I Tried the Viral Kojic Acid & Turmeric Cleansing Pads You’ve Seen All Over TikTok

If you're on TikTok, you’ve probably seen the Phor Essentials Kojic Acid & Turmeric Cleansing Pads during your nightly scroll. These exfoliating pads have been garnering tons of buzz lately for brightening dull skin—and according to the before and after results we’ve seen, they look pretty promising.

On this episode of Take My Money, host Kate Kesselman tests the viral beauty product herself to see if it’s really worth the hype or just another skincare trend to come and go. Check out her honest review, including her real before and after results in the video below.

In the video, Kate recommends starting off with a clean face. Next, she rubs the pad over her skin in circular motions."You want to leave the ingredients on your face for about a minute or so [before washing it off]," she says.

Some initial impressions Kate shares about the pads are that they "smell very citrusy and lemon-y" and though "[they don't] burn, [they] definitely [feel like they're] doing something to [her] skin."

On that note, Kate advises using the pads no more than 2 to 3 times a week. "I think too much would hurt your skin barrier, which you need [for protection] against daily elements."

So, do the exfoliating pads actually brighten and energize your skin as they claim? According to Kate, yes. "I feel like my face is a lot brighter—especially on my nose, which is the craziest part because my nose holds a lot of redness." She also raves that the pads make her entire face "so soft" like a "baby's bottom."

Watch Kate's full review above to see her photos and final takeaways.