Leave-On Alpha Hydroxy Acid Products

Photo Credit: AlphaHydroxyAcidCrea

For those who aren’t interested in using peels as their main method of exfoliation, there are a lot of superb leave-on AHA products that can work just as well at smoothing and evening out your skin tone. I like leave-on AHA products because they are less extreme than using high strength AHA peels, but offer very similar results just over a longer period of time. Also leave-on AHA products can be mixed or buffered with skin lightening serums and creams to enhance the penetration and melanin inhibiting effect which does create more powerful lightening results. 

Below are some of the top leave-on AHA products in my opinion. I’m always open to new suggestions so if you know a great alpha hydroxy acid product, please feel free to comment and let me know!

MD Forte Facial Lotion (I, II, III)

Without a doubt, the MD Forte Facial Lotions are the leading alpha hydroxy acid products out there. They have the correct pH, high potency of glycolic acid and a reasonable price tag for a product that delivers so much. Excellent product and I highly suggest the II or III strength if you are looking for dramatic results.

Neostrata Oil-Free Smoothing Lotion (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3)

Neostrata is the gold standard brand when it comes to AHAs. They are a Canadian based company that offers excellent, high quality products. Their smoothing lotions are awesome. They come in 3 strengths and have the correct pH. The oil-free smoothing lotions contain glycolic acid up to 10%. These products are great for novices to AHAs or sensitive skin types. You can never go wrong with Neostrata IMO.

DDF Holistic Lightener
I used to use this little skin lightening + exfoliating serum four eyes ago. It contains a host of botanical extracts are a bit weak in concentration but still enough to produce a lightening effect on the skin. This lightener contains glycolic acid as its main active ingredient. Read my review on it: http://allaboutskinlightening.blogspot.com/2009/11/product-review-ddf-holistic-lightener.html

NuCelle 3 Mandelic Acid 15% Serum

I’ve already boasted about the excellence of mandelic acid in the Makeupartistschoice 25% Mandelic Acid Peel blog post, this is very similar just in a convenient leave-on form. NuCelle is a wonderful company that has been picking up a lot of buzz for their mandelic acid products. This serum contains 15% and has the ideal pH of 2.5. 

Paula's Choice RESIST Daily Smoothing Treatment 5% Alpha Hydroxy Acid

This is a brand new product by Paula’s Choice (I love her products!). It contains 5% glycolic acid and 0.5% salicylic acid and a end result pH of 3.5-3.8 which is perfect for optimal absorption and less excess irritation. Highly recommended very sensitive skin types.

NOTE: The links I provided for each product are not the only sites/vendors that sell them. There are other sites that sell these same products for less. I assume if you are interested in a particular product, you’ll want to browse around for the best price.

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