I use Magic Molecule hypochlorus spray on my face after cleansing, as a toner of sorts. I mainly use it b/c I have super-sensitive, eczema- and irritation-prone skin. The jury remains out on whether it actually does anything for me, lol. I previously used the Tower 28 spray and had similar feelings. I figure it can't hurt, though!
We have been using hypochlorous acid for many years before any and all filler and laser procedures. If your skin. Is not thoroughly washed and prepped with this or similar before either procedures don’t do it! It does have a sticky feel and hard to apply other products on top. It’s also used for rosacea blepharitis. I predict this will not be mainstream for very long.
This is a great question--because it's drying and kills acne bacteria through oxidation it's great if you have acne that is caused by an excess of oil. Using retinoids, a great moisturizer and antioxidants in conjuction are great. Personally like when people use BP cleansers as masks so it isn't too harsh because you can over do it. HOCl is great for less intense cases or chronic conditions like eczema where you would not use BP!
I’ve been using the tower 28 spray since they came out with it for mask irritation! I still mask in public and it’s kept my skin from freaking out constantly. The times I forget to use it I get small whiteheads around my mouth within 24 hours.
Thank you for this breakdown on a very popular product category! I wanted to ask if you’ve reviewed any other Prequel products/ the overall line? I searched your name + prequel on TT but didn’t see anything, was curious to know your thoughts on them.
Does Tower 28 have any info regarding stability? I struggle with eczema and have been using the SOS spray regularly for years. I usually keep the 16 oz refill bottle on hand, but now I feel wary of having such a large volume sitting around. Informative post, thanks!
Would this be good for inner thighs? Having thicker thighs has lead me to a lot of chub rub and pimples there all the time and even when I use acids and moisturizer they don’t seem to go away.
I’ve often used Solution Dakin for small infections and to draw out splinters. It’s excellent. I don’t think I’d use it on my face though! Is it the same or have I misunderstood?
Solution Dakin is diluted sodium hypochlorite, not isolated hypochlorous acid. It is different don’t put anything on your face unless the brand explicitly says so and was tested for it.
Thank you Charlotte for an informative post. I agree that HOCl seems to be more trendy than necessary, but what kills me is how this stuff is marketed with jacked up pricing. Argh! Save your money for your actives!
I'm a bit disappointed with Prequel's HOCl (hypochlorous acid). This is a Dermatologist founded skincare line, yet it appears to make claims that its ingredients do not back up.
HOCl is a substance that is made naturally by your body's immune system as a microbiocidal response. HOCl gained popularity in the healthcare industry during COVID-19 when germicidal agents were in short supply and high demand.
It's made by electrolyzing water (H2O) and plain salt (NaCl) at the proper pH of 5.5 or less, (see https://hocl.com/hocl-chemistry for more on its chemistry). At a pH of 5-6, most of your product made will be HOCl, but there will still be some "leftover" starting compounds of H2O and NaCl. The URL above has a great graphic that demonstrates how pH sensitive this process is (e.g., too basic and you've just made bleach).
HOCl is sensitive to degradation (https://doi.org/10.1039/c9cp03439k) due to exposure to light, air, and elevated temperature (above room temperature of 25C/77F) and changes in pH (see this article doi: 10.4265/bio.22.223), which is why the shelf life can be short.
Most reputable makers of HOCl for disinfection have the ability to create HOCl with ultrapurified water, seal their bottles and use sprayers to reduce air introduction, and bottle HOCl in opaque light-proof containers, giving them a shelf life of about 18-24 months with proper use (e.g. you don't break open the container, expose it to heat).
So, what are those "soothing minerals" claimed to be in Prequel? Unless they are there but not listed in the ingredients, the only external compound Prequel's HOCl lists is the preservative, sodium phosphate, which is a legitimate stabilizer (https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2019236752A1/en), but I wouldn't call it "soothing" and referencing your preservative as such is disingenuous.
So which is better, Tower28 or Prequel? Neither unless you like wasting your money. Go to Amazon and buy a bigger bottle for the same price. Your criteria 1) Reputable brand (CleanSmart/SkinSmart, BrioTech, and even Morton Salt makes it (search B0BNNWD8Z1)--and its $12.95 for 32 oz!), 2) Proper Concentration percent/ppm HOCl of 0.014%/140ppm to 0.02/200ppm) (WHO recommends 0.015%/150ppm for disinfection) 3) Opaque, sealed spray container 4) Ingredients listed in %/ppm 5) Expiration date or guidance (e.g., 18 months from initial opening).
You don't need 500 ppm (used for fogging) and diluting it exposes it to air and even distilled water is not sufficiently pure to replicate manufacturer conditions. Ignore the advertising bias (this is for pets, kid toys, your face, your toilet--it's ALL THE SAME).
Keep it cool outside of a shower area (in the fridge in summer is refreshing after a run), label it with the opening date and yes, definitely wait until your face is dry before continuing onto your skincare routine for best results.
I have rosacea, eczema and sensitive skin. As you point out, Charlotte, we don't have data to understand how it affects the skin microbiome; I use HOCl less on my face than I do on my eye lotion roller and other skincare tools, my hair brushes, my sink, and my scalp where it helps with dandruff--it has even helped get stains out of my clothes! I think it's a useful product, but you're right, most people probably don't get much benefit from it. So, if you do use it, buy it cheaper!
I use Magic Molecule hypochlorus spray on my face after cleansing, as a toner of sorts. I mainly use it b/c I have super-sensitive, eczema- and irritation-prone skin. The jury remains out on whether it actually does anything for me, lol. I previously used the Tower 28 spray and had similar feelings. I figure it can't hurt, though!
We have been using hypochlorous acid for many years before any and all filler and laser procedures. If your skin. Is not thoroughly washed and prepped with this or similar before either procedures don’t do it! It does have a sticky feel and hard to apply other products on top. It’s also used for rosacea blepharitis. I predict this will not be mainstream for very long.
Yes! And couldn't agree more. Use this to keep skin clean after procedures too.
Benzoyl peroxide works by oxidative action too right? What's the difference between that and hypochlorous, how do you pick which is best to use?
This is a great question--because it's drying and kills acne bacteria through oxidation it's great if you have acne that is caused by an excess of oil. Using retinoids, a great moisturizer and antioxidants in conjuction are great. Personally like when people use BP cleansers as masks so it isn't too harsh because you can over do it. HOCl is great for less intense cases or chronic conditions like eczema where you would not use BP!
I’ve been using the tower 28 spray since they came out with it for mask irritation! I still mask in public and it’s kept my skin from freaking out constantly. The times I forget to use it I get small whiteheads around my mouth within 24 hours.
Thank you for this breakdown on a very popular product category! I wanted to ask if you’ve reviewed any other Prequel products/ the overall line? I searched your name + prequel on TT but didn’t see anything, was curious to know your thoughts on them.
Does Tower 28 have any info regarding stability? I struggle with eczema and have been using the SOS spray regularly for years. I usually keep the 16 oz refill bottle on hand, but now I feel wary of having such a large volume sitting around. Informative post, thanks!
Is there good data on whether you need to spray it directly on skin? could you spray it on a cotton pad instead?
Isn’t HOCl only stable for a couple weeks? And then starts to degrade?
Would this be good for inner thighs? Having thicker thighs has lead me to a lot of chub rub and pimples there all the time and even when I use acids and moisturizer they don’t seem to go away.
thank you for this!! any thoughts on the e11ement formulation?
Need to check it out! Haven't heard of it but if it shares pH, how it's stabilized and isn't out of your budget you should be in a good place x
I’ve often used Solution Dakin for small infections and to draw out splinters. It’s excellent. I don’t think I’d use it on my face though! Is it the same or have I misunderstood?
Solution Dakin is diluted sodium hypochlorite, not isolated hypochlorous acid. It is different don’t put anything on your face unless the brand explicitly says so and was tested for it.
I would never do that !!!
THIS STUFF IS SO MUCH CHEAPER ON AMAZON
Thank you Charlotte for an informative post. I agree that HOCl seems to be more trendy than necessary, but what kills me is how this stuff is marketed with jacked up pricing. Argh! Save your money for your actives!
I'm a bit disappointed with Prequel's HOCl (hypochlorous acid). This is a Dermatologist founded skincare line, yet it appears to make claims that its ingredients do not back up.
HOCl is a substance that is made naturally by your body's immune system as a microbiocidal response. HOCl gained popularity in the healthcare industry during COVID-19 when germicidal agents were in short supply and high demand.
It's made by electrolyzing water (H2O) and plain salt (NaCl) at the proper pH of 5.5 or less, (see https://hocl.com/hocl-chemistry for more on its chemistry). At a pH of 5-6, most of your product made will be HOCl, but there will still be some "leftover" starting compounds of H2O and NaCl. The URL above has a great graphic that demonstrates how pH sensitive this process is (e.g., too basic and you've just made bleach).
HOCl is sensitive to degradation (https://doi.org/10.1039/c9cp03439k) due to exposure to light, air, and elevated temperature (above room temperature of 25C/77F) and changes in pH (see this article doi: 10.4265/bio.22.223), which is why the shelf life can be short.
Most reputable makers of HOCl for disinfection have the ability to create HOCl with ultrapurified water, seal their bottles and use sprayers to reduce air introduction, and bottle HOCl in opaque light-proof containers, giving them a shelf life of about 18-24 months with proper use (e.g. you don't break open the container, expose it to heat).
So, what are those "soothing minerals" claimed to be in Prequel? Unless they are there but not listed in the ingredients, the only external compound Prequel's HOCl lists is the preservative, sodium phosphate, which is a legitimate stabilizer (https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2019236752A1/en), but I wouldn't call it "soothing" and referencing your preservative as such is disingenuous.
So which is better, Tower28 or Prequel? Neither unless you like wasting your money. Go to Amazon and buy a bigger bottle for the same price. Your criteria 1) Reputable brand (CleanSmart/SkinSmart, BrioTech, and even Morton Salt makes it (search B0BNNWD8Z1)--and its $12.95 for 32 oz!), 2) Proper Concentration percent/ppm HOCl of 0.014%/140ppm to 0.02/200ppm) (WHO recommends 0.015%/150ppm for disinfection) 3) Opaque, sealed spray container 4) Ingredients listed in %/ppm 5) Expiration date or guidance (e.g., 18 months from initial opening).
You don't need 500 ppm (used for fogging) and diluting it exposes it to air and even distilled water is not sufficiently pure to replicate manufacturer conditions. Ignore the advertising bias (this is for pets, kid toys, your face, your toilet--it's ALL THE SAME).
Keep it cool outside of a shower area (in the fridge in summer is refreshing after a run), label it with the opening date and yes, definitely wait until your face is dry before continuing onto your skincare routine for best results.
I have rosacea, eczema and sensitive skin. As you point out, Charlotte, we don't have data to understand how it affects the skin microbiome; I use HOCl less on my face than I do on my eye lotion roller and other skincare tools, my hair brushes, my sink, and my scalp where it helps with dandruff--it has even helped get stains out of my clothes! I think it's a useful product, but you're right, most people probably don't get much benefit from it. So, if you do use it, buy it cheaper!