Mandelic Acid Success!
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free skin care · Tue Apr 03, 2007 6:53 pm

How many of you use/ have had success with mandelic acid products? I am 40, have combo leaning towards sensitive, acne-prone skin and I have had immense success with mandelic acid products! I have tried MA products by Vivant and Nucelle and have liked both. I think the results I'm achieving are even better than with glycolic acid. My skin looks so smooth and clear when I use products with MA -- I'm absolutely loving it! Smile

free skin care · Tue Apr 03, 2007 7:58 pm

Can you tell me exactly which products your using, and how often- I would love to get success like yours!

free skin care · Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:00 pm

Hi Lil-miss
I went through a mandelic phase last year and loved it's immediate effects; pore tightening, firming, peachy rather than bleachy results, but in the end it was probably too drying for me and once I added Ystheal to my regimen it became overkill.
Here's a review from back then for anyone who's interested
http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=15496&start=0

free skin care · Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:29 pm

Hi Ladies! Well Molly, what I gather from your post is that you were using the Vivant 15% Mandelic Acid serum, correct? The Vivant MA is a very strong product and it is alcohol based. I would only recommend it for people who's skin was very acclimated to high % of AHA's and a retinoid or who have extremely thick or very oily skin. I was using it after my skin was very acclimated to strong products and regular peels (I am a licensed esthetician so I give them to myself often!)and I also have thick skin. Even so, it kind of hurt upon application! Honestly I prefer Nucelle's MA serums to the Vivant, although the Vivant works well for some. Nucelle makes a 10% and 15% serum and both are alcohol free. Nucelle recommends that most everyone use the 10% and that only the oiliest, most problematic skins use the 15%. Supposedly your skin does not build up a "tolerance" to a certain strength of MA and whatever strength works for you will always work for you (this is what Nucelle tells me). I am having great success with the Nucelle 15% serum, but again I have thick, cystic acne prone skin and would suggest the 10% for most all other skin types. I use the Nucelle MA face wash (not to remove makeup tho'), the Nucelle MA toner (2% - I love this stuff! It's very hydrating and soothing), the Nucelle serum and then Skinceuticals C + E Ferulic, B5 serum and sunscreen in the a.m, Nucelle's antioxidant moisturizer or Eucerin Sensitive Skin cream in the p.m. I've been so happy with the results (smooth-as- a-baby's-bottom skin and no breakouts) that I've began to skip using my retinoid! (but I do want to get back on because I know that nothing else is an effective of a deep skin repairer)

Molly, since you were liking the results you were getting with MA, maybe a lower concentration would be just the ticket for you!

free skin care · Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:37 pm

Thanks for the advice Lil but I've seen quite mixed reviews of the others in terms of efficacy, although I was going to try the GOW 10%. Anyway, I'm choosing to go a completely exfoliant free route these days so it's sort of by the by.

free skin care · Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:44 pm

I hear ya Molly, you've got to do what feels good to you and your skin @ the moment...sometimes I go exfoliant free as well! P.S. What is GOW? I'm a newbie here Smile

free skin care · Tue Apr 03, 2007 11:02 pm

GOW=gardenofwisdom.com

free skin care · Wed Apr 04, 2007 6:50 am

I have been using MaMa lotion, which is a milder combo, that I got from skincarerx over a year ago. I use it only once a week since I have very sensitive skin, but it really helps with breakouts, pores and blackheads. I also found it calms the redness of a post-break out fairly fast. It does sting a little when you first apply, but quickly goes away.

free skin care · Wed Apr 04, 2007 7:00 am

Glad you've had success lil miss skincare Smile

I hardly find i need AHA/BHA prods anymore these days, Avene retinaldehyde products have helped my skin heaps.

I used too get so many blackheads till i started this.

free skin care · Wed Apr 04, 2007 7:21 am

Glad to hear the success stories, Ladies! I've seen a lot of raves for the MaMa lotion and Avene retinoids on makeupalley as well!

free skin care · Wed Apr 04, 2007 5:55 pm

I've been using Vivant MA for about 6 months now for a large pore on my nose and now am using it on spots on my cheeks. iT DID A GOOD JOB (TOOK ABOUT 3 MONTHS) to reduce the pore on my nose to a very much less noticeable size. I do not see as much difference in the other areas but the pores are not as noticeable there. I got occasional redness esp. in cold weather when my skin was dry.

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