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Mandelic Acid
Mandelic AcidExfoliant
The exfoliating acid usually suggested first for sensitive or darker skin. That habit hasn’t been backed by a study.
What it does
It’s the largest of the common exfoliating acids, and the usual story is that its size makes it gentler. That idea hasn’t been measured. People often pick it first for sensitive skin, and for darker skin where harsh exfoliation can leave dark marks.
The evidence, graded
expert consensusUse mandelic acid and a retinoid on alternate nights: the acid and the retinoid each irritate skin on their own, and nobody measured the two together. Mandelic acid appears in neither review Drop read for this pair, so the common line that it is the gentlest AHA is not something Drop can stand behind.Kornhauser 2010 · Clinical and Cosmetic Investigative Dermatology ↗
Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.
Pairs worth knowing
Browse all 1238 ingredients — grouped by what they do, each with whatever evidence we can cite.
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