954 replies to this topic

[Kawai_chick]

Thanks for this topic, I've just started using MA and green cream, and I'm not sure if it's the effects of one of them or both, but the tone of my skin had improved after 2 days, it feels smoother and no new pimples appeared.

I mostly suffer from blackheads on my nose and very small annoying zits on my cheeks (with old acne scars) I'm hoping this will eliminate them.

Thanks Lion Queen.

[LionQueen]

Don't get discouraged if new pimples do appear .... Green Cream purges the skin, and the first few months can be bumpy.

Go slowly using the two products together! Otherwise the peeling can be terrible.

[LionQueen]

I tried Mandelic acid for a month with no results. Not any different.
That is, I tried the stronger solutions 15% from Garden of Wisdom, NuCelle, and Mama Lotion.
Actually I think it was a little longer than a month since I would go through each sample I bought.
GoW was did not have any sting, Nucelle stung once in a while but Mama lotion would sting on freshly washed skin.

In the beginning there was some break outs from the solutions, what people here call Purging but I actually think it can inflame on some no matter how long you use it. That is to say, the break out might be a reaction not a purging.

I stuck with all the samples. I thought Mama lotion made the face to oil/shiney after it set in.
GoW is a an odd company, the less professional of the three. The samples seem home made and I wonder in all of these how I know it really has the ingredients they claim.

but the true test is when I stopped using it. I did not see anything get worse or better.

So for my skin, it had little effect if any. It did not make my large pore look smaller nor was it affective in purging.

I also tried the suggested Green Green. Started lower level to higher level and had no noticible changes either.

Too bad Lion Queens suggestions did not work for me.....

Hmmmmm .... I certainly never suggested going about things in such a way.

First of all, my personal recommendation for mandelic is the Vivant 15% serum and 9% toner. Other people have preferred the others, but Vivant is my gold standard.

Second, a month is not long enough to judge results, especially if you are constantly switching products. Any new regimen needs to be used consistently for at least 6 weeks, preferably 8-12.

Finally .... I don't know how long you used Green Cream, but again, it takes time to work. 12 weeks is the average for topical retinoids.


I am fully aware that my favorite products do not work for everyone, but I also think people need to understand that it is incredibly important to use them properly and with the right expectations. This isn't an overnight cure by any means. You have to be patient and determined, and you have to constantly pay attention to what is going on with your skin.

I'm just a PM away.

[typespirit]

hello LionQueen!

I am curious to find out which product you would suggest for my case:

I have bigger than usual pores on and around my nose area, but the rest of my face is looking pretty good (touch wood!). My nose gets oily the most, and blackheads easily build up (i think these are causing the big pores? I dont know!) every now and then. I read your posts on mandelic acid and I am very eager to try it - the blackheads and pores on my nose have been bugging me for a while!

Because I only have very very mild acne, I don't use any strong cleansers. In the past I've used cleansers with BP or Salicylic acid but I've realized that makes my skin dry sometimes and it did not really make that much of a difference (when compared to cleansers without these ingredients). I normally just buy over the counter cleansers, and right now I'm just using a regular Clean&Clear cleanser without any Salicylic Acid, BP etc.

Which product would you recommend I use? From your past posts it seems like you suggest the vivant mandelic for more oily skin types. Oh, i forgot to mention that my skin is not that sensitive. Although I don't have sensitive skin, I'd still rather use something that's not as intensive, but at the same time, of course I want to get the best results. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[LionQueen]

Here's the thing about the nose area ..... for many people, sebum production tends to be really, really high there. Even if the pores are free of deep comedones, they can still fill up very rapidly with superficial plugs of waxy sebum. When the sebum oxidizes, it looks like blackheads.

Even when GC and mandelic acid had gotten my skin completely bump-free, I still got congested pores on my nose. Low-dose Accutane is the only thing that has provided long-term relief, and I know that's not for everyone.

But here are a couple things that should improve the appearance of the nose pores:

-- Use a silica bead scrub. Vivant makes a really good one. (www.betterhealthyskin.com) Be gentle but persistent with it; I find that as it exfoliates, it also clears away most of the oxidized sebum, which really improves the appearance of the pores.

-- Use the Vivant mandelic acid. I use the 9% toner, followed by the 15% serum most days (unless I start peeling a lot). For me, the pore-tightening effect is almost instantaneous. This is an expensive product, though, so you may want to try a sample size first.


If you have really deep blackheads on your nose, not just superficial sebum plugs, then salicylic acid might be a better way to go than mandelic; it penetrates and exfoliates more deeply. Paula's Choice 2% BHAs are an excellent product and probably the best place to start. For the nose area, I'd recommend using the liquid formulation. And if that doesn't do the trick, Diana Yvonne makes a good 5% SA product.

[v_singh]

i thought 2% BHA / SA was the legal limit ?

[v_singh]

also . lionqueen have you tried to fix your congested pores problem with diet ? im in the process of doing this but im not sure how it would actually work. i really dont wanna go on accutane coz of the side effects especcialy that spontaneous scaring thing

[Jofo]

I'm looking for a bit of guidance here. I just started using mandelic acid recently on my nose. I like to wait 30 minutes for it to dry and then follow up with jojoba oil to moisturize. The thing is that when I'm rubbing in the jojoba oil, I get little bits of stuff rolling up and coming off my nose, and I was curious if this is a normal experience. I can't tell if the stuff is dead skin from the MA's natural exfoliating properties, or if I have been unwittingly rubbing off a fresh layer of MA every time I use it. I know it's supposed to cause peeling, but I didn't know if it was supposed to happen right away.

I'm 1-2 weeks into using mandelic acid and so far I'm not seeing much in the way of results, so I'd really appreciate any advice as to whether or not I'm doing something wrong.

[almost pretty]

just want to chime in and say that i tried nucelle and it didnt work for me. i changed to garden of wisdom 10% mandelic acid and it has been amazing at transforming my skin! the gow is the only treatment i use and it has been wonderful for my moderate acne problem and also for the dark marks. my skin tone is more even and ive been receiving many compliments. mandelic acid has been the answer to the prayers!!!

[Shorty80]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forum, I joined because I need advice. My main problem is blackheads, which brought me to this thread. I also get some whiteheads and occasionally an under-the-surface bump. I've always been oily and therefore use oil free products. However my skin is slightly sensitive, and can get dry and flaky easily. If I wash my face in the morning, it will always feel at least a little greasy by the end of the day even if I didn't apply makeup (though it's worse when I use makeup - and my makeup is oil free and noncomedogenic to my knowledge). I have always had blackheads on my nose and a tiny bumpy strip just below my lower lip. Over the last year or 2 it spread across my face in varying degrees. My cheeks and chin are covered in blackheads and enlarged pores, but they are less visible than my nose. My neck, chest, upper back, and the back of my thighs seem to get blemishes much more easily now too.

Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.

[PuppyLove09]

I really want to try some kind of Mandelic Acid product, but everything is so expensive! At least it is for me. I'm kinda poor. Is it okay for extremely sensitive skin?

I have those annoying flesh-colored bumps. They aren't blackheads or whiteheads, just bumps. Sometimes stuff will come out of them like a normal pimple, but usually they don't budge with anything. I have them the most on my forehead, like between my eyes and right above that area. They are pretty much scattered all over my whole face, though: I get them on/near my nose, my chin, and (rarely) on my cheeks.

My regimen seems to be reducing them, so I'll just not change anything for now. I've just never had any luck getting rid of them before, so I'm not very optimistic and always looking for options.

[bababa]

i used a 10% mandelic acid primarily for my hyperpigmentation but also for my acne as well.

first off, do not over apply this stuff over a long period of time.

the first few times i used it i kept it on overnight with a large amount of the acid which basically formed a white crusty mask over time.

my face turned red which subsided after a day or two then my face proceeded to peel after a couple more days.

i did this about 3 times with no extreme side effects, but on the 4th time, i payed the price. i got moderately burned on 5 areas of my skin. now, i say moderate because i didn't have to go to the emergency room or anything, but the acid ate through my skin pretty good.

what proceeded to happen the next week was even worse. as my skin was healing, the areas of my face that were burned turned black. yes, black. i assumed it would peel off after a couple days, but even after my skin was fully healed, it remained black.

i panicked and proceeded to use more mandelic acid on these areas in an attempt to peel off this black layer of skin. i used the acid on those areas, then within a day or 2, forcefully peeled off the layer of skin. it did get rid of the straightforward black color, but upon healing, there remained a noticeable dark patch where i peeled it.

this is when i discovered the second rule to mandelic acid.

do not prematurely peel off the skin of areas effected with mandelic acid. wait until the acid has fully hardened the skin and it naturally starts to flake and peel off.

even if some areas of your face are burnt and looks retarted, leave it alone and let it run its course.

in my experience this took anywhere from 3-7 days. but no less.

it is the premature peeling of the skin that causes the skin to turn black.

i fully expect my face to get back to its normal state over time (already been 3 months) with the help of meladerm and proper use of mandelic acid.

i already had to endure weeks of looking like a complete retard with red and black patches all over my face (not fun).

the only reason i created an account and posted this was because i wanted others to learn from my mistakes.

be careful!!!

[almost pretty]

I really want to try some kind of Mandelic Acid product, but everything is so expensive! At least it is for me. I'm kinda poor. Is it okay for extremely sensitive skin?

I have those annoying flesh-colored bumps. They aren't blackheads or whiteheads, just bumps. Sometimes stuff will come out of them like a normal pimple, but usually they don't budge with anything. I have them the most on my forehead, like between my eyes and right above that area. They are pretty much scattered all over my whole face, though: I get them on/near my nose, my chin, and (rarely) on my cheeks.

My regimen seems to be reducing them, so I'll just not change anything for now. I've just never had any luck getting rid of them before, so I'm not very optimistic and always looking for options.

you can try a sample of GOW mandelic acid for $6.50 plus a few dollars for shipping. the bottle is very small but it will last you up to a month. if your skin is extremely sensitive i would start out using it 3 times a week.

[gareth]

Lionqueen,

You gave me some advice on here awhile ago and i just want to say thankyou!!

I got the 10% mandelic w/out alcohol from gow and it has been amazing in clearing blackheads on my nose and cheeks.

Many thanks!

[gareth]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forum, I joined because I need advice. My main problem is blackheads, which brought me to this thread. I also get some whiteheads and occasionally an under-the-surface bump. I've always been oily and therefore use oil free products. However my skin is slightly sensitive, and can get dry and flaky easily. If I wash my face in the morning, it will always feel at least a little greasy by the end of the day even if I didn't apply makeup (though it's worse when I use makeup - and my makeup is oil free and noncomedogenic to my knowledge). I have always had blackheads on my nose and a tiny bumpy strip just below my lower lip. Over the last year or 2 it spread across my face in varying degrees. My cheeks and chin are covered in blackheads and enlarged pores, but they are less visible than my nose. My neck, chest, upper back, and the back of my thighs seem to get blemishes much more easily now too.

Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.

I'm no expert but Lionqueen told me about the garden of wisdom 10% mandelic acid without alcohol for blackheads and it has been amazing! I started off using it about once every few days at night to get used to it and now i use it once a day at night. I'd suggest giving it a try it worked for me. Good luck.

[v_singh]

i used a 10% mandelic acid primarily for my hyperpigmentation but also for my acne as well.

first off, do not over apply this stuff over a long period of time.

the first few times i used it i kept it on overnight with a large amount of the acid which basically formed a white crusty mask over time.

my face turned red which subsided after a day or two then my face proceeded to peel after a couple more days.

i did this about 3 times with no extreme side effects, but on the 4th time, i payed the price. i got moderately burned on 5 areas of my skin. now, i say moderate because i didn't have to go to the emergency room or anything, but the acid ate through my skin pretty good.

what proceeded to happen the next week was even worse. as my skin was healing, the areas of my face that were burned turned black. yes, black. i assumed it would peel off after a couple days, but even after my skin was fully healed, it remained black.

i panicked and proceeded to use more mandelic acid on these areas in an attempt to peel off this black layer of skin. i used the acid on those areas, then within a day or 2, forcefully peeled off the layer of skin. it did get rid of the straightforward black color, but upon healing, there remained a noticeable dark patch where i peeled it.

this is when i discovered the second rule to mandelic acid.

do not prematurely peel off the skin of areas effected with mandelic acid. wait until the acid has fully hardened the skin and it naturally starts to flake and peel off.

even if some areas of your face are burnt and looks retarted, leave it alone and let it run its course.

in my experience this took anywhere from 3-7 days. but no less.

it is the premature peeling of the skin that causes the skin to turn black.

i fully expect my face to get back to its normal state over time (already been 3 months) with the help of meladerm and proper use of mandelic acid.

i already had to endure weeks of looking like a complete retard with red and black patches all over my face (not fun).

the only reason i created an account and posted this was because i wanted others to learn from my mistakes.

be careful!!!

Has anyone else experienced this (the skin turning black). i want to use MA but this has put me off.

Bababa - what brand of MA did you use ??

[Booo]

Where is the Vivant one? I went onto the site and saw no vivant ?

[DeaniePG]

I haven't tried MaMa lotion, but I LOVE NuCelle, and I love that they have a full range of skin care, not just the lotion/ serum. NuCelle also have 15% mandelic, which my husband uses, but I find 10% is just perfect for me.

Here are a couple other mandelic products people have said they really like:

NuCelle (10% mandelic)
MaMa lotion (10% mandelic & 10% malic acids)

I haven't tried either of them ... but it sounds like folks have had good results.

[DeaniePG]

Hey, I know that mandelic acid products are expensive, but here is a solution for everyone! I know that NuCelle offer free samples to new customers, and maybe the other companies do as well! Why don't you try contacting them all asking for samples to try out their products - you may end up with enough to get you through for a little while and you will get to test out all the different ones and see which works for you. If it turns out mandelic acid in general doesn't work for you, then it hasn't cost you a cent! If it does work, then you know it is worth every penny and I'm sure you'll scratch together the money once you see how gorgeous your skin looks. This is how I started on the products (free samples). Send an email to info@nucelle.com with your request and contact details / address and try the other companies as well and see how you go )

i used a 10% mandelic acid primarily for my hyperpigmentation but also for my acne as well.

first off, do not over apply this stuff over a long period of time.

the first few times i used it i kept it on overnight with a large amount of the acid which basically formed a white crusty mask over time.

my face turned red which subsided after a day or two then my face proceeded to peel after a couple more days.

i did this about 3 times with no extreme side effects, but on the 4th time, i payed the price. i got moderately burned on 5 areas of my skin. now, i say moderate because i didn't have to go to the emergency room or anything, but the acid ate through my skin pretty good.

what proceeded to happen the next week was even worse. as my skin was healing, the areas of my face that were burned turned black. yes, black. i assumed it would peel off after a couple days, but even after my skin was fully healed, it remained black.

i panicked and proceeded to use more mandelic acid on these areas in an attempt to peel off this black layer of skin. i used the acid on those areas, then within a day or 2, forcefully peeled off the layer of skin. it did get rid of the straightforward black color, but upon healing, there remained a noticeable dark patch where i peeled it.

this is when i discovered the second rule to mandelic acid.

do not prematurely peel off the skin of areas effected with mandelic acid. wait until the acid has fully hardened the skin and it naturally starts to flake and peel off.

even if some areas of your face are burnt and looks retarted, leave it alone and let it run its course.

in my experience this took anywhere from 3-7 days. but no less.

it is the premature peeling of the skin that causes the skin to turn black.

i fully expect my face to get back to its normal state over time (already been 3 months) with the help of meladerm and proper use of mandelic acid.

i already had to endure weeks of looking like a complete retard with red and black patches all over my face (not fun).

the only reason i created an account and posted this was because i wanted others to learn from my mistakes.

be careful!!!

[Optimus Prime]

Hey, I know that mandelic acid products are expensive, but here is a solution for everyone! I know that NuCelle offer free samples to new customers, and maybe the other companies do as well! Why don't you try contacting them all asking for samples to try out their products - you may end up with enough to get you through for a little while and you will get to test out all the different ones and see which works for you. If it turns out mandelic acid in general doesn't work for you, then it hasn't cost you a cent! If it does work, then you know it is worth every penny and I'm sure you'll scratch together the money once you see how gorgeous your skin looks. This is how I started on the products (free samples). Send an email to info@nucelle.com with your request and contact details / address and try the other companies as well and see how you go )

i used a 10% mandelic acid primarily for my hyperpigmentation but also for my acne as well.

first off, do not over apply this stuff over a long period of time.

the first few times i used it i kept it on overnight with a large amount of the acid which basically formed a white crusty mask over time.

my face turned red which subsided after a day or two then my face proceeded to peel after a couple more days.

i did this about 3 times with no extreme side effects, but on the 4th time, i payed the price. i got moderately burned on 5 areas of my skin. now, i say moderate because i didn't have to go to the emergency room or anything, but the acid ate through my skin pretty good.

what proceeded to happen the next week was even worse. as my skin was healing, the areas of my face that were burned turned black. yes, black. i assumed it would peel off after a couple days, but even after my skin was fully healed, it remained black.

i panicked and proceeded to use more mandelic acid on these areas in an attempt to peel off this black layer of skin. i used the acid on those areas, then within a day or 2, forcefully peeled off the layer of skin. it did get rid of the straightforward black color, but upon healing, there remained a noticeable dark patch where i peeled it.

this is when i discovered the second rule to mandelic acid.

do not prematurely peel off the skin of areas effected with mandelic acid. wait until the acid has fully hardened the skin and it naturally starts to flake and peel off.

even if some areas of your face are burnt and looks retarted, leave it alone and let it run its course.

in my experience this took anywhere from 3-7 days. but no less.

it is the premature peeling of the skin that causes the skin to turn black.

i fully expect my face to get back to its normal state over time (already been 3 months) with the help of meladerm and proper use of mandelic acid.

i already had to endure weeks of looking like a complete retard with red and black patches all over my face (not fun).

the only reason i created an account and posted this was because i wanted others to learn from my mistakes.

be careful!!!

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