Meet mandelic acid (MA), the multitasking superstar of skincare. Like that amazingly productive friend or coworker who’s good at everything, you’ll be so glad that you have mandelic acid on your team.

So what is mandelic acid? It’s an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that’s derived from bitter almonds, and it’s the workhorse of all Almond Clear products. Mandelic acid has a plethora of beneficial properties that improve a variety of skin concerns. Plus, it’s gentler on the skin than other AHAs, so you’re less likely to experience irritation, redness, and excessive drying of the skin. Let’s look at how mandelic acid can improve acne, folliculitis, fine lines and sagging skin, ingrown hairs, hyperpigmentation, and scarring. Whew, that’s a lot of skin problems that this one little product can treat! We told you you’d be glad to have mandelic on your team!

Acne

Mandelic acid packs a huge punch against breakouts. Just look at its long list of benefits:

• MA clears stubborn clogged pores by exfoliating clogged material like dead skin cells and oil. The dissolved sludge of material can then exit the pore. Goodbye, inflamed pimple!
• Loosens blackheads so that they can easily be extracted or fall out on their own
• Shrinks large, visible pores by dissolving trapped oil and dirt. Say goodbye to those pesky enlarged pores on the nose!
• MA has strong antibacterial properties, so it fights the bacteria inside of pimples that cause them to get red and inflamed.

Folliculitis

Mandelic acid has proven to be quite effective at battling chronic fungal acne. If you’re someone who’s struggled for years with pityrosporum folliculitis (aka “fungal acne”), or gram-negative folliculitis, then mandelic acid has the potential to significantly reduce your blemishes.

• MA is strongly antibacterial and antifungal, so it clears up the microbes that cause folliculitis. No other AHA seems to have such potent antifungal properties.
• It exfoliates dead skin cells and oil to unclog blocked follicles
• Redness and inflammation are reduced by MA’s anti-inflammatory properties.

Fine lines, wrinkles & sagging skin

When we’re younger, many of us assume that we’ll accept aging with humility and not fight against the ticking clock. But then, when we really start seeing the signs of again appear on our faces, we’re not quite ready to welcome in wrinkles and sagging skin. If you want to fight back the signs of aging with an effective and naturally-derived product, then consider mandelic acid.

• MA stimulates the skin to produce collagen and elastin. These two proteins naturally occur in the skin and are responsible for keeping it taught and plump. As we age, both collagen and elastin decrease, leading to wrinkles and sagging skin. With the increased collagen and elastin levels that MA stimulates, the skin appears smoother and more taught, and fine lines are less obvious.
• Aging skin can take on a greyish, dull color, and this is from an accumulation of dead skin cells on the surface of the skin. MA gently exfoliates this dull skin, revealing new skin that is smooth and has a youthful, healthy glow.

Ingrown Hairs

Try mandelic for ingrown hairs anywhere on the face or body. It has an array of qualities that can be quite helpful for painful and unsightly ingrowns.

• MA gently exfoliates the top layers of skin and removes dead skin cells, allowing buried hairs to come to the surface
• Mandelic’s antibacterial properties can help to calm infection
• Anti-inflammatory qualities help to reduce swelling and redness

Sun damage, scars, and dark marks

Multiple studies point to mandelic acid’s ability to reduce hyperpigmentation (like irregular skin color, freckles, scaring, and melasma). MA packs a double punch against hyperpigmentation:

• First, it sloughs off dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, bringing to the surface new cells that will replace the discolored layers.
• Second, MA has been shown to inhibit the production of melanocytes (melanin-forming cells) so the hyperpigmentation process is interrupted.
• Additionally, MA improves the tone and texture of the skin, imparting a bright, smooth, and glowing appearance.

Excellent for dark skin tones and sensitive skin

Some alpha and beta hydroxy acids are too harsh for sensitive skin and dark skin tones, but mandelic acid is one of the safest and most gentle acids available.

• Mandelic acid is very slow to absorb into the skin, so it’s less likely to cause irritation, redness, and excessive dryness. This makes it an ideal skin care product for people with sensitive or dry skin.
• People with dark skin tones are prone to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin due to skin damage). Use of harsh acne treatment products can trigger hyperpigmentation. In contrast, because mandelic acid absorbs into the skin relatively slowly, it will never cause permanent darkening.