Dr. Althea Anastatica Skin Conditioning Pad
Lots of people use toner pads, I’ve seen a whole ton of reviews of them.
I’d always thought it was a bit of a con: they’re often the same price as a bottle of toner but don’t last as long. Then there’s the question of the environment because you’ve got the plastic tub plus the pads themselves.
In terms of cost and waste, there’s an argument for toner pads instead of a sheet mask, although they don’t tend to have as much essence as sheet mask.
I like having my preconceptions challenged and I can now see the value of having toner pads in my routine!
Texture and fragrance
For the pad itself, it’s lightly textured.
They’re ideal for a post-cleanse swipe as I sometimes use cleansing water PM if I haven’t used waterproof sunscreen or make-up and another post-cleanse pre-toner step is welcome.
The essence itself is a medium thickness: not as thin as a water-texture toner but not as thick as my favourite mask, Benton Aloe Soothing Mask Pack. Review coming up of the Benton soon!
The fragrance is gorgeous and perfectly compliments how refreshing the pads feel. I’ll talk more about this element in the serum section.
It’s a bit citrusy, fresh, herbal and with enough sweetness to balance out the herbal element.
Ingredients
Anastasia extract is the star ingredient here and I hadn’t heard of it before but it’s soothing with antioxidants so I was pleased to get it in my routine!
I love a multitasking product and getting a number of benefits from one thing is great – hyaluronic acid and other for hydration along with the Anastasia for soothing and antioxidants, plus liquorice for evening skin tone.
Experience
I’ve tried using the toner pads in several different ways.
The obvious way to use them is instead of toner and they do a great job, I don’t have any noticeable dryness or tightness when using them instead of toner.
In order to get the maximum benefits, I’ll multitask with w swipe as a post-cleanse step and then turn the pad over and press it gently onto my skin, moving round my face to cover every bit.
The toner pads do actually work great as a DIY mask too.
I have a confession: I don’t always make time for them, which is a shame because I really like what they do for my skin.
If I’m going to the effort of adding a sheet mask to my routine then I want to maximise the effects so I’ll want to leave it on the 10-20 minutes.
If I’m DIY masking with toner pads, 5 mins is perfectly fine to get the benefits without needed to set aside so much time. I am time poor and it means I only really do sheet masks at the weekend. Now I can give my skin a boost every few days because I can easily build this into my routine
Toner pads are a happy medium for masking: you’ll get the benefit of holding moisture to your skin instead of it drying really quickly, it’s like a mini mask!
The other great thing is that you can really customise the fit and concentrate on the areas that need extra help. My nose and chin don’t actually need masking but my cheeks and forehead very much appreciate it.
The only thing I would say about strategically targeting the pad placement is that you’ll want to make sure the uncovered areas don’t dry out. Whilst I don’t need the pads there, I’ll do an extra layer toner to be on the safe side.
Dr. Althea Skin Relief Essence
Texture and fragrance
It’s a super light texture, a watery gel that’s easy to spread and feels very smooth on my skin.
I’m always a fan of something lightweight that dries really quickly and doesn’t leave a sticky, tacky finish.
The fragrance is really refreshing which perfectly complements the effects: whilst I can see how this would be great for summer, it’s actually really nice in winter too. Sure, it’s cold outside but actually having the heating on is quite drying so a cooling fragrance and formula is a breath of fresh air!
Ingredients
Super soothing!
Whilst there’s the familiar centella extract for antioxidants and calming, this product also has terminalia ferdinandiana (kakadu plum) extract.
This is another ingredient that I wasn’t familiar with but it’s also used for skin soothing and for its antioxidant content.
This essence is really well-rounded, as it also has great barrier strengthening ingredients like panthenol and niacinamide, a variety of fermented ingredients and hydrating ingredients!
Experience
Sometimes watery products, even well-formulated ones, don’t feel thirst-quenching for my dehydrated skin. Like when you drink water and it doesn’t hit the spot.
What’s particularly good about this product is that it feels deeply hydrating and gives the lightest of light moisturisation so it’s really well balanced in its effects.
Both of these products from Dr. Althea have an immediate cooling and soothing effect, which is great because I can feel it working to calm my skin.
Whilst instant calming is a big plus, there’s also a more long term effect from the barrier building ingredients.
Although this product is clearly in a serum bottle, it is called an essence. I wonder if this is why it’s so hydrating?
If I’m having a bit of a quick routine day, if I want to, I can skip toner, the essence does the job.
Toner pad plus the essence is better again but I’m impressed that I can just use the serum and be done with the hydrating step.
And the essence is very well-priced!
Final Word
Both of these products together boosts the soothing effects of each one, although you could definitely just use one.
However, I’m always after more soothing and whilst its two steps, they dry down nicely because they’re both lightweight so i don’t find it overkill to use both.