Peach & Lily’s New Lactic Acid Serum Changed My Texture-Prone Skin

Raise your hand if Peach & Lily's Glass Skin serum rings a bell – it should, because it's pretty amazing stuff. Three years later, the K-beauty startup is back with a sophomore serum, the Power Cocktail Lactic Acid Repair Serum.

"It’s our most requested product," Peach & Lily founder and CEO (and esthetician) Alicia Yoon tells me over Zoom. "We took our time with this since we wanted to deliver something that could be as iconic as our Glass Skin refining serum." Enter: A lightweight, skin-transforming serum that hits the reset button to reveal brighter, clearer skin. Ahead, keep reading as I put this newcomer potion through the paces.

If there's one step in my routine that's gotten my complexion in the clear, it's exfoliating. My skin in particular has a serious love affair with lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that touts brighter, smoother skin as some of its many benefits. (My go-to lactic acid topical is Sunday Riley Good Genes, BTW.) Because of this previous success, I had very high hopes for Peach & Lily's Power Cocktail serum. Right off the bat, I loved the texture – milky and lightweight, but not runny. It absorbed quickly, and only had a very mild tingling sensation — not surprising, given its 10% lactic acid concentration.

"We selected lactic acid because not only is it resurfacing and works for sensitive skin, but it actually increases your skin’s natural moisturizing factors as well," explains Yoon. Sure enough, my skin not only felt smoother and softer, but also plumper as I tested the stuff out weeks ahead of launch. (In addition to the hero ingredient, Power Cocktail has potent botanicals like black ginseng, red algae, and probiotics to address signs of aging and support overall skin health.)

Normally, it takes about a month before I see visible results from a new product, months or years if it's anything related to my acne-related hyperpigmentation. However, within a week of replacing my nightly serum with Peach & Lily's new serum, I could feel the teeny-tiny texture bumps on my chin leaving the chat. After two more weeks, my normally spotty complexion was looking overall more radiant. What's more, I realized it had been a few days since I'd noticed a new zit. In other words, this stuff was actually helping me achieve my skin goals — and without irritating or causing a reaction.

Lest you think this is just another newcomer skin-care product, think again. According to Yoon, Power Cocktail is far from just another launch: "It’s my most personal product development process to date because the inspiration was my mom," Yoon, who has eczema, tells me. "We have such a special bond over skincare, and growing up, she was always the one who would try to help me figure out [my skin]." Being uniquely positioned to formulate something just for her mama — but at the same time, that would work for beauty lovers everywhere – I'd say she's more than created some skin-care magic (again).

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.