I started using glycolic cleanser under the recommendation of my dermatologist when he put me on Retin A Microgel treatment. The first one I used was Jan Marini I glycolic cleanser. As I get used to it, he moved me up to MD Forte II. I love this. The glycolic cleanser seemed to help with my Retin A treatment. My skin had better texture and the skin tone was more even. My old acne marks also faded faster than when I used the Retin A alone. There are reports that glycolic acid helps loosen the top skin cells so that Retin A treatment can penetrate deeper into the skin to do its work. I have been using it for seven years and it's my holy grail.

Some claim that AHA in cleanser is useless because you wash it away. That is not true. The cleanser is to be used on a dry face since water's pH is too high for it to be effective. You should massage a quarter size amount of cleanser on face for 3-5 minutes before rinsing with warm water. Those who claim AHA's ineffectiveness in cleanser probably wash it off right away. If you do that, then yes-it's better to use a plain cleanser and save some money. Otherwise, since user can control the amount of time it's left on skin, it is a great way for someone who use AHA for the first time to build up tolerance.

Web SmartSkinCare.com