Glyco-A 12% Glycolic Acid Cream Review

Hey Everyone!

I was introduced to AHA's or Alpha Hydroxy Acids last year and I have been incorporating them in my skin care routine ever since. Glycolic Acid is an AHA and commonly used in anti ageing products due to its ability to work on hyper pigmentation, spots and acne. 

Before I started using Glyco-A which is 12% glycolic acid in cream base, I used to a lot of pimples especially around that time of the month and always on my jawline. These pimples were quite painful and I never really understood why do I get pimples on the same area again and again! Little bit of internet research showed that it can be due to hormonal changes and AHA based products work extremely well for hormonal breakouts.

I have never been a fan of physical scrubs especially those walnut and apricot granules scrubs available in the market. I find them too abrasive on my skin and often leave behind oily film which I am not a big fan of. I do however enjoy gel based scrubs and face polishes but again they don't work on unclogging pores and removing blackheads/whiteheads and this is where AHA based products come in handy.

Glyco-A is 12% Glycolic Acid in a cream base formula and is available across all medical shops. It retails for around 150/- INR approx for 30g which is extremely cheap. The cream is white in color and spreads easily on the skin. If you have never used glycolic acid based products you will feel slight stinging sensation for initial few uses but later on once your skin gets adjusted the sensation will go away. The cream needs to be massaged on the skin for it to be absorbed well, once absorbed it does not leave behind any oily residue or shine. Since AHA makes your skin sensitive to sun its recommended to use this cream only during the night time and always..I repeat always use a good sunscreen when stepping out in the sun!

Now for the big question..does it really work? YES IT WORKS! Ever since I started using Glyco-A my hormonal breakouts have been stopped completely! I do get zits during that time of the month but no big painful pimples anymore! Glyco-A also works on unclogging pores as it exfoliates the skin removing the dead skin cells and revealing brighter and smoother skin. It works on keeping blackhead and whiteheads at bay and fading dark spots. Existing scars also appear smoother however it does not work on deeply rooted scars or indented scars much! I have hyper pigmentation/dark patchy skin around my mouth and initially glyco-a did lighten the pigmentation but it takes a lot of time! So if you have to be patience when using such products and don't expect miracles overnight but with continuous usage you should see your skin brighter and much smoother with reduced spots and pimples!  

I have used this as a night cream and it works very well but if you have combination/normal/dry skin it can cause redness and peeling which is normal when using glycolic acid based products. I am now using it 2 to 3 times a week as my skin has become extremely dry this winter and using it every single day was making my skin very dry. If you find 12% glycolic acid is too much there is Glyco-6 available which is 6% Glycolic acid based cream from the same brand.

Overall a must have product especially if you are having issues with acne, zits, spots and hyper pigmentation! This is probably my 4th tube so its definitely a staple product in my skin care routine. Highly highly recommended!

Rating:- 4.5 out of 5

A big shout out to Shweta from GlamnGloss who recommended Glyco-A to me and its been a life changing product! Thank You!

Have you used Glycolic Acid based products? Which one is your favorite treatment to tackle zits and hyper pigmentation?

I hope the review was helpful, until next time take care and stay beautiful!

Love,