The Top 10 Benefits of Mandelic Acid for Your Skin

A mild chemical exfoliant to unclog your pores and treat any skin problems associated with them. Exfoliating your face on a regular basis is essential for rejuvenating and improving the appearance of your skin. Chemical exfoliants, while efficient, can be harsh on the skin. This is where the Benefits of mandelic acid come into play. It is a gentler chemical exfoliant and a type of AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) that fights dark spots, blackheads, and whiteheads while also giving an even complexion. This ingredient is derived from bitter almonds and helps to keep the complexion soft and radiant.

How Does Mandelic Acid Benefit Your Skin?

The benefits of Mandelic Acid are numerous, especially when it comes to skincare. As an alpha-hydroxy acid, it offers several advantages, such as:

1. Reduces Hyperpigmentation

The benefits of mandelic acid are numerous and well-documented. One of its most significant benefits is its ability to reduce melasma and post-acne hyperpigmentation effectively. In fact, research has shown that when combined with salicylic acid, mandelic acid can also help reduce acne scars. Furthermore, studies have found that using a 10% mandelic acid solution for 12 weeks can result in a remarkable 69% reduction in hyperpigmentation. These findings highlight the impressive benefits of mandelic acid and its potential to address a wide range of skincare concerns, including hyperpigmentation and acne scars.

2. Gentle On The Skin

Chemical peels containing glycolic acid are extremely efficient. However, if you have delicate skin, glycolic acid can cause irritation and post-peel redness, swelling, and hyperpigmentation. Mandelic acid, on the other hand, is gentler on the face and is ideal for those with sensitive skin.

A study on Indian patients verified that mandelic acid is equally effective as an exfoliant as glycolic acid, but the former is better tolerated. Another research found that a 45% mandelic acid peel is just as effective as a salicylic acid peel, but mandelic acid is less harmful.

3. Helps Reduce Acne

If you have acne-prone sensitive skin, mandelic acid may be the best choice for you to reduce acne while also reducing post-acne dark spots. A study verified that a 5% mandelic acid topical cream can be suggested to patients with moderately severe acne and sensitive skin, and a 10% mandelic acid cream can be used by people with oily and combination skin.

4. Makes The Skin Firm

As you get older, your epidermis loses elasticity and firmness. Collagen production, a skin protein responsible for your skin’s firmness and elasticity, declines. This causes loose epidermis. A 4-week study on individuals aged 42-68 who used mandelic acid twice a day revealed an increase in skin firmness of 23.8% and a decrease in eyelid skin elasticity of 25.4%.

5. Improves Skin Texture

Wrinkles and fine lines produced by a lack of collagen or a sedentary lifestyle can cause your skin texture to be uneven. Reduced sebum secretion also hastens skin ageing. Using mandelic acid can help to even out the texture of the skin, improve cell turnover, and make it appear glowing and plump. According to one research, chemical peels containing 20% azelaic acid and 40% mandelic acid can help improve sebum secretion in ageing skin.

6. Clears Up The Skin

As previously stated, mandelic acid can aid in the treatment of acne. It is also said to even out skin tone and eliminate dead skin layers on the top. As a result, your skin appears clearer, brighter, and illuminated from within. Because it is gentle on the face, there is no risk of redness or hyperpigmentation from using mandelic acid.

These are the methods mandelic acid improves the appearance of your skin. But what exactly is the chemistry of mandelic acid? How exactly does it work? Scroll down to the next part to find out.

How Does Mandelic Acid Work?

Mandelic acid has a more complex molecular composition than other AHAs (glycolic acid and lactic acid). This is why mandelic acid takes longer to penetrate the epidermis. This makes it an excellent exfoliant for all skin types, including dry, acne-prone, and delicate skin.

According to research, mandelic acid is just as efficient at exfoliating the skin as glycolic acid, lactic acid, or salicylic acid. As a result, mandelic acid is both efficient and gentle.

With that out of the way, let’s look at how to use mandelic acid to get radiant skin. Continue reading!

How To Apply Mandelic Acid

1: Use a gentle cleanser to wash your skin. Pat your skin dry with a soft towel.

2: Apply a toner to your face and wait for 2-3 minutes.

3: Using your fingers, massage 2-3 drops of mandelic acid into your skin for about 5 minutes.

4: Allow the mandelic acid to absorb into your epidermis for 20 minutes. After that, add a moisturiser.

It is preferable to apply mandelic acid at night.

Isn’t it simple? However, if you do not use mandelic acid correctly, you may not get the intended results. Here’s a short primer on how to use mandelic acid correctly. Examine it out!

How To Properly Use Mandelic Acid

Mandelic acid is typically present in serum. It’s also found in facial creams. Here’s how to use mandelic acid on your epidermis safely:

Start With The Lowest Concentration: Using a higher concentration of mandelic acid can cause skin irritation, redness, and more breakouts, particularly if you have active cystic acne or sensitive skin. A greater concentration of mandelic acid can further dry out your skin if you have dry skin. Begin with 5% or 10% mandelic acid.

Increase the frequency gradually: Use mandelic acid once a day to see how your skin responds to the specific concentration. You can then progressively increase it to twice a day with the same mandelic acid concentration. If your epidermis tolerates it well, you can up the concentration and continue to use it twice a day.

Use It All Over Your Face: To achieve a more even complexion, experts recommend applying mandelic acid all over your face rather than just in spots.

Massage It Into Your Skin Thoroughly: Mandelic acid takes longer to penetrate your epidermis. To make it work, massage it into your skin until it is fully absorbed. Pushing it into your skin for a minute and then slathering on the next product will not enable mandelic acid to penetrate. To achieve the greatest outcomes, massage your face for 5-10 minutes with your fingertips, a face massager, or a good derma roller.

Now that you understand how to use and apply mandelic acid correctly, you should be conscious of mandelic acid safety precautions.

Safety Precautions

Perform a Patch Test: Even if you begin with the lowest quantity of mandelic acid, you must always perform a patch test. Apply some mandelic acid to your jaw and wait 24 to 48 hours to see if there is any adverse response. Reduce the quantity of mandelic acid or avoid using it if you experience redness, itching, swelling, or other symptoms.

Safeguard Your Skin From The Sun: Chemical exfoliants are all acids. Acids make your epidermis more sensitive to UV rays. Going outside without sunblock can cause sunburn and hyperpigmentation. So, if you use mandelic acid, make sure to use a sunscreen with a high SPF to safeguard your skin.

If you take these precautions, your epidermis will not react negatively when you first expose it to mandelic acid. There are numerous kinds of mandelic acid on the market. Here are the best 5 mandelic acids for your consideration.

If you have sensitive skin and have never tried facial acids, you can try mandelic acid. Alpha hydroxy acid is a mild chemical exfoliant. Mandelic acid, on the other hand, has a large molecular structure and does not penetrate the skin as thoroughly as other AHAs. As a result, it does not irritate the epidermis while performing its function. Mandelic acid has numerous skin Benefits, including the reduction of inflammation, pigmentation, and sun damage. It is ideal for all skin tones, particularly darker skin tones. Choose mandelic acid if you are fresh to exfoliating acids.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to use mandelic acid every day?

Every day, you can use a product having low concentrations of mandelic acid. The regularity, however, is determined by your skin’s tolerance to this AHA.

Is mandelic acid superior to salicylic acid?

Both are efficient acne treatments. However, mandelic acid is gentler than salicylic acid and can be used to treat inflamed acne. Salicylic acid, on the other hand, is more effective in healing whiteheads and blackheads.