Warning: Tried that glycolic acid peel from Amazon and here's what happened

I bought a 30% glycolic acid peel off Amazon two weeks ago because I was curious about the hype. First time using it, I left it on for exactly 2 minutes like the bottle said but my face turned bright red for 3 days straight. Had to use hydrocortisone cream from CVS to calm it down. Has anyone else had a bad reaction with those high percentage at-home peels?

2 comments

2 Comments

robert_hayes14d ago

That 'exactly 2 minutes' thing is PART of the problem. You didn't mention what your skin was used to BEFORE this peel. Starting with 30% on virgin skin is like taking a fire hose to a candle flame. I work my way up over weeks with lower percentages (like 10% or 15%) and even then I only leave it on for 30 seconds at first. Your skin needs to build up a tolerance or you're basically asking for a chemical burn. The red face for 3 days is a classic sign you went way too strong too fast.

kim_hart714d ago

You said "your skin needs to build up a tolerance" and that's totally true, but the time matters just as much as the percentage. I start people at 15% for 45 seconds when they're new, not 30 seconds. That extra 15 seconds lets the lactic acid actually do something without going nuclear. Three days of red face means the acid broke through the skin barrier, not just exfoliated it. You want that slight tingle that fades after 5 minutes, not a full on tomato face.