If you have even remotely sensitive skin, the phrase “peel pad” can conjure up some pretty scary memories from one bad experience with an acid-soaked cotton round. We’re talking red T-zone, stinging cheeks, and flaky, patchy skin. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, if your exfoliating process is painful, you’re doing it wrong.

The key is to find a treatment that’s free of alcohol, synthetic dyes, and fragrances, and that uses natural — but still potent — ingredients to gently even skin tone. The new Whamisa by Glow Studio Charcoal Chai Tea Pore Refining Glow Pads fit the bill, targeting dull, uneven texture with three heavy hitters: aspalathus linearis leaf extract (that’s chai tea, for the non-botanists in the house), charcoal powder, and levulinic acid.

If you’ve ever put a tea bag under your tired eyes, you know how effective the stuff is at taking down puffiness and diminishing the appearance of dark circles. That’s because tea is full of antioxidants and caffeine that reduce inflammation and shrink blood vessels. When it’s the very first ingredient in the list, it’s safe to say you can push your red-skin worries aside. While the chai is soothing, the charcoal powder in the formula is drawing out bacteria and accumulated particulate matter (like dirt, cigarette smoke, pollution fumes, and pollen) and the levulinic acid is buffing away dead skin cells to reveal a brighter tone.

As with any exfoliant, there is potential to go overboard if you don’t follow instructions. Limit your use of the pads to once or twice a week after cleansing, preferably at night, since you’ll be more sensitive to sun exposure after. (You should always be wearing SPF, but it’s a must if you’re using any sort of acid in your routine.) You’ll likely notice an improvement in radiance after just one use, but stick with it for a few weeks to really see the magic.

Oh, and not that it really matters, but yes: The faintly spicy herbal scent will make you crave a big pot of chai tea, so you better have a kettle handy, too.

BUY NOW