Mandelic Serum 15% - Alamano Skin Care
Mandelic Serum 15%
1 fl oz (30 ml)
AHA Blend, Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid
Increases cell turnover, clears skin, calms redness and inflammation, brightens, hydrates, inhibits pigment production.
Note - this serum is intended for the treatment of chest / back acne and Keratosis Pilaris. It can be used as a monthly or weekly face treatment if directed by an Esthetician, but is not for daily use on the face.
Pregnancy safe: unlike other acid exfoliants, the acids in this serum (Mandelic, Lactic, and Azelaic) are 100% safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding. Defer to your doctor with questions.
pH 3
Benefits
Alpha Hydroxy Acids: increase cellular turnover to smooth and clear. Brightens hyperpigmentation.
Sodium Hyaluronate: a form of hyaluronic acid. Improves hydration to plump and soften.
Niacinamide: a form of Vitamin B. Calms redness and inflammation. Inhibits melanin production.
Directions
Apply to freshly cleansed skin.
To avoid peeling, start slow and build up to daily use over the course of 3 weeks.
Ingredients
Deionized Water, Mandelic Acid, Lactic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Witch Hazel Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Niacinamide, Azelaic Acid, Sodium PCA, Sunflower Oil, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate. Glycerin Tetrasodium EDTA, Essential Oil
Tips from Emily
This serum is strong, do not use it on your face unless your Esthetician has given you instructions on how to do so.
Tips for Estheticians
After extractions this serum can be applied as a light peel, either with your hands (cleanse them afterwards to avoid peeling) or with a fan brush.
It can be used in the same way but buffered (weakened) by mixing with a moisturizer. It will sting any open lesions but this is normal and to be expected due to pH and blend of acids.
It will neutralize without intervention so you can apply it to the skin and leave it, no need to neutralize or remove. You can apply a mask or moisturizer over the Mandelic.
What is amazing about this serum is that when used following extractions, it will kill the bacteria within acne (Cutibacterium acnes, formerly known as Propionibacterium acnes) and therefore will get to two of the root causes of acne - bacteria imbalance and excess skin cells.
Mandelic is special because it is large molecularly which means it is less sensitizing than other acids, yet it is effective and shows measurable results for graceful aging and clearing acne.
Mandelic is the perfect acid for acne AND perimenopausal and menopausal skin because as our oil production slows down exfoliants can become too harsh and sensitizing; mandelic's big molecular size allows effective cell turnover without stress to the barrier or reactivity.
KEEP IN MIND: Ongoing breakouts / never ending acne purge:
Using great skincare is not enough to clear skin that is truly acne-prone. Skin will not fully clear if lifestyle is not considered and changed. When it comes to topicals - 95%+ of makeup, hair, toothpaste and laundry products have pore clogging ingredients. To attain clear skin, it is imperative to switch all products that come into contact with the skin. Check out my "Shop Extras" link in my linktree, accessible via my instagram bio.
Q: To address pigment and scaring do you recommend azelaic acid? Would it be wise to introduce the skin to azelaic acid and alternate days with the mandelic once acne is cleared up? The barrier is getting stronger and stronger but I don’t want to overwhelm it.
A: Mandelic is better at brightening PIH/PIE and melasma pigmentation issues than azelaic. My Mandelic 5 and 8% serums have L-Mandelic (which is better than regular mandelic, it means it is chirally correct), plus lactic, niacinamide, and a few other brightening ingredients. So it is an all-in-one serum for both clearing acne and fading acne pigmentation. I think azelaic is more well known because it is cheaper to formulate and the drug companies funded a study on it so that it could be approved by FDA and then profitable through prescriptions. It is not better than mandelic at anything; just more profitable so pushed by derms more and mentioned on the internet more. My Mandelic 15% has azelaic added to it, this is more like a treatment than a daily face serum though so I had more wiggle room with formulation since it's stronger. Most clients need to be using mandelic consistently to get consistent results, not alternating anything else with exfoliants in. To be quite frank, if I liked azelaic acid more than mandelic I would sell an azelaic centered serum. To speed up the PIH/PIE (most have a combination) clients should add my Vitamin C Serum, those 2 serums together speed up the healing of pigmentation the fastest because they will then be getting the exfoliation plus the benefits of more antioxidants, tremella mushroom, and peptides specific to pigmentation (oligopeptide-68) from the Vitamin C Serum.