“What’s this medication for, and why is it amongst your skincare stuff? Shouldn’t we put it with all the opposite meds?,” Mr BWB requested me one evening as I used to be cleaning my pores and skin. I couldn’t blame it on his lack of curiosity in skincare. This time. A’pieu Glycolic Acid Cream could also be an exfoliating moisturiser, however it does look lots like an anti-rash medication… It’s not probably the most glamorous cream, however it will get the job executed. For learners, at the very least. Right here’s what I imply…

Key Substances In A’pieu Glycolic Acid Cream: What Makes It Work?

GLYCOLIC ACID TO EXFOLIATE SKIN

Glycolic Acid is probably the most well-known member of the exfoliating Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) household. Its job is to dissolve the “glue” that holds pores and skin cells collectively to allow them to slough off and reveal the brighter, softer and smoother pores and skin beneath. Whereas it’s at it, it additionally hydrates pores and skin. It really works by rising the degrees of hyaluronic acid (a humectant that draws and binds as much as 1000 occasions its weight in water) within the pores and skin.

The catch? Glycolic acid will be irritating, particularly if you happen to’ve by no means used it earlier than. However that shouldn’t be an issue right here. A’pieu Glycolic Acid Cream incorporates solely 3% glycolic acid. It’s a excessive sufficient focus for learners and low sufficient to stop irritations (until your pores and skin is tremendous delicate to it).

P.S. Like all exfoliants, glycolic acid could make your pores and skin extra inclined to solar harm. At all times use it with sunscreen.

Associated: The Full Information To Glycolic Acid: What It Is, What It Does & How To Use It

SALICYLIC ACID TO UNCLOG PORES

Salicylic acid is the one member of the exfoliating Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) household utilized in skincare. Like AHAs, salicylic acid exfoliates the floor of your pores and skin to disclose a brighter and smoother complexion.

Not like AHAs, salicylic acid is oil-soluble. Meaning it could penetrate inside your pores and exfoliate them from inside. Bye bye, zits! Oh, it has anti-inflammatory properties that soothe redness and irritations, too.

However… there’s a catch. A’pieu Glycolic Acid Cream incorporates solely 0.45% of salicylic acid. Don’t anticipate outcomes in a single day. Until your pores and skin is tremendous delicate, you could be higher off with a separate salicylic acid exfoliant. Simply saying…

Associated: AHAs VS BHA: Which One Is Greatest For Your Pores and skin Kind?

NIACINAMIDE TO HYDRATE, SOOTHE, AND BRIGHTEN

A’pieu Glycolic Acid Cream incorporates certainly one of my fave substances: Niacinamide. This type of Vitamin B3 does every little thing:

• It hydrates pores and skin: It’s simpler than petrolatum at stopping water loss
• It soothes pores and skin: It alleviates the signs of rosacea and irritations
• It lightens pores and skin: It reduces darkish spots, blotchiness (redness) and sallowness (yellowing)
• It helps deal with wrinkles: Preliminary analysis exhibits it could increase the manufacturing of skin-firming collagen
• It treats zits: Its results are just like these of 1% clindamycin gel

The most effective half? It has no unwanted side effects. Everybody can use it.

Associated: Can You Combine Niacinamide With Vitamin C?

Struggling to place collectively a skincare routine that banishes dryness and makes your pores and skin supple and dewy? Obtain your FREE “Greatest Skincare Routine For Dry Pores and skin” to get began (it options product suggestions + proper utility order):

The Relaxation Of The System & Substances

• Betula Alba Juice: The sap from the birch tree, it’s a supply of hydrating amino acids.
• Water: The principle solvent within the system, it dissolve different substances.
• Propanediol: It helps different substances higher penetrate pores and skin, so that they work higher and sooner. However it may be irritating in excessive focus, you probably have delicate pores and skin.
• Tromethamine: It helps to regulate the pH of skincare merchandise.
• Cetearyl Alcohol: A fatty, moisturising alcohol that makes pores and skin softer and smoother.
• Glycereth-26: It moisturises pores and skin in addition to thickening the feel of skincare merchandise.
• 1,2-Hexanediol: An artificial preservative that helps your skincare merchandise last more. Plus, it has moisture-binding properties that make pores and skin softer and smoother.
• Butylene Glycol: It helps skincare substances higher penetrate pores and skin and hydrates pores and skin in addition.
• Glycerin: A humectant that attracts moisture from the air into your pores and skin, rising its degree of hydrating and making it softer and smoother.
• Cyclopentasiloxane: A risky silicone that makes the feel smoother and simpler to use. Nevertheless it evaporates from pores and skin quickly after utility.
• Beeswax: A thickening agent with emollient properties.
• Dimethicone: A heavy sort of silicone that fills in positive traces and wrinkles so they give the impression of being smaller. It additionally makes the feel velvety-soft and a pleasure to make use of. And no, it doesn’t suffocate pores and skin. It has a molecular construction made up of massive molecules with massive gaps in between. This enables pores and skin to perspire.
• Polysorbate 60: It retains the oily and watery elements of a product from separating, protecting the system working for longer.
• Cyclohexasiloxane: A kind of silicones that provides skincare merchandise a silky, spreadable, non-greasy texture.
• Sorbitan Stearate: It thickens the feel of skincare merchandise and retains the oily and watery elements of the system from separating.
• PEG-240/HDI Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether: A texture thickener.
• Glyceryl Stearate: An emollient that makes pores and skin softer and smoother.
• Panthenol: It hydrates pores and skin and soothes irritation. It’s an amazing ingredient for delicate pores and skin.
• Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract: A plant extract that makes pores and skin softer and smoother.
• Xanthan Gum: It thickens the feel of skincare merchandise.
• Hydroxyacetophenone: An artificial antioxidant with hydrating properties.
• Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer: It improves the feel of skincare merchandise in a number of methods. It will increase thickness and opacity. It retains the oily and watery elements of a system from separating. And it’s a dispersing agent, too.
• PEG-100 Stearate: An emollient with thickening properties. It makes pores and skin softer and smoother too.
• Isohexadecane: It makes pores and skin softer and smoother and enhances the feel of skincare merchandise.
• PEG-2M: It stabilises emulsions, so that they don’t separate into its oily and watery elements. It thickens the feel, too.
• Hydrogenated Lecithin: An emollient that makes pores and skin softer and smoother.
• Allantoin: It soothes pores and skin and calms down redness and irritation.
• Sucrose Distearate: It helps water and oil to combine, so the system doesn’t separate into layers.
• Polysorbate 80: It helps It helps water and oil to combine too, creating nice textures.
• Adenosine: Derived from yeast, it soothes pores and skin and reduces irritations.
• Sorbitan Oleate: It’s an emulsifier that helps water and oil to combine, so the system doesn’t separate into disagreeable layers.
• Disodium EDTA: A chelating agent, a flowery approach of claiming it binds to the metallic ions within the water and neutralises them earlier than they will spoil the system.
• Pantolactone: An artificial humectant that attracts water from the air into the pores and skin, serving to to maintain it hydrated.
• Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract: A mild exfoliant that removes useless cells from the floor of your pores and skin. Nevertheless it’s current in such a small quantity, it received’t do an excessive amount of.
• Phenoxyethanol: A typical preservative that inhibits the expansion of micro organism and fungi in skincare merchandise.
• Ananas sativus (pineapple) fruit Extract: One other exfoliant that doesn’t actually do a lot at this low focus.
• Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract: A.ok.a. lady’s mantle extract, it has soothing and antioxidant properties.
• Arnica Montana Flower Extract: A plant extract with soothing and anti inflammatory properties.
• Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Extract: A wonderful supply of antioxidants that helps forestall wrinkles.
• Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract: It hydrates pores and skin and has antioxidant properties that forestall wrinkles.
• Gaultheria Procumbens (Wintergreen) Leaf Extract: It could irritate pores and skin and has no identified advantages for pores and skin.

Texture

The cream has a gel-like texture that spreads simply on the pores and skin. It feels a bit siliconey (silicones are right here to assist spreadability), however I don’t thoughts that. I’ve learn a couple of opinions that say the feel is greasy, however I don’t discover that in any respect. Possibly on oily pores and skin, however then oily pores and skin shouldn’t use glycolic acid. Keep on with salicylic acid, women!

Perfume

It’s fragrance-free. I like that. I do know it makes the product odor boring (it doesn’t have a lot of a scent in any respect), however that’s excellent news for delicate pores and skin. Perfume is likely one of the most irritating ingredient in skincare and has no place in a moisturiser, particularly an exfoliating one.

How To Use It

Chances are you’ll be tempted to make use of it as a moisturiser, as that’s what it’s. However when a moisturiser has exfoliating properties, it is advisable to use like an exfoliant. What does it imply? Use it two to a few nights per week, because the final step of your skincare routine. Avoiding utilizing it on nights you employ retinoids, as that may very well be an excessive amount of for pores and skin and irritate it.

Efficiency & Private Opinion

A’pieu Glycolic Acid Cream stings. I didn’t anticipate it. I can use increased concentrations of glycolic acid with out feeling a single tingling. A tiny 3% focus mustn’t really feel this disagreeable…

It’s not the glycolic acid. A fast take a look at the ingredient checklist identified the offender: Propanediol. It’s a solvent that enhances the penetration of lively substances, however there’s a lot of it right here (it’s the third ingredient), it tends to annoy pores and skin.

In case your pores and skin’s delicate, I’d skip this. If it’s dry like mine, you could use it a few occasions per week – if you happen to don’t discover it too disagreeable. No less than the stinging doesn’t final lengthy… Often, I apply exfoliating merchandise straight after cleaning. However this can be a cream so I exploit it because the final step of my night routine.

Thoughts you, I hold my routine quick: one cleanse, antioxidant serum and A’pieu Glycolic Acid Cream (I exploit retinol on nights I don’t exfoliate). I don’t advocate you employ an exfoliating cream (particularly one with such a low quantity of acids) after 10 layers. Don’t make it too exhausting for glycolic acid to succeed in your pores and skin and do its job.

As soon as the stinging has pale away, the cream felt moisturising on my pores and skin. After I get up within the morning, my pores and skin is easy and comfortable. What about its exfoliating properties? Outcomes are gradual right here. If you happen to’re used to increased concentrations of glycolic acid, this received’t do a lot for you.

If you happen to’re a beginner, you’ll see outcomes – slowly. You must use it persistently to see an enchancment. When you’ve run out, you could need to take into account stepping up your recreation and go together with the next dose, too.

What I Like About A’pieu Glycolic Acid Cream

• Gel-like, fast-absorbing texture
• Perfume-free
• Makes pores and skin softer and smoother

What I DON’T Like About A’pieu Glycolic Acid Cream

• Very low concentrations of exfoliating acids, so it really works slowly
• It stings
• It could irritate delicate pores and skin

Who Ought to Use This?

Dry pores and skin new to glycolic acid. As an alternative, don’t use you probably have:

• Pimples-prone pores and skin: you want salicylic acid – a 2% focus at the very least
• Oily pores and skin: you want salicylic acid, too
• Delicate pores and skin: this stings!!
• Used glycolic acid for years: 3% is simply too low for you if you happen to’re already used to increased doses

Packaging

This exfoliating moisturiser is available in a white and blue tube that makes it appear to be a drugs. It’s not the prettiest, however it’s useful. However it could be exhausting to get among the cream out as soon as it’s nearly completed.

Does A’pieu Glycolic Acid Cream Stay Up To Its Claims?

Value & Availability

Obtainable at: $15.00/£9.05 at iHerb and Sure Fashion

The Verdict: Ought to You Purchase It?

I character am not the most important fan. It has very low concentrations of exfoliants, however it stings pores and skin.

Dupes & Alternate options

• Mario Badescu Glycolic Pores and skin Renewal Advanced ($35.00): A primary glycolic acid moisturiser that additionally hydrates pores and skin. Obtainable at Mario Badescu.

About Gio

Hello, I am Gio. I am a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is pores and skin coach and author on a mission that can assist you obtain your finest pores and skin day ever – on daily basis. I bust skincare myths and debunk advertising and marketing jargon that can assist you determine what’s well worth the splurge and what’s finest left on the shelf – utilizing science, not hype. I additionally supply skincare consultations that can assist you create the perfect skincare routine on your distinctive wants.