Serum Ceuticals AHA 50% is a medical-grade Alpha Hydroxy Acid peel that improves the rate of cell renewal and whisks away old dead skin cells that both clog pores and causes the look of dull, older, uneven skin. Very useful for stubborn acne scars, enlarge pores, deeper wrinkles and brown age spots that have proven resistant to lower strength peels.
ABOUT SERUM CEUTICALS AHA
Serum Ceuticals products do not contain water, so it an especially concentrated serum. As a 50% grade AHA, this is too potent to apply directly, it must be diluted. Serum Ceuticals recommends using it in tandem with their Beta Glucan cream. If you don’t have the Beta Glucan cream, the AHA can be diluted for use by mixing it with an oil such as Jojoba Oil or Safflower Oil. Although I highly recommend the Beta Glucan for use post-peel or whenever skin could use an intensive moisturizing treat, and I found it particularly useful with this AHA peel. I applied some AHA to my hands, and in one spot, I accidentally had the peel product on with no cream, and I could feel the AHA sting. This is strong stuff! But when mixed with the cream, I don’t feel it sting at all, even on sensitive skin areas such as my throat, cheeks, or decolletage. The one issue with mixing it with the cream, though, is I can’t figure out what the ratio of cream to AHA serum is, I added about 6-7 drops to two black scoopers full of cream.
If diluting the AHA with oil, a 1 to 4 drop ratio may be best to start, and a 1 to 3 or 1 to 2 ratio for future treatments is a good balance. With the Beta Glucan cream, I was able to leave the AHA for the full 30 minutes, when I tried it with the oils, I could do about 20 without my skin becoming red.
USE & RESULTS
I have a patch of acne scarring from when I was a teen; it left now-faded brown marks that other AHA products have been unable to lighten. So I was pretty excited to try this AHA on that darkened patch, as well as some brown age spots that are very stubborn. The AHA did not remove them in one use, but the area looks much better. I like the results on my hands and throat as well. While I always wear sunscreen on my face, over time I neglected my throat and hands, so aging shows more in these areas, so I am glad to have a more potent AHA in my beauty arsenal.
I really liked how my throat looked – the horizontal wrinkles in the middle of my throat became much softer, and my skin tone is more even. The small wrinkles on my forehead and hands diminished from one use, although it requires regular use of the AHA to keep them that way.
The AHA does not sting when mixed well, and while it says it can be used daily, I am inclined to do it twice a week to start and reduce to once a week over time.
ABOUT SERUM CEUTICAL
If you are not familiar with the Serum Ceutical line, it is a good one. They do not use artificial chemicals or preservatives, so there are no additives that can contribute towards irritating the skin. Rather, Serum Ceuticals uses an innovative Vitamin charge to keep it fresh. When opening the bottle, you will notice a frizz the first time, similar to opening a carbonated drink. A similar process is used to Keep the bottle out of direct sunlight and keep the cap on tight when not in use.
CONCLUSION:
A powerful AHA to use on brown spots, scars, wrinkles, and dry skin. Must be combined with a cream or oil, but once it is, it does not burn or sting the skin, and skin is not raw or red after use. Since just a few drops are used at a time, this is a very cost effective way to do AHA peels at home.
Find this great peel at Amazon.