954 replies to this topic

[lovemanthorne]

i used mandelic acid 15% serum regularly and i noticed it's a really good exfoliant against clogged pores and piled up dead skin. my skin was smooth to the touch and looked younger looking, plus it made having extractions and microdermabrasions much easier to do and more effective. If you have acne, you really need to get extractions done regularly & not at a spa because those type of extractions aren't the best out there since the spa may not be under a doctor. If you ever watched real house wives of orange county they did an episode where one of the wives had botox or something like that done on her face by Dr. Ambe in Newport Beach CA. Anyway, I would get my extractions done there & i haven't been able to find anything close to it elsewhere since its a bit of a drive for me. But if you really want to get rid of your acne, get extractions regularly every month, maybe twice a month if its that bad & use the mandelic acid. it will make extractions of blackheads and your pimples/cysts whatever much easier to do, since the dead layers of skin have been removed and are exposing your trouble areas. it is expensive, but you don't need a lot of it everytime you use it. i also liked putting it on my neck and chest since its such a great exfoliant. but don't put it on if you are planning to workout and sweat....its a strange smell. With the mandelic you really feel a tingly sensation if you are even outdoors for a few mintues...so you can't sunbathe or anything fun like that while your skin is being treated....use moisturizer/sunscreen every single day. don't underestimate the the sun's power!! also, u can use the power of every new moon to make a wish for clear, beautiful skin! because you deserve that. i hope this helps anyone seeking a solution for their acne. don't let acne rule your self-esteem....i've seen beautiful girls with unbelievable bad complexions because their spirit & energy just radiated. ...so while your dealing with your health issues do something else for someone else. don't get self-obsessed!

[BULLET147]

Sounds promising, if I can find some I will try it. Thx LQ!

Hi.. Im new to this site and since reading your post im very interested in purchasing the Vivant product.. unfortunately im living in Ireland and im having trouble finding any websites that sell this product anymore.. the dianayvone site has discontinued their distribution of Vivant products.

would anybody here know where i could get this product

[lauren84]

Hello all!!!

I am a newbie here but have been lurking for a while and soaking up all kinds of info on Mandelic Acid for the removal of blackheads/congested pores !

I have mostly read through every single post on Mandelic acid, still have a question or two I am hoping someone can help me out with -pretty please : ))

So I am 26 with oily skin and have purchased 15% w/ alcohol as well as 10% and 15% from GOW w/o alcohol, I have used the 15% w/ alcohol once and loved the tightening results and honestly felt some imporovement already..here is my question-Do I need to be applying a 2% or 5% SA a few minutes before I apply the MA acid ? I read it helps to remove blackheads and since I have a million to work on, I need all the help I can get.


Thanks so much !!

[wicky]

no dont apply anything before mandelic

[Gina2328]

It looks like the Vivant Mandelic Acid 15% w/alcohol was discontinued. It worked great for my blackheads and did not irritate my skin. I tried the GOW 15% w/alcohol and it does not work for me for getting rid of blackheads. Does anyone know if there is a good Mandelic acid like the Vivant 15% that was discontinued?

[littleguy]

can you use this while on low dose accutane? im on 10mgs per day

[Timehealsall]

will the blackheads leave holes with mandelic acids?

[KingJay]

Little guy: I'd use it while on accutane but prob only once every 2-3 days or so.
gina: I've tried GOW it was okay. I switched over to Nucelle and have stuck with them since.

Imo the best combo would be to use
1) Nucelle 10% mandelic acid serum Once a day
2) Biore Pore strips for blackhead removal
3) If the above is not completely clearing acne then throw some Bactrim into the mix. Will work wonderss !!

accutane its a last resort

[Jutta412]

I'm liking mandelic acid, too...
Neostrata?Exuviance products can be found at Ulta stores (at least here in PA or NJ) and have mandelic acid. I started out using their oil control lotion and my skin responded fairly quickly while using bp at a low strength.
It seems to be hard to find products in regular stores with mandelic acid in them.... here are some I found on the net that look promising...
Naturally, there's Nucelle and Garden of Wisdom, and they look like they have their own websites to order from.
I ordered a product called Reveal 10 from Vasseur skin care (in California) and got my order in no time! The product has lactic, glycolic, and mandelic acid. I've used it three days in a row without irritation (even though it says to use it only twice a week or so at first). I got a lotion with azelic acid from them, which I like a lot, although it seems pricey for the amount you get.
There's also a skin care line called "Therapy Systems" that's based in Tennessee that sells something called "Topical Treatment Serum" that contains mandelic acid. It looks pricey but I imagine it's probably effective and lasts a while. If you live in the Tennessee area, it seems that there a couple of stores that sell this brand.
"Skin Ceuticals" also sells a mandelic acid/ peel serum. I think they sell it in salon-sized bottles, so if you see it for sale for $300+, that's probably why. I know I've seen their brand for sale in a salon in New Jersey. "Ishtar" brand looks like it's based in the UK and sells a 5% Mandelic acid serum.
"Sesderma" looks like it sells mandelic acid products, they have a distributor in the UK "Cosmederma Ltd". From a quick look at the website it looks like it's based in Spain.

Edited by Jutta412, 20 January 2011 - 11:42 AM.

[Giordanoh]

Just my opinion but I think the best Mandelic Acid products are from ordering online. I dont know why its not found in stores...it would be smart because its amazingg !!
Nucelle and garden of wisdom are both very reputable iand the best known suppliers of Mandelic Acid, if anyone is thinking of ordering online from them. Ive persoanlly only used Nucelle and have had amazing results. But ive also heard some of the moderators on here give a thumbs up for garden of wisdom too.
I use glycolic acid peels too.

[tim12]

OMG

That Garden website that sells mandelic acid as well as all the ingredients to make your own skin care products is amazing. I'll have to look around there some more!

[Giordanoh]

Oh wow You can make ur own products with them ? i didnt know that !

[wicky]

what cleansers is everyone using with clogged and congested pores? I have rosacea so i need something gentle yet effective enough to not clog me up..Ive tried skinceuticals gentle cleanser and after 4 days of use i have the worst congestion in my skin ive ever seen. Now i dont know what to do..i did some picking and got some out but now my skin is enflamed and theres still so many more in there...I cant stand it anymore...Im going on 43 and been dealing with this congestion for 2 years..its absolutely consuming me

[Giordanoh]

In my opinion the best cleansers I've been using are Mandelic Acid Cleansers.
They're great for mild-moderate acne.
Now you're saying youre congested and have been picking...are you referring to whiteheads or blackheads ?
I'll assume blackheads because of thats the title of this thread...

What you should try are Blackhead strips to remove clogged pores and blackheads.
I would recommend Biore pore strips..you can buy them at most stores.

Also try a Mandelic Acid cleanser and moisturizer to smooth your skin and prevent acne and clogged pores. I would recommend Nucelle Mandelic Acid. You can order from their website online (www.nucelle.com).

Give those 2 a go and see how that works.
If that doesnt work check out my blog I've included 3 steps to get rid of moderate-severe acne

[wicky]

thanks giordanah but ive already tried mandelic by garden of wisdom..both the 10% and the 15%..the 10 didnt do much and the 15 does bring them to the surface but they then need to be extracted..As far as what im extracting: it depends..sometimes its an actual blackhead because i can see the black dot and those i can get easily. The whiteheads are a different story..some vary in size and shape and where they are located in my chin. I get small pin sized white dots that are flat and not rasised at all. They are always confined to the crease of my chin.. The other type is more of a raised pore..It looks like a little white bubble sitting in the pore and you can feel it if you run your finger over it. Those I get in the area of my chin that runs from corner of mouth down. It looks like you could give it a gentle press with either a blackhead remover or getting under it with your thumbnail but if you dont get the plug, it only creates an open wound that doesnt heal because the core is still in there...Thats where i dont know what to do...Do i start applying mandelic to that type and hope it releases on its own or do i always have to have it extracted? Ive even tried doing mandelic every other night to those problems areas as a preventative measure and it doesnt help..Its like the skin in that area doesnt know how to shed properly and i can seem to find a cleanser moistuizer or other topical that will help or prevent...Ive tried so many things in the last 2 years..Im even on spironoalctone in hopes that it would slow my oil production from the inside and thus not have the inability of shedding problem.

[Giordanoh]

I hear you 100%.

Mandelic Acid will extract a bit on its own, but in addition to that, you will definitely need to use Pore Strips to extract. The pore strips will remove excess blackheads, these flat non-raised white dots you have, and it will also get rid of old skincells which can clog the pores and create bacteria build-up..which causes whiteheads.

Mandelic Acid helps to prevent acne and I've noticed it really tightens up the skin and even shrinks up pores..I've never found this with anything else I've used. So if you create a regimen of unclogging your pores with strips regularly, and using mandelic acid it should help alot. I'm not too familiar with spironoalctone, however keep trying this and see how it goes.

After trying the above, and you're still not seeing much improvement I would recommend you look into Isotretinoin. Isotretinoin..if you don't already know is the ideal drug and most effective one for reducing sebum secretion and can reduce the production of oils. I would look into a very light dose around 10-15mg a day. With low doses like this you won't get any sideeffects at all and would probably be enough of dose to be effective for you.

Let me know what you think about that.

Jordan

[wicky]

jordan thanks so much...as i mentioned i have tried mandelic 15 and 10% by GOW and i do remember applying it to one area and the plug did release on its own...My skin is such a mess right now i dont want to add to making any more of a mess. I ordered the Mandelic Toner, Hyaluronic moisturizier and the Derma A gel from Diana Yvonne and just received my samples today..Im hesitant to try the toner as i think there might be some alcohol in it, i cant remember what the website said right now. Once the damage heals from my picking nightmare, i have a couple of spots i would like to try the toner on...Has anyone had experience with using the mandelic toner or the hyaluronic moisutirzer?

[Giordanoh]

Hi,
I personally don't use toners. I believe that moisturizers and cleansers are the only and most important products you need for your skin. Some may argue but I believe the less you use with regards to products is most benificial. The more products you use the more dry your skin can get. I think I said it above but I really recommend you try some antibiotic treatments, it sounds like you could really benifit. And sometimes cleansing alone is not strong enough to get rid of acne. Cleansing is more of a preventative and controlling acne treatment in my opinion and experience.

[6N4M]

So I all ready use BHA and dan's AHA, should I replace one/them with Mandelic acid or use Mandelic acid in addition?

I also use retin-a at night, should I apply mendelic acid before or after I apply that, or perhaps in the mornings before going out?

[Lulu22]

mandelic Acid is one type of AHA so it wouldn't be a bad idea to replace it with mandelic acid. give it a shot it will probably do very well.
You definitely apply the Retin-A after using Mandelic Acid because you typically wash off mandelic acid after you cleanse or use the serum. I think Retin-A and Mandelic Acid would be an Awesome combination !!