A-ha! AHA! #GLYCOLICACIDPEEL

Press Sample.  All opinions are my own.

Hello, Fireflies!

Glycolic Acid.  Facial Peel.  If you're not familiar with these skincare terms, you may be thinking it's time to run away before you end up looking like a comic book character with acid burns and their face melting off.

Really, a chemical peel is not as dramatic as all that.  Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) loosen the bonds between dead skin and live skin, allowing the dead cells to slough off faster and reveal the glowing, fresh skin underneath.  It's not supposed to come off in sheets like one of those masks that you let dry and peel off like a fruit roll-up.

This peel is 10% AHA, which is pretty potent.  I've tried 1-4% with mild to no stinging, and I've tried 50%, which made me want to peel my own face off to stop the burning.  This one stung for about two minutes.  If you've never used AHA peels before, this is a strong one to start with, but not unbearable - especially because it's buffered with aloe vera.

After the initial stinging, I had no trouble keeping the peel on for the recommended 30 minutes.  You can wear this peel overnight, if you choose, too.  It's recommended that you apply sunscreen after using the peel, and every day for at least a week afterwards (though we should really be using sunscreen every day!)

Like the other MaxLife/Serum Ceuticals serums I've tried, this one also comes in a cobalt blue glass bottle with a European dropper.  The colored glass helps to protect the ingredients from light, and the dropper helps keep air out.  The serum is also charged with Argon and Nitrogen to help keep the ingredients stable longer.

The serum is thin and watery, and really doesn't look like much on the skin at all.  It's absorbed really quickly, and gets to work.  I didn't experience any redness or peeling, or any irritation from the peel.  It may take repeated uses to really see a lot of changes in skin tone, but I could already see that my chin was less mottled after just one use.

I just received a post-peel cream from MaxLife to review, and I can't wait to use the two together to really maximize the benefits of this AHA peel.  Review to come!

For more information or to purchase, you can find the parent company, Max Life USA on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. This 10% AHA Pro Peel from Serum Ceuticals is currently available on Amazon for $24.

Have you tried an AHA peel before?