Mandelic Acid - No irritation - Good for all skin types
Is mandelic acid the new wave in chemical peels and anti-aging skin care?
Mandelic acid has several advantages over other chemical peel agents for skin treatment. There are now starting to be some skin products that contain mandelic acid.
What is mandelic acid?
Mandelic acid was discovered in a treated extract of bitter almonds. The German word for almonds is mandel.
Mandelic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). Glycolic acid is also an AHA. A difference between mandelic acid and glycolic acid is the size of the molecule. Glycolic acid is much smaller than mandelic acid and therefore penetrates the skin more deeply.
Advantages of mandelic acid over glycolic acid
Mandelic acid is not irritating and can be used daily
The fact that mandelic acid does not penetrate the skin as deeply as glycolic acid, makes mandelic acid sound not so effective as glycolic acid. This is the case if you are planning to do an infrequent deep peel. However, since mandelic acid does not penetrate so deeply it is generally not irritating. This lack of irritation means that mandelic acid can be used daily to remove dead cells from the surface of skin.
The daily use of mandelic acid daily results in a daily peel very effective, non-irritating exfoliation. The skin does not get red or sore. Additionally most of us find it easier to incorporate skin care into our daily routine. It is easy to forget, or put off, a weekly treatment.
Mandelic acid does not cause hyperpigmentation
Glycolic acid can cause darkening of skin in those with darker skin tones and those whose scars (including acne) are often a shade or two darker than the surrounding skin.
This hyperpigmentation response is a result of the inflammatory response to glycolic acid.
Mandelic acid since it does not irritate, it does not cause an inflammatory response, and does not cause hyperpigmentation.
Therefore, mandelic acid is recommended for every skin tone, including darker tones, those who have acne and anybody whose scars, new and old tend to be darker than the surrounding skin.
Mandelic acid has antibacterial properties
The antibacterial properties make mandelic treatment ideal for those with acne or the occasional breakout.
Popular products that contain mandelic acid
Mandelic acid is a major component of M2 Skin Refinish 20%.
This is a very popular product that used to be called MaMa lotion. The name was changed since some people thought it was a product for pregnant women. (Mandelic acid is safe for use in pregnant women.) When the name was changed, M2 Skin Refinish 20% was reformulated to remove all components that have been suggested to be harmful such as parabens. If you want an effective product that is free of potentially harmful chemicals this would be a very good choice.
M2 Skin Refinish 12% is also available if you want to start out with a less strong formulation. Prices are M2 Skin Refinish 20%, $44.50 and M2 Skin Refinish 12%, $42.50.
For further information about M2 Skin Refinish 20% including the other components, such as malic acid, ubiquinone and hyaluronic acid.
Another popular product is NuCelle Mandelic Serum 15%
NuCelle Mandelic Serum 15% does not contain such a wide range of addtional ingredients as the M2 Skin Care products. Besides mandelic acid NuCelle Mandelic Serum 15% contains algae extract. The price is $60.00.
The bottom line
Mandelic acid is a second generation chemical peel. It has the peeling power of other AHA’s but not the disadvantages. Get exfoliation, less pigmentation (not more), and less obvious lines and wrinkles without the irritation.
