Works for
ExfoliationLactic acidWorks well
“Rejuvenate the complexion with the January Labs Daily Brightening Tonic, a toner designed to exfoliate and hydrate the skin for a stronger, smoother appearance.”
This product can help exfoliate the skin. In other words, it helps break down the bonds between dead cells on the surface of the skin and speed up the skin turnover. Skin often appears softer and brighter after exfoliation, but overdoing it can result in disrupted skin barrier. The following ingredient is doing the exfoliating job in this product: lactic acid.
Evens skin toneLactic acid, Camellia sinensis leaf extractWorks well
“Formulated with lactic acid, it helps stimulate cell turnover to improve hydration levels, target pigmentation and boost the skin’s texture for a smoother, brighter look.”
This product can help reduce hypepigmentation and even out the skin tone because it contains the following effective ingredients: lactic acid
Keep in mind that you would need to apply any topical skincare targetted at hypigmentation consistently for a couple of months to get a result. No topical skincare product can help get rid of hyperpigmentation (including post-acne marks and age spots) instantly.
MoisturizingLactic acid, Malus domestica fruit extract + 5 moreWorks
“Rejuvenate the complexion with the January Labs Daily Brightening Tonic, a toner designed to exfoliate and hydrate the skin for a stronger, smoother appearance.”
This product contains good ingredients to attract water to the upper layer of the skin. These ingredients are called "humectants": glycerin, lactic acid.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from within deeper layers of the skin. If the air is dry, humectants can speed up the moisture loss from the skin. This is why it is a good idea to use another product on top of this one to help "seal in" the moisture (look for ingredients like dimethicone, squalane, oils and butters).
Anti-agingSide benefit the brand mentions · Lactic acid, Camellia sinensis leaf extractMay help
“Skin Type Targeting Breakouts & Acne Fine Lines & Wrinkles Visible Pores The Good Stuff Cruelty Free Paraben Free Suitable for Pregnancy Sulphate Free Rejuvenate the complexion with the January Labs Daily Brightening Tonic, a toner designed to exfoliate and hydrate the skin for a stronger, smoother appearance.This tonic provides multitasking skincare to tackle a number of skin concerns.”
This product contains lactic acid. This ingredient might be able to help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and firmness, but there is not enough evidence that it actually works.
Anti-oxidationSide benefit · Camellia sinensis leaf extract, Malus domestica fruit extract + 1 moreMay help
This product contains antioxidants (camellia sinensis leaf extract) that might be able to help neutralize free radicals in skin to lessen the damage it gets from the UV light (sun). There is not enough evidence to confirm their effectiveness in skin though.
Can it cause trouble?
Irritancy3 strong irritants: Citrus limon peel extract, Citrus aurantium dulcis fruit extract + 1 more — patch-test recommendedHigh risk
ComedogenicClean of flagged comedogenic ingredientsNone flagged
User reviews
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Ingredients
Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.
Water~40–60%
Lactic acid~4.7–7%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
An exfoliating and moisturizing alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA). Typically causes less irritation than other AHAs, for example, glycolic acid. At high concentrations (about 15%), lactic acid can help reduce lines and wrinkles. Recent studies show that lactic acid can support the "good" bacteria living on skin's surface (healthy skin microbiome)
More about Lactic acidCitrus limon peel extract~3.7–5.6%
Citrus aurantium dulcis fruit extract~2.7–4.1%
- Irritation risk
- High
A plant extract that is used as a fragrance. Can be irritating and lead to photosensitivity
More about Citrus aurantium dulcis fruit extractMalus domestica fruit extract~1.9–2.9%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin
More about Malus domestica fruit extractHamamelis virginiana extract~1.5–2.2%
- Irritation risk
- High
A plant extract that can help calm down inflammation in skin. Can, however, itself be irritating
More about Hamamelis virginiana extractSucrose~0.9–1.35%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Can help attract water to the upper layer of the skin. In crystal form, it can work as a gentle exfoliant, gentler than the salt scrub. Helps stabilize the emulsion
More about SucroseCamellia sinensis leaf extract~0.6–1.4%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Can contain potent anti-oxidant compounds (abbreviated ECG, GCG, EGC, and EGCG) that might help protect the skin from free radicals. Can help calm down inflammation and has some anti-bacterial properties. Unfortunately, these antioxidants are unstable and lose their effectiveness very quickly in products. The concentration of the antioxidant compounds in the extract also tends to be low to be effective in topical formulation
More about Camellia sinensis leaf extractAvena sativa kernel extract~0.5–1.2%
- Irritation risk
- Low
An effective moisturizing and skin barrier repair ingredient. Helps calm down inflammation and has some anti-oxidant properties
More about Avena sativa kernel extractSodium pca~0.15–0.6%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Naturally present in skin and helps to attract water to its upper layer
More about Sodium pcaChamomilla recutita flower extract~0.1–0.45%
- Irritation risk
- High
Plant extract that can have healing and anti-inflammatory properties. It is a potential allergen and can be irritating
More about Chamomilla recutita flower extractGlycerin~0.1–0.35%
- Irritation risk
- Low
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
More about GlycerinIngredient list view
Water, Unknown, Lactic acid, Citrus limon peel extract, Citrus aurantium dulcis fruit extract, Malus domestica fruit extract, Hamamelis virginiana extract, Sucrose, Camellia sinensis leaf extract, Avena sativa kernel extract, Sodium pca, Chamomilla recutita flower extract, Glycerin, Unknown
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Worth comparing, line by line.
Match % combines shared ingredients, the first five ingredients, shared actives and hero ingredients, irritancy (lower counts in the alternative's favour), texture and body area. Only products in the same routine step are compared.
| January LabsDaily Brightening TonicYOUR PRODUCT | ManufakturaCalming Face Toner with Daisy | ZO Skin HealthExfoliation Accelerator | Deviant SkincareGentle Resurfacing Liquid | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match | — | 55% | 50% | 49% |
| Price | — | — | $69.99 | $52.00 |
| Shared key ingredients | — | 4 of 8 | 3 of 8 | 3 of 8 |
| Key difference | — | Niacinamide | Retinyl Palmitate | Salicylic Acid |
| Irritancy | High | High | Medium | Low |
| Drying alcohol | — | — | — | — |
| View product | Shop | Shop | Shop |
More alternatives: Versed Skin Weekend Glow Brightening SolutionMadara Cosmetics Tónico Calmante
Product summary
"January Labs - Daily Brightening Tonic" is effective for: Exfoliation and Evens skin tone
This product could be helpful for: Anti-aging and Moisturizing, but its actives are not the most effective or are not well-studied.
Ingredient callouts
- This product contains acids (lactic acid 2.00% - 2.90%). Their concentration is low, and they will not have a strong exfoliating effect. Instead, they work to support the skin natural acid mantle and to attract water (as humectants). Lactic acid is particularly good in attracting water to the upper layer of the skin and improving the skin barrier.
- Humectants (glycerin 1.10% - 1.70%, lactic acid 2.00% - 2.90% and sodium pca 3.40% - 5.10%). These ingredients help attract water to the upper layer of the skin and improve the skin hydration.
Price
The product retails for 32.00$ in the United States and from 29.00£ up to 184.00£ in the United Kingdom.
For a detailed price comparison: click here.
Sources cited in this review
Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 8 studies and safety reviews.
- 1Epidermal and dermal effects of topical lactic acidncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 2Dual Effects of Alpha-Hydroxy Acids on the Skinpdfs.semanticscholar.org
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
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