Mandelic Acid - Who Is It For?

Adult acne, blemishes, congestion, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, dull skin, uneven skin tone - Mandelic acid is an ingredient that can tackle all of these problems.

What is Mandelic acid?

Mandelic acid is an Alpha-Hydroxy Acid derived from bitter almonds. It has a larger molecular structure than glycolic acid, which makes it better tolerated on the skin. Mandelic acid also has skin-rejuvenating properties that can target signs of aging. Likewise, what makes Mandelic acid unique when compared to other Alpha-Hydroxy Acids is that it possesses antibacterial and antibiotic properties.

Who is Mandelic acid for?

Acne and blemish prone skin - because of its unique antibacterial and antibiotic properties, Mandelic acid treatments are an excellent choice for people who suffer from adult acne.

Sensitive skin - because of its larger molecular structure, Mandelic acid is better tolerated on the skin (unlike Glycolic acid for example). Applying a moisturiser prior to a Mandelic acid serum slows down the delivery of the acid. It is something you might want to consider if you have super sensitive skin or if you haven't used an acid before.

Darker skin tones - Mandelic acid carries a lower risk of causing pigmentation issues for people with darker skin tones.

Hyperpigmentation, dull skin, uneven skin tone - Mandelic acid can help target all of these issues.

How to use our Mandelic acid products?

Each of our Mandelic acid products comes with a free guide to help you get the best use out of our products. In case you overused an AHA product, it can take up to 3 days for the peeling to start. That is why it is important to allow your skin time to adjust to the product and see how it will respond. Adjust the strength and the frequency of the treatment depending on what your skin needs.

Different skin types react differently. For one person our Ultralase 10% Mandelic acid Serum used once or twice per week is more than enough. Someone else might use Ultralase 15% Mandelic acid Serum daily with no issues.

If your skin gets coarse and crinkly, that is typically the first sign of peeling. This is the dead surface skin working loose, so please stop using your AHA serums for a few days and reintroduce them once the signs of peeling have disappeared.

All of our Mandelic acid products have a pH of 3.5.

Ultralase Cleanse 12% Mandelic Gluconic Acid Face Wash - with 6% Mandelic and 6% Gluconic acid. If you have never used an acid based product, we recommend using Ultralase Cleanse once every other day for at least a fortnight. If your skin responds well, you can up the usage depending on what your skin needs and tolerates.

Ultralase 5% Mandelic Acid Moisturizer - can be used once or twice per day.

Ultralase 10% Mandelic Acid Serum - a 10% Mandelic acid leave-on treatment serum suitable for most skin types who want to target uneven skin texture. It is particularly suited for congested, acne and blemish prone skin. People who have not used an acid based product before could start by using the product once or twice per week for at least 2 weeks. If there are no signs of irritation, you can up the usage to every other night.

Ultralase 15% Mandelic Acid Serum - a 15% Mandelic acid leave on treatment. Use once or twice per week for at least 2 weeks. If your skin tolerates the product well, you can up the usage to every other night. Do bear in mind that for most skin types it is unnecessary to up the usage. However, more frequent application at this percentage can be an effective treatment for acne, hyperkeratinisation and melasma.

If you have sensitive skin or if you haven't used an acid based product before, we would recommend starting out with our Ultralase 10% Mandelic acid serum.