Love this essence, it calm my POD after 3 days. Only the refill opening could have a more spout-like shape, because when I pour the toner into the bottle, I always spill a lot.
Gentle Exfoliating Essence
- A light and hydrating leave-on gel to tackle uneven skin, rosacea, acne, impurities, fine lines and dryness.
- All skin types and concerns, but not recommended for POD.
- Formulated for sensitive and problem skin, fragrance free.
Size:
In stock
Our Gentle Exfoliating Essence renews sensitive and problem skin effectively and gently, without disturbing the skin’s protective barrier and without drying skin.
An "acid toner" for sensitive and problem skin? We know, but here's the breakdown: the Essence renews skin with gluconolactone, which we've used at a 10% level. Gluconolactone is a gentle and effective alternative to glycolic acid, and does not cause irritation and redness. Plant-based glycerin hydrates and betaine from Finnish sugar beets repairs the skin barrier. Skin is left feeling soft and smooth, with more glow and without irritation.
The Exfoliating Esssence is a great choice for sensitive clog-and acne-prone skin, sensitive combination and oily skin, to give sensitive dehydrated skin some glow and for sensitive aging skin. The light gel formula absorbs quickly and the product is easy to to dispense as needed thanks to the pump packaging.
Aqua, Propanediol, Gluconolactone, Glycerin, Betaine, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum , Sodium Hydroxide
Aqua
Solvent. Water. The main vehicle for our water based products
Propanediol
Solvent and humectant. Apart from being an excellent, non-irritating solvent, the glycol propanediol has excellent hydrating and preservative boosting properties. The one we use is made from fermentation of glucose, from corn.
Gluconolactone
Skin conditioning. Gluconolactone is a gentle, exfoliating and regenerating polyhydroxy acid (PHA) that does not irritate the skin even at the 10% concentration we use it at in the Exfoliating Essence. It's an effective but gentler alternative to the widely used glycolic acid (alpha hydroxy acid, AHA) thanks to its larger molecular size – gluconolactone does not absorb as deeply into the skin, and therefore regenerates the skin without irritating it. At the same time, gluconolactone moisturises the skin, fades fine lines and strengthens the skin's protective barrier.
Glycerin
Humectant and skin protecting. Technically a sugar alcohol, glycerin is one of the oldest, most common and most versatile humectants used in cosmetics. It moisturises and protects the skin, accelerates skin barrier recovery and has antimicrobial properties, among other things. For our Cream we use vegetable, rapeseed-derived glycerin.
Betaine
Humectant and skin conditioning. Betaine is highly purified sugar beet extract, chemically speaking an amino acid derivative, that maintains skin moisture balance and strengthens the skin barrier even under very dry conditions. It is a so-called osmolyte, controlling water balance in living cells. The one we use is made from Finnish sugar beets.
Caprylyl Glycol
Skin conditioning and emollient. Caprylyl Glycol is an fatty alcohol derived from caprylic acid, which is naturally found in palm and coconut oils. It’s a humectant (like glycerin), i.e. a hydrating ingredient that works by attracting water to and holding it in the skin. It improves absorption, spreadability and the feel of a product on skin, and is also an antimicrobial, with preservative-like properties. And this is what it does in the Concentrate – boost the power of our main preservative, sodium dehydroacetate.
Xanthan Gum
Thickening, gel forming and emulsion stabilising. A natural and commonly used mainly thickener and gelling agent in cosmetics, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide produced through Bacterial fermentation of pure culture Xanthomonas Campestris with protein and carbohydrate sources, in this case from soy or corn. In our Cream, it is combined with sclerotium gum, lecithin, pullulan and silica to lend that lovely gel meets cream feel.
Sodium Hydroxide
Buffering. Sodium hydroxide is used in skincare products at a very low level to adjust the products pH to the appropriate level, making it safe for use.
Glass Bottle
Recycle with glass.
Pump
Recycle with mixed materials
Label
Recycle with mixed materials.
Sun Cream SPF50+
4661 in stock
Our broad spectrum mineral SPF protects, hydrates and soothes all kinds of sensitive and problem skin.
Made with just one, single SPF filter in the form of non-nano zinc oxide, our Cream also contains natural ectoin to soothe redness and strengthen skin for a healthy skin barrier, while Swedish Algica (silica) from algae hydrates and balances sebum production. The result is a nourishing, slightly pearly cream, that sinks easily into skin for a non-sticky, light and transclucent finish.
Can be used under makeup and around the eyes and is suitable for children.
Do not stay too long in the sun, even while using a sunscreen product. Keep babies and young children out of direct sunlight. Over-exposure to the sun is a serious health threat.
Did you know: in terms of physical SPF filters non-nano zinc dioxide is the ideal choice for sensitive skin because the bigger particles in the filter (that’s the non-nano part) sit on top of skin and zinc-oxide as such is a safe, mild and non-irritating choice. Non-nano zinc-oxide is approved worldwide as an UV filter.
Why it works for sensitive & problem skin


Fragrance-free
Fragrance-free, and free from essential oils, floral waters and alcohol.
Formulated for sensitive & problem skin in our own lab
Our owners, CEO Kristina and cosmetic chemist Jaana, formulate all our products in our Helsinki lab, and test them on themselves - both have a long history of sensitive and problem skin.
Gentle & skin friendly preservatives
We've created a unique preservative system for the Essence, to minimise overlap with our other products, using gentle preservatives, primarily organic acids and their salt forms. Check out our ingredient section above to learn more.
Allergy-labelled
All our products carry the Finnish Allergy, Skin and Asthma Federation's independent Allergy-label.
Balanced pH for healthy skin
Usually, acid based products have a very low pH, which can be too harsh for sensitive skin. The Exfoliating Essence has a pH of around 4.5 (healthy skin's own pH is slightly acidic, between 4.8 and 5.5) and will not upset or irritate skin.
A minimum of ingredients
The Exfoliating Essence contains only eight ingredients. Formulated with gluconolactone, a gentle, exfoliating, hydrating and regenerating polyhydroxy acid (PHA) that does not irritate the skin even at the 10% concentration we use it at, plant-based glycerine for hydration and betaine from Finnish sugar beets for moisture balance and to strengthen the skin’s protective barrier. Check out our ingredient section above to learn more.

