Aqua Glycolic Shampoo and Body Cleanser

2/27/2017 edit: It has been brought to my attention by haircare board that the new formulation does not have sulfates in the formula. :) From what I could find online Mederma owns Aqua Glycolic now so that might be the reason for reformulating. Not sure.
---------------
Edited to add for any newbies: AHA = alpha hydroxy acid. Glycolic acid is an AHA. :)

Aqua is now owned by Mederma. This formulation has 14% glycolic acid.
---------------
Someone on cafe (humanherp) posted about wanting to try asian haircare (her words not mine) so I took one for the team and tracked down an AHA shampoo.

Now, I have documented my shampoo journey quite a bit because it was a major issue. 99% of them dry me out/strip my hair. Cowashing isn't an option as it never cleansed enough. I have tried nearly all of the sephora/ulta options. I tried the sulfate-free, silicone free, natural, ect. options. The only shampoos that didnt strip my hair were actually dirt cheap from Pantene and Tresemme. It turns out for *my* hair type in particular, sulfates don't really matter but I *need* a ton of silicone.

The glycolic acid shampoos are mainly silicone free. And as I suspected, it does dry my hair out quite a bit after I rinse it out. BUT here is the weird part: my hair seems to be absorbing products a lot better due to the AHA. As soon as I apply conditioner, it turns silky.

I wanted to wait a bit before posting in case it turned out to be a fluke. I am a long time Olaplex user and my hair was in pretty damn good shape *considering what I've put it through*. Its down to my waist at the moment. I feel like the glycolic acid has even brought it up a notch. I guess the best way to describe it is the AHA preps my hair for deep conditioning, olaplex, and protein treatments. It's helping me get the full benefits.

Additionally, the glycolic acid is keeping any of those painful scalp pimples at bay. I really liked 2% zinc pyrithione shampoo when I was dealing with hairloss because it helped with the inflammation. Glycolic acid wont do much for any present inflammation HOWEVER it is great for preventing scalp acne from developing, which in turn helps with future inflammation.

I was actually a little bit scared to try it at first. I kept thinking what if the science behind it is actually bad news. AHAs exfoliate skin... is it going to slowly eat away at my hair? It won't. I was able to find a few studies explaining the results of AHA on hair incase anyone is curious.

"Researchers at DuPont have started investigating the benefits of glycolic acid as a haircare component. Using GlyPure, a cosmetic-grade glycolic ingredient, they ran a battery of tests on human, Caucasian hair, coming up with exciting results.

When hair was conditioned with a glycolic formula, it experienced less breakage when being brushed, wet or dry, than when it was conditioned with one of two readily purchasable conditioners. Additionally, researchers found that hair treated with GlyPure can withstand higher temperatures than hair treated with water and stearyl alcohol, even when that hair had been bleached.

DuPont is not sure of how, but it appears these effects are due to glycolic acid's ability to penetrate the hair shaft and directly impact the stability of keratin, the protein that forms hair's structure and contributes to its strength. " - NewBeauty (NOT AFILIATED)

Closing note, as with all beauty products: YOUR.MILEAGE.MAY.VARY.

My dermatologist recommended this product to help my dry flaky scalp. After using it for a few weeks I do feel like it has helped my scalp and it leaves my hair feeling clean and soft. The smell is pretty strong, but I don't really mind it. It kind of smells like a strong old lady perfume. One of the other benefits of this shampoo is that it is a very good clarifying shampoo. I have bleached blonde hair that seems to absorb everything which dulls the color. This shampoo restores my hair to a bright blonde. I bought this shampoo for about $13 off amazon. I'd buy it again for the price.

i purchased this to use as a body wash to treat my kp with and i was very underwhelmed with it. i don't recall the scent being awful but i didn't feel like as a body wash it did anything. it seems like the very favorable reviews come from it being used as a shampoo, which i know wish i had tried before i finished the bottle.

First I'll say, YEAH, this stuff smells strong - it reminds me of powerful Comet bathroom cleaner - but I will also say that while it's unpleasant it's not unbearable - this coming from someone who's quite fussy about fragrance, particularly strong scents. For the benefits I get from this shampoo, the smell is quite tolerable & luckily it doesn't linger in my hair after conditioning. [Shampoo scents I can't tolerate include Nizoral AD & Pureology Nanoworks - yeah that unacceptably expensive stuff.] Someone commented somewhere that this smells like original Pert Plus & that's exactly what it smells like!


I use Aqua Glycolic as a shampoo for my crusty scalp. I tried it as a face cleanser too & it's pretty good, though I prefer it for my hair instead. I already use on my face a high-glycolic lotion because my skin gets easily crusty (maybe a very mild hyperkeratosis), but I didn't have anything for my scalp & this shampoo came to the rescue. I even tried Nizoral which used to work for dandruff in the past but this time it wasn't doing the trick for the past 6 months. Framesi dry-scalp shampoo (recommended by some high-end hairdresser I went to once) wasn't working either. Apparently my scalp isn't dry, it's oily & flaky - yuck. Aqua Glycolic exfoliates my scalp so I can be free longer from itch & crusty flakes. I like it a lot & will continue to use it. It even clarifies my hair of chlorine & conditioner/product buildup. I alternate this shampoo with others, as I don't want to strip my hair too frequently. What ever happened to Joico K-Pak Chelating shampoo? If it's being discontinued, that's a real shame!

I decided to incorporate something with glycolic acid into my routine since I wanted to see if AHA would be good option to help combat seborrheic dermatitis and body acne. Seems this has worked well for both conditions for many. Well, it didn't help me much with either, but I did like the way this shampoo cleaned my hair. I washed once for about one minute, rinsed, lathered it up again and let it sit while I washed the rest of myself. My hair felt very clean and soft afterwards. I think I may keep this in rotation as an occasional, but not permanent, AHA hair and scalp treatment. I did try this a few times as a face wash and seems to clean well without overdrying, but AHA can annoy my facial skin, so alas I can't use it for that. Still recommend this product as one worthy of consideration if you're trying to incorporate AHAs into your routine.
UPDATE 7/31/11: I've been using this about two or three times a week at night and it's helped keep my scalp in good condition.

I use this as a body wash post-workout at the gym with an Aquis ex-foliating shower towel. I hate the smell of Aqua Glycolic - and it didn't clear my chest acne - BUT, it sure has cleared by bacne better than anything else.

Note that a little really does go a long way with this product. Worth trying if you have acne on your back.

However, I am looking for a product with a less chemical odor.

I expected more from the product in terms of obtaining an even skin tone after reading reviews hailing as effective in this area. I think it's rather pricy for a shower gel that will be rinsed down the drain after a minute or so on the body but I was so impressed by the reviews that I ordered it. It's a small amount for the price (8oz) & I didn't use it on my hair nor would I. The smell was more medicinal than relaxing but it didn't bother me either way. I've obtained better results with other products so I won't be purchasing this again. As for the exfoliation benefit, I get that from my soap & my staple Neutrogena body scrub which when combined doesn't exceed $25.

I bought this accidentally, thought I was buying the facial cleanser product from AG. I didn't want to take it back or pitch it so I decided to use it sparingly as a facial cleanser. It works great! I have washed my face with this, let it sit for a few minutes then with the AG still on exfoliate using a soft cloth. Can't believe how good my skin looks in the morning. I've also washed my face w/ Dr. Bronner's liquid soap (diluted!) then applied the AG as a mask. Works very nicely.

First time i used this - i hated the smell and thought man i just blew my money on multiple bottles of this stuff cuz it was on sale and had great reviews. As a shower gel I dont feel great with it. As a facewash I dont feel great with it. It wasnt until I used it as a shampoo that I was blown away in the idfference in my hair. Im sure its a great body cleanser but the bad scent and the unrefreshing feel I get from it kills the results for me and makes me not want to use it. Bathing is an EXPERIENCE I like to enjoy and this gave me no enjoyment. However, I would continue using this for my hair. I have normal-dry thin but lots of hair that is frizz prone. Becuase of all the chemical treatments I ve done to my hair it was dry. damaged and crackly and I just assumed my hair was all of the above naturally.

Point is now that my hair is chemical free ive been experimenting with different shampoos and conditions and discovered that the stuff that was necessary for chemically treated damaged hair was leaving my normal hair hard and heavy. This shampoo removed all the build up and left my hair fluffy and shiny and sikly and healthy. Will continue to repurchase and alternate into shampoo line up - BUT I HATE the scent.

This is my HG body product. This body wash has worked wonders for evening out my skin tone. It is helping to fade dark marks on my arms and back from mosquito bites, scars, etc. It makes my skin very smooth and soft. Shavers: Great for use if you struggle with ingrown hairs. I have always been a regular exfoliator but this body wash is something I cannot live without. I have repurchased this item three times since my initial purchase. I use it daily (sometimes every other day). Since using AQ I don’t have problems with the occasional blemishes I sometimes had on my back and chest. It doesn’t smell great but not horrible either….it IS a body treatment not a ‘smell-good’. The price cannot be beat. There are other GA body washes (glytone, etc) but you are getting exceptional value for your money with the Aqua Glycolic. One recommendation would be to offer a larger size bottle of this. One bottle lasts approx. 4 weeks of daily (or every other day) shower use. Nonetheless, I will still continue to purchase this item!