40% Glycolic Acid Peel for Acne, Scars, Age Spots & Lines

This is an update, and I found when I purchased before, I was frustrated the reviewers were all posting after one use. I have been using this for a year and a half. Off and on, I have to skip sometimes due to times I know I will be in the sun and I know this leaves my skin more sensitive to it. When I use it, by the third treatment, people notice it looks fresher, and comment. Lines visibly diminished, pores diminished. I have had botox in conjunction a couple of times and it definitely makes a great combo. It is effective at evening the color and removing spots. I started using it on the backs of my hands and saw more dramatic results there. Color spots are removed and they look smoother. The backs of the hands don't look red or visibly peel after application, but still show results. To make brown spots go away, a good sunblock is essential. They won't diminish nearly as much if you neglect this. They come back faster too without sunblock. I stick with 25 minutes as the time to leave it on. This makes the skin pink for a few days, a little rough for about three days, though it doesn't look very flakey (except up close) or red. Most people think I was just out in the sun. I left it on for 30 minutes which did leave a little scabbing, though no scarring. That also lasted about 3 days. It actually left good results, but that means looking like you fell on your face for a few days. I've had peels in the doctor's office and at home, but they always used 20%, and I never really noticed much of a change. After two times in the doctor's office, only to have the peel applied by a bored teenager, who set the timer and told me to rinse after the timer went off, I decided to go with the home version. 20% at home after four times was not showing any noticeable result. I decided to go with this higher strength and was somewhat hesitant as many results complain of the pain. I am a male, which may make a difference, since I have read men's skin is thicker and less sensitive than women's. Rather than go with the cautious 1 minute application, I went with the lower end "regular" peel of 3 minutes. I noticed it must be stronger as I did have definite stinging, although I have to say it was very superficial, with the intensity of an itch, not full-on burning. I wasn't distressed or uncomfortable. The stinging does intensify when you rinse with the baking soda and water, but it still is not all out painful. The next day I did notice the top layer of skin felt rough and dry, which I think is exactly what I wanted. I could notice a slight redness, though my friends really didn't. The redness was very slight. After three days, I am seeing better looking skin where the peel completed, though it's still working. For me, this strength seemed perfect. It is aggressive enough to produce a result, but didn't cause any unexpected problems or discomfort. Though I could feel it myself as far as the top layer being taken off, and up close I could see it, no one asked what was going on with my face, or said that they could see it after I told them.

This is my first review so bare with me. My background: I am a 27 year old African American. I have a dark skin tone of maybe Fitzpatrick skin type V, and I use this product to treat hyperpigmentation. I also have oily skin, which tends to be a problem as well. Before I begin, I'll let you guys know that this is not my first time using Glycolic acid for treatment. I started in January of this year with a glycolic cream of 8%, and I have carefully progressed from there. I am from the Gulf Coast, so I experience a lot of hyperpigmentation in my face from working out in the sun. When I realized that the hyperpigmentation on my face did not fade during the winter (as it usually does along with my arms and legs), I became concerned and began my research for solutions. After reasonable consideration, I decided to give glycolic acid a try. June 2, 2014: I purchased this product after I completed a sample of 35% glycolic acid – lactic acid serum. I received my product on time as anticipated; however, I was a bit hesitant because of all of the negative reviews that I have read about it. I also didn’t see too many reviews from people of my age group or skin complexion; yet then again, I did not spare the time to read all of them. So after about a week, I finally decided to give a shot. June 12, 2014: I followed the instructions to the letter. I did the patch test, which worked out fine. A week later, I performed my peel. First, I cleansed my face with an organic clarifying cleanser and I made the mistake of using alcohol pads after. I did not realize how much it was irritating my face from rubbing my skin too hard until I applied the glycolic acid 10 minutes later. Yikes! Never again will I apply alcohol that way. I wasn’t able to keep it on for an entire 2 minutes. After about a minute and thirty-something seconds, I dipped my face in a sink filled with cold water. Once I rinsed the solution completely off, I patted my face dry and applied a generous amount of Aloe Vera gel. The next day, my face was firm but no signs of irritation from the night before. I did notice most of my hyperpigmentation gone but not all of it. I still had some dark spots from acne, but that is okay because I know that it takes time for things like this to work out the way I want. July 3, 2014: So the second attempt took place three weeks later after my skin healed. Mostly the same process with some changes: I used cotton swabs and witch hazel for my toner. This made a bid difference in the experience. I was able to last for 3 minutes this time. No burning and no irritation. The dark spots have faded some more and my natural glow has returned. I have now completed my third treatment. I still have some dark spots that are fading slowly but surely. I should have mentioned this before, but I do wear sunscreen underneath my concealer when I go out. It is a SPF 70 and my concealer is an SPF 15. I know it’s a bit much, but you can never be too careful down here in southern Mississippi. I also try to stay out of the sun as much as possible. So as far as fitness goes, it’s either at the gym or at home. In conclusion: I am very satisfied with this product. My skin glows. I wear less makeup because of it (concealer, eye makeup, and gloss/lip balm). I hope this review helps others (especially the ones like me) in their decision to purchase this product. Just make sure you check with a dermatologist first to see if this will work in your best interest. I didn’t do that (my bad). Fortunately for me, I knew enough about my skin to research and find out what works best for me. Thank you 

To get a chemical peel in the dertmatologists office, you have to spend 100 bucks or more, and this is the exact same product they use. Before you spend 50 bucks a tube on products like Clinique's Dark Spot Corrector, or Neostrata's Skin Lightening Cream, (which don't even work for some people, and you have to use it for at least 3 months to see minimal results if in fact, it will work for you at all), try these chemical peels. You get results after the first application. I've read the reviews on this and other peels, and the overwhelming majority of people have had great results, and it seems to me the one's who haven't, or burned thier skin didn't use it correctly. They probably got overzealous and jumped right in and left the product on way too long instead of starting off slow, one-two minutes at a time for the first couple of applications and working up from there, and/or started out with a much stronger concentration than they should have. If an individual uses this product correctly, I honestly don't see how it can't help everyone to at least some extent. If you are just starting out, begin with a low, or at least medium strength peel, and the first couple of times, only leave on for 1-2 minutes max until you can determine your skin's reaction, and you are also builing up a tolerance. If you suffer from acne scarring, as I do, you owe it to yourself to try this product. I only wish I found it a long time ago and saved myself from years of looking the way I did when I didn't have to. I've done 5 peels so far, (one every week) and my skin is vastly improved. My scars are fading, and my skin has a more even texture and a healthy glow. I'm going to move up to the 70% peel as soon as this bottle is finished. Read the directions, and take it slow. Things to keep in mind are to use a good sunscreen moisterizer and to lightly wash your face while you are peeling (do not scrub). For me, I would be red and scabbed for the first 3 days or so, then the top layer of skin would start to come off naturally in the shower over the next couple of days. Do not exfoliate your skin until all the redness and scabbins are gone. If you do, you'll mess up your skin even more. Also, for men, do not shave while you are red and scabbed, (you might not scab, some do, some don't), but be sure to wait until your face is all healed. Also, be sure that your face is completely back to normal for at least a few days before peeling again. Good luck!

As everyone tells you: Research, Research, Research before you start the chemical peels. Too many people have just dabbed on some acid and burned their faces so bad they had to live with scars or cough up money to see a plastic surgeon. If you are buying this item, I'm sure you are trying to save money, so do it right. I will tell you how I've used this product and I have had great success. First, I bought this product when I was about to lose it with my facial blemishes. Nothing was working and my old school dermatologist prescribed me some antibiotics and sent my on my way. I knew a friend who was spending hundreds of dollars on facial peels for her acne and fine lines. Being the DIY gal I am, I decided to see if this could be done at home. Well, yes it can. Here's how I did it. I bought the Skin Obsession 40% Glycolic Acid from Amazon. I didn't know if this would be too strong, but I had been using M2 Skin Refinish for a while, which has 20% Malic and Mandelic acid. This was working real well to help heal the blemishes and keep them somewhat under control, but I wanted them gone forever. When the bottle arrived in the mail, I was scared. So many people get burned, but I trusted my body and how my face was feeling. I started by washing my face really well with a light cleanser. After drying my face I took a cotton ball moistened with alcohol and swabbed over my face. I repeated this (new cotton ball with fresh alcohol each time) until I was certain I had removed all of the oils on my skin. While my skin dried further, I made sure to have a sanitary work area in my master bath by disinfecting the sink and around the sink. I filled the sink with cool, but not cold water and added about 1/3 cup of baking soda and stirred this around until the baking soda was dissolved. This sink of baking soda water would be my neutralizer. I took a small glass dish and pored in some of the acid. The gauze pad that came with the acid was great. I took a deep breath and as careful as I could I made even passes all over my face with the acid soaked gauze. Holy FIRE did it burn! I kept it on 30 seconds before my fear got the best of me and I neutralized my face with the baking soda water. The acid sizzled and burned hotter for just a second before sweet relief came. IF IT BURNS BADLY, NEUTRALIZE! I kept it on the perfect amount of time for me. I waited for my face to cool off and then washed with a very mild facial soap. I moisturized with some Dove deep moisture cream and went to a friend's house. My face might have been a touch red, but it was not noticeable. Within a couple days my face became a little flaky and the lightest peel occurred. Once the flaking was done, my skin had never felt so smooth. I have continued to do this every 14 days for 8 weeks and my skin had improved drastically. Each time I can wear it longer before I neutralize, but I am taking a long break now. I have achieved a lot and I owe it to this product and M2 skin refinish. With both of these products I have improved my blemishes and fine lines. I will continue to use and recommend Skin Obsession in the future. By the way, you also get a sample of Microdermabrasion crystals, which are also amazing!

Hi all, I just wanted to review the Skin Obsessions 40% Glycolic acid peel. First of all, I am Canadian so getting this product was a real pain in the tuckus because it took forever to arrive, but it did, so I digress. Number two, as a Canadian customer you end up paying at least $20 for shipping (depending on your location, I am in B.C). Number three, I have scarring from acne and sun damage, as well as an uneven skin tone, and that is the reason that I ordered this product. The product is okay because it has faded some of my scars a little, but it has created a huge problem at the same time. I used the product in the exact same manner as described per the instructions on the letter that accompanies the product, but it still burns my skin off. Little to big patches of skin have been burned off that leave scars behind that will not fade. I have tried to use the product at three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine or even ten minute ranges, but no matter what time range I used I still end up with burned skin. I don't mean a little redness, I mean like a first degree burn, it will heal, but it still leaves an awful scar. Also, there is little peeling or flaking unlike with other glycolic peels, because the peeling and flaking ensure that new skin is being born. Overall, It does vary from person to person, and your results may not be as drastic. But in no way would people expect to get burned, and with scarring to boot. It does save you money because you pay less than going to a dermatologist, but you may be losing than gaining because you might end up with more scarring than you started with. I hope this is helpful to you guys. Good luck with this product if you choose to go ahead with it :)

Day 1 - I just used this peel about 25 minutes ago - I am a beginner in terms of doing peels myself but I have gotten many professionally when i was younger to help with acne. A few things to note: I left this peel on for the minimum 3 minutes for this first usage. I also purchased a neutralizer to use instead of the baking soda and a medium fan brush. After following the instructions carefully, I applied a thin layer starting with my forehead and then cheeks, chin, and finally nose. after a few seconds there was a tingling sensation that intensified slightly throughout the time i left the peel on. A fan or your hair dryer on cool air settings can help relieve any discomfort during the peel, but be careful to remain aware of the pain level in your skin otherwise you might be burning and not realizing it. The tingling definitely approached "stinging" level but did not ever feel like it was "burning". I got a lot of red splotches on my face towards the end of the three minutes, especially on my forehead and chin. By the time i applied the neutralizer with cotton swabs the stinging definitely was getting uncomfortable. As the instructions indicated, the stinging definitely increased for about 30 seconds before rapidly vanishing after applying the neutralizer. Rinsing with cold water after relieved quite a bit of the redness that showed up during the peel. I will be applying sunscreen and moisturizer over the next few days while i wait for results. Will update as the peel progresses! Day 2 - Having some general tightness in my skin and a feeling in certain areas of a rough texture which makes me think certain areas of my face will definitely peel in the next day or two. Not having any issues with redness etc, my facial tone seems improved today from before the peel and the acne (i was having a really bad breakout) has been greatly reduced in size and is well on the way to healing :) Will post more updates as my peel continues! Day 3/4 - slight peeling on my skin, skin is looking brighter, acne is looking much better (I was having a terrible breakout when I first applied the peel with almost 8-9 pimples all around my chin/cheeks). Peeling is not so heavy that I can't wear makeup. All in all I would say that the peel was a success, i will continue to use this peel in the future.

I ran a test on my forearm. i washed my arm, cleaned with rubbing alcohol and then applied the glycolic peel solution, from wrist to elbow. I left it on for 3 minutes. It tingled slightly but nothing I would classified as hurtful. I rinsed off with the baking soda solution. I had no adverse reactions so a week later I tried my first application to my face. Cleaned my face with normal facial soap, then cleansed with rubbing alcohol, then applied the glycolic acid. I left it on for 3 minutes. It burned all over but I still thought it was tolerable. I rinsed with the water and baking soda solution. Some parts of my face felt burnt. The next day I noticed a fair amount of tiny scabs on my upper cheeks and forehead. It took about 4 to 5 days for those tiny scabs to come off. I want to note I never peeled. I thought I would give it one more try so 2 weeks later I went through the same cleansing routine and applied the glycolic peel. This time I left it on 5 minutes. Wow, it was burning so terribly. I couldn't wait to neutralize! But when I did it fizzed, literally fizzed when I first hit my face with the water/baking soda solution. It took a full minute for the burning to stop. My skin looked awful. It was not just red it had red bumps all over. Needless to say, the next day I woke up with a tiny scabs all over my face and I could still feel the bumps all around my mouth area. Again, it took 4 - 5 days for the scabs to fall off and I had no peeling. I have to assume the small scabs were caused by the burning. I think what I am most disappointed about is that I didn't experience any kind of peeling. The scabs were so tiny that no one really noticed them, though they definitely didn't feel good. It has been 3 weeks since I tried the second peel and I have to say, I don't think I am any worse off from trying this product, but I don't think it really provides the benefit that most people are looking for in a glycolic peel.

I have what I would consider sensitive skin - I don't break out when I use things, but I'm really careful what I use on my face and I don't usually use anything with strong chemicals. When I've gone for facials they've always said I have "baby skin." I'm 28 and I don't have a great track record of using sunscreen, so I've developed some fine lines. I also have really stubborn blackheads on my nose that haven't responded to ANYTHING. Ever. Not strips or masks or prescription lotions. I was really paranoid before I used this and researched the crap out of it. The peel came with really detailed instructions. I did slightly dilute the peel (by soaking the cotton ball in bottled water before I used it to apply the acid) since I was starting with the 40%. Remember that you're putting acid on your face - don't use a vial full of acid to concoct your own skincare products. Just follow the instructions. That said, I got amazing results - after just one peel (6 minutes) my skin looks smoother and the blackheads on my nose are much, much smaller and almost gone. Everyone else always thought my skin looked great, but the blackheads drove me nuts and now they're almost impossible to see without magnification. The biggest takeaway I got from reading a million reviews was that everyone's skin reacts differently to every different peel. You may be fine with a high-strength TCA peel, but not do well with a medium-strength Glycolic Acid peel, so just start every new peel (different brand/type/hell, every new bottle) over at the bare minimum and work your way up. Then baby your skin for the next few weeks - gentle moisturizers, no exfoliation, no AHA or intense night creams, lots of sunscreen. I'd say skip your regular cleansers and moisturizers for a few days and buy Cetaphil or Cerave products so you're positive you're not adding chemicals on top of a peel. The goal is to burn the top layer of skin off and let your skin heal itself. If you keep burning or exfoliating while your skin is trying to heal, you're going to cause scarring. I've had great results - I didn't know if my skin would tolerate a peel that was this strong, but it's been fine. I've not had any peeling or flaking that I could see. I'll update after I'm a few peels in, but I think that Skin Obsessions does a great job of riding the line between providing products that are strong enough to give results, and not giving people things that are going to be potentially damaging. This peel was the perfect in-between level and I feel like I can easily adjust the intensity based on how long I leave it on.

I used to have lot of acne due to pcos hormonal issue. I changed my life style, followed alkaline rich, gluten free and sugar free diet. Along with regular workout i have reduced my weight from 62 kgs to 53 kgs. My periods are regular now and I’m acne free for the last 8 months. I still had acne scars even after life style changes. After using this peel twice, my acne scars almost disappeared. Hope this review helps people who are looking for a good home peel treatment. P.S: After first day of use, your skin will turn red and slightly tingly, it will take nearly 5 days to peel off your old skin. fyi: I have normal to dry skin.

tingles and gives a decent peel ...way better then paying at a salon ...I like I so far and I use to get expensive peels...only used twice so far

Used it twice so far, once for 3 mins and 2nd time 10 mins. The second was too long and stung a lot. I had redness and some white spots after but after 4-5 days my skin looks amazing and my acne scars have faded a lot. I bought this for my acne scars. Can't believe the difference.

Mais ma peau supporte très bien

it's good but some part of my skin is very sensitive.. it causes black scars.. & it took 40-45 days to get invisible..if you are very new to this product buy 20% or dont put on sensitive part of your skin.. wash it as soon possible..