little white truths

Long story short, it's a good product and I do like it, but glycolic acid treatments generally work better for my skin overall (this one's lactic acid based) so I would pick one of those over this any day.

Also, this product costs $110 for the full size and I don't think you need to spend that much to get something that works and that's been formulated well - especially because the full size is only 38ml. More on that below.

DrGL claims/product details:

• Designed to be the second step in your cleansing regime
• This mild chemical peel gently sloughs off dead skin cells to prevent build-up
• Leaves skin in optimal condition and primed to receive the full benefits of skincare that follows
• If the word 'peel' scares you, you’ll be happy to know that this formula uses lactic acid - a gentle form of acid known to simultaneously hydrate skin
• To use: for first time users, phase in the product by using it twice a week and gradually increase frequency of use; start with a gentler initial application using cotton pads, then move up to applying directly to the face; for oily skin, use twice daily after cleansing steps; for mature skin, use once daily after cleansing at night
• RRP $110 for 38ml

Verdict

I do like this product but, as mentioned above, at $110 for the full size it's very expensive - especially considering that you only get 38ml of product. 

By comparison, my HG Alpha-H Liquid Gold (a glycolic acid based treatment, reviewed here) costs $59.95 AUD for 100ml and you can always find it on special somewhere: I often buy two for the price of one. So I think this DrGL treatment is overpriced, and I personally wouldn't buy it. But it's not a bad product so it really depends on what you're prepared to pay.

It's a clear liquid that looks and feels like water. I hadn't noticed any scent to it over the past few weeks, but this morning I made the mistake of giving it a good sniff for the purposes of this review - and it smells like vodka. Argh. What a stomach-turner. Not what you want at 7.30am. Moving on.

I didn't need to build up to using this daily because I had a lactic acid treatment in rotation before opening this, so I just went ahead and used it every evening - and I haven't noticed any irritation from doing so. But then, my skin is used to acid-based treatments so if yours isn't, then you may wish to tread more carefully.

On the first use I applied this to a cotton pad and ran it over my face, but when I realised how quickly I would get through the product that way, I started applying it directly to my face. Two pumps is enough for my whole face and I use any excess for my neck and dec.

This peel hasn't stung my skin at all or caused any redness during the testing period, so I agree that it's gentle. It still delivers results, though, and my skin has definitely felt smoother while I've used it so I can tell that it performs a resurfacing action.

What's also happened during the testing period is that I've had a few breakouts along my chin and around my nose. It's not awful, but lactic acid does tend to bring gunk up to the surface of my skin (more than glycolic acid does), and then what usually happens is that the breakouts stop happening and eventually I get less of them than I normally would, were I not using lactic acid.

So based on my personal experience, I would pick lactic acid over glycolic acid if acne is your biggest concern.

On the claims: yes I do think this is mild; yes I do think it sloughs off dead skin cells to prevent build-up; yes I do think it prepares skin for skincare that follows (because it removes any dead skin that's in the way of new skin); and no I don't think this has hydrated my dry skin - but I also don't think it has dried it out too badly.

The main difference I notice between this product and a glycolic acid treatment (aside from the breakouts) is that glycolic acid not only resurfaces my skin, but it also brightens and plumps up my face. Lactic acid doesn't do this for me: if anything, it leaves my skin looking a tiny bit ashy and dead. It's not as bad as when I use retinols (those really make me look grey), but it definitely doesn't make me look healthier like glycolic acid does. 

Still, that's probably something that will depend on your skin - so lactic acid may work better for you where glycolic acid fails. It's all about trying different things until you find something that suits you.

Overall, I think this is a good product but it's overpriced and I'll be sticking with glycolic acid for now.

Let me know if you've tried this product and what you think of it if so.

Speak soon x