Collage: Jemeria Davison; Source images: Courtesy of brands Save Story Save this story Save Story Save this story Facials are one of my not-so-guilty pleasures, and whenever I spot Elemis on a spa's treatment menu, I know I'm in for a treat. I've long loved the British skin-care brand for its buttery cleansing balms , smoothing face oils , and rich face creams , all of which make their way into the brand's indulgent (and may I mention, wonderfully scented) spa treatments. So when I heard that the Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads had won a 2026 Allure Best of Beauty Award , I wondered if this little tub of pre-soaked pads would give me a fraction of that post-facial satisfaction at home.
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My skin certainly had plenty to gain. It's dry, sensitive , and still sporting the hyperpigmentation and melasma I picked up during my pregnancies. Seven years later, those dark patches are showing absolutely no signs of packing their bags. I'm always trying to get my skin a little smoother and more even-toned, but there's a catch: I already use prescription tretinoin , and my skin doesn't exactly appreciate it when I get overzealous with active ingredients.
That said, I'm not nearly as consistent with my retinoid as I'd like to be. Mine has to be refrigerated (for some reason), and some nights, the thought of walking downstairs to retrieve it is asking way too much from this tired mom. That's partly why these pads appealed to me: They're already soaked, require little brainpower, and seemed like an easy way to work a little exfoliation into my routine on nights when I’m not using a retinoid. But would they actually make a difference? A few fellow Allure editors and I gave them a try to see for ourselves.
What Makes Elemis’ Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads Different? My Experience Using the Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads The Results I Got From the Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads What Allure Editors Really Thought of These Pads Meet the experts What Makes Elemis’ Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads Different? Exfoliating pads aren't a new concept, so it really comes down to what's in the formula. And Elemis has a few interesting things going on here. For starters, there's the brand's patented tri-enzyme technology (a fancy name for a blend of papain, protease, and subtilisin), which works alongside lactic acid , an alpha hydroxy acid ( AHA ), to sweep away dead skin cells.
Enzymes work similarly to acids, but there’s still an important difference. “In an exfoliant, these enzymes break down the proteins that hold dead skin cells together, allowing them to shed more easily,” says Farhaad Riyaz , MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Plymouth, Michigan. Lactic acid, on the other hand, simply uses its acidity to loosen those bonds. Why use both? "Using two mechanisms could improve exfoliation without requiring a high concentration of either ingredient," says Dr. Riyaz. "That could give you smoother skin with less reliance on a strong acid."
As someone with very reactive skin, the idea of doubling up on exfoliants initially gave me pause. But lactic acid is gentle and actually one of the more sensitive skin-friendly AHAs out there, according to Chang Son , MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New Jersey. That's partly because its “molecules are larger than those of glycolic acid, so they don't p…