We just tried the exfoliator from Alicia Keys’ new skincare line Keys Soulcare, and OMG we are obsessed

Our skincare regimes have had a bit of a wake-up call over the past year. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we have learned the art of taking our time. We’ve slowed down and started treating our skincare as an essential part of our own self-care – using that extra time to revel in a bit of wellness.

This is why we are so intrigued by Alicia Keys’ new beauty brand Keys Soulcare, that’s on a mission to make products that aren’t just good for our skin, they’re mood-boosting and soul-singing too – and all at pretty accessible price points (ranging from £10-£35).

Alicia worked with board-certified dermatologist Renee Snyder MD to create a nine-piece line-up of goodies – including an exfoliator, cleanser, moisturising cream and face mask – that are free from nasties such as sulfates and parabens, cruelty free and, best of all, promote radiance both inside and out.

The Keys Soulcare Be Luminous Exfoliator is one of the products we’re most psyched about – a water-activated exfoliating powder that promises to gradually transform into a luscious creamy foam, gently buffing away dead skin cells and excess oil as you lather, de-dulling your face leaving it completely glowing, all while giving you a few blissful moments to yourself. Now we’re talking.

The formula, a powerful blend of antioxidant-rich green tea, exfoliating Hojicha powder and lactic acid – a gentle and hydrating alpha hydroxy acid – as well as mung beans and oats to promote a softer, smoother texture, seems like a winner to us. And when teamed with some much-needed therapeutic benefits, we’re well and truly listening.

So, what will five GLAMOUR staffers really think of the Keys Soulcare Be Luminous Exfoliator? Here, they put the product to the test…

The Product

Keys Soulcare Be Luminous Exfoliator, £22, Cult Beauty

Keys Soulcare Be Luminous Exfoliator, £22, Cult Beauty

The Verdict

Ella Simpson, Senior Marketing Manager

After working from home for over a year, trying out the Keys Soulcare Be Luminous Exfoliator happened to coincide with me returning to the office for a few days. The clean suburb breeze I’d become so accustomed to was abruptly replaced with the heavy, polluted air of central London. My skin felt clogged and oily when I got home – dramatically different to how clean and moisturised it felt when I’d left that morning.

This exfoliator was exactly what I needed – it gently buffed away any build-up and excess oil and left my skin feeling smooth, polished and glowing again. I tend to avoid a lot of exfoliating products because I find them too rough on my skin, however, what I liked about the Be Luminous Exfoliator is that you can choose how light or heavy you want it to be depending on how much water you add to the powder.

As a bonus, the scent is subtle, but felt very luxurious and indulgent – it really gave me a spa-like feeling, and the bottle looks so chic on my bathroom shelf. All in all, considering I’ve always been a bit of an exfoliant skeptic, I’d definitely use this product again and it’ll certainly be my go-to when my skin needs a refresh and to keep breakouts at bay.

Shei Mamona, Beauty and Features Assistant

Exfoliators are an essential part of my skincare routine, so I try to use one once or twice a week, as I don’t want to overly strip my already dry skin. I love the idea of this exfoliator, which is halfway between a physical scrub and a chemical one.

The moment it has contact with water, the powder formula transforms into a creamy, lathery foam before your eyes, just by creating some gentle friction between your hands. This exfoliator makes your skincare routine feel like a proper wellness experience, minus the pulling and tugging that often comes with physical scrubs.

As soon as I cleansed my skin, the dullness was gently buffed away, lifting impurities off the skin’s surface barrier, leaving a very clear, soft and radiant-looking finish. Although glow from within is becoming a bit of beauty cliché, it really is the best way to describe it.

Elle Turner, Deputy Beauty Editor

I’m so on board with what Alicia Keys is doing with Keys Soulcare. Each product is considered and thoughtful from start to finish. Before even trying the Be Luminous Exfoliator, I like the fact it comes in a pure powder form. It’s more sustainable, since adding water to products makes them heavier to transport and bulkier to package and it’s customisable as you can add more or less water yourself depending on how gritty or creamy you like it.

I usually stick to chemical exfoliation with skin acids as I find physical grains rough on my sensitive skin, but the antioxidant-packed Hojicha tea powder is beautifully gentle. The soft granules roll lightly across skin until they melt into a milky lather. But there’s a little boost of chemical exfoliation from lactic acid in there too, which is a milder choice for sensitive skin types.

The addition of nourishing oats left my skin feeling soft and fresh rather than stripped (which sometimes happens after exfoliating) and it doesn’t cause my skin to flare like most physical scrubs. The experience – from the ultra subtle baby lotion scent, to my calmed complexion – is totally peaceful and relaxing, which is why I look forward to this mini zen-fest every couple of evenings.

Dennis Lye, Creative Lead

Skincare is important to me, so I regularly exfoliate, at least once or twice a week depending on how my skin is looking. I like the feeling and the look of healthy renewed skin, and somewhat look forward to the ritual of taking care of myself and being consistent with what works for me, which is what Keys SoulCare is all about and I’m here for it!

As someone who has combination/oily skin, I do normally look for products that target excess sebum, but are gentle enough for the other areas of my face that are dry and more sensitive. I used to get it so wrong and on a warm day, my T-zone would get very shiny by the afternoon while the rest of my face would feel tight and dry.

The Be Luminous exfoliator is water activated and a little goes a long way. I simply add warm water and lather until it feels creamy and the bead particles dissolve, before gently buffing my face, massaging any leftover product down to the neck area. It leaves my skin feeling really radiant and fresh, with that fresh, clean feeling I adore.

Bandi Mazini, Partnerships Director

I have a complicated relationship with exfoliators, I can never seem to be able to truly commit to one and also really struggle to find ones that I like, mostly because so many are really abrasive on the skin.

So it was with a mix of trepidation and curiosity that I trialled the Keys Soulcare Be Luminous Exfoliator with its promise of brightening my skin and elevating my mood. I only needed a tiny amount according to the instructions on the bottle (huge thumbs up for me as this means it will last). I felt a bit like an apothecary dispensing the small pinch of grains on to my palm. Upon adding a bit of water and rubbing my hands together, it immediately created a creamy, satisfying foam.

Massaging the foam into my face felt like an indulgent ritual and it’s an added plus that the product has a very gentle, subtle scent which made the whole experience feel quite ‘spa’. What I enjoyed the most about the product was that it didn’t feel like your typical exfoliator, there was absolutely none of that gritty, abrasive sensation. It felt like it was genuinely nourishing my skin. And tellingly when I washed it off, my skin didn’t feel or looked stripped, rather it looked like it had left a protective film of glowing moisture on top.

I think the product is excellent and I would love to see what results it achieves when used together with the other products from the Keys Soulcare range, such as the Golden Cleanser and Skin Transformation Cream.