Ingredient
Mandelic Acid
An alpha hydroxy acid with a larger molecule than glycolic acid, so it works more slowly and is often better tolerated.
What it is there to do
Exfoliant
Loosens or dissolves the bonds between surface skin cells.
Where this comes up
The notes BeautySignal puts beside this ingredient when it is on a label.
- Contains exfoliating acids
This product contains an exfoliating acid. These work by loosening the bonds between surface skin cells, and are usually introduced gradually.
Why we mention it
Concentration and pH change the effect substantially, and neither is usually disclosed, so an absolute statement would be misleading.
What we don't know
- Where it comes from — plant, mineral, synthetic — isn't recorded.
- No published rule in our reference names it. That is about the rules, not safety.
- How much of it is used in any particular product. We hold no concentrations at all.
This is information about an ingredient, not medical advice, and not a judgement about any product that contains it. Back to the reference.