Alpha Hydrox • 10% AHA Gel • Treatments

mrskittypepper on 3/28/2013 9:56:00 AM more reviews by mrskittypepper

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Tan, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I LOVE this product. It’s the only thing that helps keep my acne at bay, granted it has not stopped my acne totally, I still get hormonal acne during that time of the month but it greatly helps. I use it in the morning along with an oil free SPF and at night with aloe vera gel. I stopped using it once for about a week and I noticed all these small red acne on my cheeks, so I started up again and it went away shortly after so I know this product is doing its job. I also really like the alpha hydrox face cleanser, I tried their night creams, the 10% cream and the soufflé, but both made my acne worse so I will just stick to the gel. I think it is also slowly helping with my acne marks as well but it’s a slow process. I can't really comment on it helping with wrinkles since I don’t use it for that but I imagine since it is helping a little with acne marks that it is exfoliating my skin in a good way and would probably help with wrinkles and or age spots. The price isn’t bad and I like the packaging since you can just squirt it out of the bottle instead of sticking my finger in there. I would and have recommended this product to a friend.

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Heath32 on 3/20/2013 2:16:00 PM more reviews by Heath32

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I bought this product almost a year ago because I had heard it helps get rid of blackheads and whiteheads, of which I have a generous amount. The first few times I used it, it stung a little, but didn't irritate or dry out my skin. I used it faithfully two times a day but didn't notice it making a huge difference. However, when I received the Olay Pro-x face brush for Christmas and started using that in conjunction, I noticed that my skin improved in look. I still had blackheads and whiteheads, but they were much reduced and smaller, probably because the brush got rid of dead skin cells and enabled the gel to sink in and be more effective. What really clinched it for me was when I lost the gel, and my skin freaked out. I have more whiteheads, the blackheads on my face are larger and some have even become raised, and I also have more pimples. I'm buying another bottle of this stuff asap; I didn't realize how much it was doing for my skin until I stopped using it.

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Ravenn on 3/9/2013 6:29:00 AM more reviews by Ravenn

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Olive, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

This is either too mild for me or it just doesn't work. They also seem to have changed the packaging because I got a clear tube of the gel, which I don't like because light can reduce the efficacy of the product. Would not buy again.

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jennsilentcrow on 7/6/2012 9:15:00 PM more reviews by jennsilentcrow

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Brown    

wake up clearer, smaller pores, no redness. Love it. I see results immediately. for real.

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AleneM on 6/17/2012 6:14:00 PM more reviews by AleneM

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I didn't see any results from this. It also felt uncomfortable on my skin, which tends toward the oily side.

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pshourie on 6/7/2012 5:45:00 AM more reviews by pshourie

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Horrible horrible product..was trying to make it work for a minor breakout I had because of using a Wrong shampoo but this only made things worse!I never NEVER get clogged pores but this made my skin so sticky and the most horrible breakout of mylife.I discontinued using it 4 weeks back but still I breakout!Need help to undo the damage!!Steer clear if u think this is for acne!

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PetitOwl on 5/25/2012 10:10:00 PM more reviews by PetitOwl

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

This stuff burned my face really bad. I had a red, itchy, and flaky patch for months after using this for about a week or two. At first I wasn't sure this was the cause of the red flaky patch, so I tried it on my forehead a couple of weeks ago. It started itching, so I washed it off after an hour. My forehead is still a bit dry and flaky right now, just not severely since I didn't leave it on for very long. I no longer get acne where the flaky patch used to be, so it kind of worked to improve my skin. However, I don't think it was worth the months of flakiness. I would recommend testing it out on a small patch of skin several times before putting it all over your face. Also, 10% might be too strong for some people. Even though I don't have sensitive skin and was only using this product once every few days, my skin reacted really badly.

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missixty5 on 3/28/2012 11:48:00 AM more reviews by missixty5

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I currently use this product once a day usually at night but will eventually use it under my sunscreen when my clinique resurfacing stuff runs out. It did sting a little when i put it on after my toner but it went away quickly. I have nice smooth skin every morning when i wake up so i am very satisfied with the product and price

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alexaober on 2/28/2012 10:47:00 PM more reviews by alexaober

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Oily, Tan   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I liked this product for a while until I realized it wasn't strong enough for me, but I really do like the Alpha Hydrox line of products but because I have severe skin isssues I need more intense stuff. But this is great it does what it say and there are no cons.

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cjMadamFresa on 2/20/2012 8:59:00 PM more reviews by cjMadamFresa

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Black, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

i have problematic skin: sensitive, easily irritated and red, oily t-zone, dry chapped cheeks, prone to cystic acne. a few months ago i probably wouldve given this product a 5. i saw the difference the next morning after i put it on for the first time. my skin was brighter and my pimples were less red and a lot smaller. but then my skin started to peel and i had random rough patches of dry dead skin on my face. to top it off i started to break out again and this time with a vengeance. after a while it stung my skin so i stopped using it just as the bottle was almost depleted. i would like to give this product another go once my face is balanced out.

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HelloKitty8698 on 10/2/2011 5:17:00 AM more reviews by HelloKitty8698

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Medium, Warm   Hair: Red, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

For reference I have oily, acne-prone, sensitive skin.
I have been using this for about 6 months now once a day along with their foaming face wash. Definitely worth the money I paid for it. It has made my skin a lot smoother and has eliminated my old acne and prevented almost all new acne other than an occasional pimple here and there. It did not dry my skin either. It did tingle a bit the first week or so that I used it but it was minor and it I don't feel a thing now. Definitely wear a sunscreen if you put this on in the morning because this does make your skin a bit more sensitive. Will definitely buy again!

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aa2204 on 8/14/2011 11:13:00 PM more reviews by aa2204

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

This gel in combination with the foaming face wash had eliminated flesh colored bumps (clogged pores) within a week - week and a half. I have been using it for two weeks (applied at night) and EltaMD sunscreen in the morning, and I am not experiencing breakouts, whiteheads or flesh-colored bumps (gross, I know! The result of washing my face with handsoap and too much sun while on vacation). In addition, I've been in the midst of moving (read: long hours of cleaning, sweating, not really paying attention to my skin), and my skin has been behaving. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

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*TOP REVIEWER* rickisyed on 6/14/2011 9:24:00 AM more reviews by rickisyed

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Oily, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I have very oily acneic skin but I also have sensitive skin. I have to find products that are tough on acne but gentle on the skin. This is a major issue for me. I have been using this gel for several weeks now, and ooohh, this can really sting at times, but it does help me with the texture of my skin (bumps), exfoliation, reducing scarring and most importantly cystic acne. I wake up with clear skin!!! however it is doing a number on my sensitive areas of my face, Im really torn on this product because where my face burns and stings, Im using hydrocortisone cream to bring down the redness. I only use this gel 2 times a week, and used in conjunction with ah's lightening gel (as spot treatment), has made my reduced my discoloration by 80% during these two weeks, no joke!. On the days I dont use this product, I use clinique's dramatically different gel. Besides I used to use Proactiv every single day and i successfully used it for 3 years until it recently stopped working, even several rounds of birthcontrol is not helping my skin. Im really torn on this product. I recently went to Ah's website and ordered the sensitive skin 8% ah cream. I will update my review if that suits my skin better than this 10% gel. So my conclusion its a great product, it stings like high hell. This needs to be buffered with something. I got this at ulta $11 minus coupons.

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inkonapin on 5/10/2011 10:15:00 AM more reviews by inkonapin

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I have been using this for 2 months now and am very pleased. I purchased this because I got a sample of Ole Henriksen's night gel, and liked it but wanted to try something less pricey. I am so glad I found this.


I started using this 2x a day almost immediately. If I ever noticed irritation, I backed off to 1x a day, but to be honest this has been pretty gentle. I added the 14% wipes to use as an extra boost at night sometimes. They both work great.


Prior to this, I was using a daily moisturizer and benzoyl peroxide sometimes. The odd thing is, since I started using the AH gel, I don't want to use a moisturizer. I have to force myself to use it because it has a sunscreen, which you really need to use with AH products. The areas of dryness I had before are gone now because of the AH gel. Not a benefit I was expecting!


I am always worried a new product will clog my pores or irritate my skin, especially when other reviewers report this happened to them. I am so glad I tried this anyway since it is working better than anything I've tried. The last time I was really excited about a new regimen, I was using Philosophy's Microdelivery Peel 2-step exfoliating mask every time I showered. It worked very well at first but eventually not so much. This is far better and much more affordable.


UPDATE 7/11/11: I am now using the 12% souffle during the day instead of this. Love the extra oomph from the souffle, and still no breakouts. Gel is still a great product.

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kmcartcart on 5/8/2011 10:14:00 AM more reviews by kmcartcart

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

As far as I'm concerned, this stuff is an absolute miracle worker. I have never used a product before that gave me such immediate and noticeable positive results. The morning after I began to use it my pores, which I have long since accepted would always be big and full of blackheads on my nose, were smaller. After a week, they got even smaller and my blackheads were much less noticeable. I also noticed an improvement in some lines on my forehead and in overall skin quality. The best part is that it doesn't seem to dry my skin out much. I use it at night and wake up with soft, clear skin.

This combined with a few other products has given me nearly perfect skin. After years of constantly dealing with one or two heinous blemishes at a time, I never thought that it was possible for me to have a good complexion. Now I spend a minute or two smiling at myself in the mirror every morning and night because I can't believe how even and clear my skin is. I 100% recommend adding an AHA product to your skin regime, although I do think that I'll try acne.org's AHA product next due to some of the recommendations on this site.

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Chocolatedog on 1/17/2011 7:58:00 PM more reviews by Chocolatedog

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

I love this stuff. I use it twice a day after cleansing, wait 10 minutes and then apply oil free lotion. My face has never looked better. When I first started it I had some mild tingling and redness on my chin area, but after a few days it didn't happen anymore. I think that this has helped regulate the oil on my face, I don't seem to get nearly as oily as I used to. I also find that it helps minimize pimples and heal them quicker.

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moonxxriver on 1/13/2011 4:16:00 PM more reviews by moonxxriver

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight   Eyes: Hazel    

While I normally would wait longer to review a product..I'm already loving this product so much that I had to write a review now. I bought this at Ulta about 2 weeks ago and I LOVE it. Obviously I haven't had any dramatic results yet but I've already noticed some fading in acne scars that I've had for years!!! My scars aren't very severe, but have always been noticeable enough that I have to use extra coverage foundation, plus concealer to cover it up and sometimes that still doesn't cut it. I use this every night after cleansing my face and using an ACV toner. I take time to gentle massage it into my skin. Then I wait about 20 minutes to fully let it sink in before I apply a moisturizer. The texture and color of my skin is already improving. I was kind of nervous because I've never used AHAs on my skin, and I've heard that it's really harsh for some people. This does not irritate my skin at all. You should be sure to use sun screen if you use this though, because it will make you more sensitive to sunlight. Some people complain about the packaging, but I see nothing wrong with it. I love this stuff and I will keep repurchasing because in my opinion, this is a fair price for this stuff. I'd still buy it if it costed more.

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shhchelle on 12/20/2010 1:16:00 AM more reviews by shhchelle

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

After all the raves about this product, I decided to give it a try to get my acne under control. It only aggravated it and I developed big, red, bumps (cysts) that I thought was due to "purging." But this hurts, and it's been a few days. I also think the alpha hydrox foaming cleanser has to do with my new issues....I am stopping both immediately. I agree, this is oil-free but the sea kelp extract is very clogging and sticky. Do not buy!

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BavSnob on 11/18/2010 7:47:00 PM more reviews by BavSnob

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

It's about time I reviewed this product. I have been using this on and off for years... recently my skin has been reacting to something, who knows what. Maybe my skin is reacting to the change in weather, maybe my trusty moisturizer isn't so trusty anymore, or maybe my skin is simply changing as I get older. I was getting strange small whiteheads here and there, they would spring up in the day (or over night) and disappear within a couple days. Either way, not cool, and I had to do something about it. I remembered how well my skin responded to AHAs, so I ordered this, the 10% lotion, AND the 14% swipes. I use the gel l in the morning under my moisturizer/sunscreen. I was using the lotion at night, and the swipes just once a week. Well yes, I dried out my skin a little too much with all the glycolic acid, but I kicked the problem skin to the curb and now my face is glowy and so smooth. Using the gel at night and under moisturizer is perfect maintenance now that I'm under control. I now use the lotion on my arms at night and still use the swipes once a week.
The price is right, packaging sometimes is hard to get your desired amount out of without taking too much, and the product itself is fantastic. It always gets my skin into shape, definitely a keeper!

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kmcool2007 on 10/10/2010 2:10:00 PM more reviews by kmcool2007

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight   Eyes: Brown    

I have acne prone, oily, dehydrated skin. I do NOT have sensitive skin and I rarely break out from products. This product, however, caused horrible cystic acne that would not go away. Even if this was the "purging" process, it was not worth it in my opinion. I used it for one month.

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