this AHA does its job, and that's why we're in a love-hate relationship. my skin is dry and sensitive and for ages, i've been stuck with patches of closed comedones on my face. this product is the first to help me treat them without being way too harsh on my delicate skin. because it helps resurface skin cells, it raised my clogged pores to the surface so that they come out as actual pimples and can finally escape from my face. that's why it's a love-hate - it does it's job but i wish i could just skip the embarrassing purging lol!

i can't deny this AHA does what i need it to do and it does it gently. if you deal with closed comedones, clogged pores, or flaky skin, this will work wonderfully for you without being irritating. it's true what people say though- it smells pretty rancid.

-however! it's very important to use actives correctly, so please read this if you've never used them before!

to get the most out of an active like BHA or AHA and get the absolute best results, you need to use them properly.

• first of all, your skin must be PH balanced for the products to effectively exfoliate. this means wash your wash with water and then wait about 10 minutes, or use a PH balancing toner. (the CosRx BHA/AHA one is my favorite for this!!)
• apply BHA before any AHA, and once applied, allow it to set into the skin for 15-20 minutes so to give it time to do its magic.
• if you use AHA, you can apply it after the BHA has been sitting for 15-20 minutes and then also let the AHA sit for that long. then you can go on with the rest of your routine.
• and last but not least, don't use actives daily. this AHA is gentle but all AHA's are strong exfoliants and using it daily is likely going to overexfoliate you, which is no good for your skin long-term. my routine is goes (Day 1) BHA only (Day 2) BHA and AHA (Day 3) No actives, use a sheet mask or moisturizing mask instead. and then repeat!