare must have ingredients.

It is a fairly interesting tonic and definitely the best out of the 5 Pixi tonics. If you have sensitive skin then this might be your nightmare, but if you don't it is a nice skin tonic choice that is especially great for its price.

I am not affiliated with any company or brand. These are my views and experiences.
Beauty is a very personal thing, we all have different skin, requirements and biological build which can influence things. What worked for me might not work for you and vice versa. Have you ever tried these products? Did they work for you? Let me know your experiences below!

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Pixi Glow Vitamin C Tonic

Source: https://bondsofbeauty.wordpress.com/2019/04/05/pixi-toners-part-d-pixi-vitamin-c-tonic-in-depth-review-and-ingredient-analysis/