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Mandelic Acid Serum
15% mandelic acid to visibly smooth rough, bumpy skin on the body
Fragrance-free. Malassezia-safe. Vegan.
15%Mandelic Acid
MalasseziaSafe
FragranceFree
VeganReef Safe
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Mandelic Acid Serum
The re-diagnosis
You may not have been treating acne.
The pore
Where acne happens. An oil gland duct, blocked with sebum and dead cells. Nearly every body product on the shelf is engineered for this structure — including the one you tried last.
The hair follicle
Where most stubborn body bumps sit. A different structure entirely, sealed by a plug of keratin, in skin that spends its day occluded by clothing and abraded by friction.
Dermatology literature reports that follicular conditions are commonly mistaken for acne, sometimes for years. If five products have failed, the likeliest explanation is not you. It is that they were all aimed at the wrong structure.
Why mandelic
One molecule. Four properties.
Most actives do one job. That is the mechanical reason a routine can clear skin and then hand the problem back.
01
Exfoliant
As an alpha hydroxy acid it dissolves the bonds holding dead surface cells together, so the plug sealing a follicle can lift rather than build.
02
Antibacterial
Mandelic acid has naturally occurring antibacterial properties, working by membrane disruption rather than by targeting a single enzyme.
03
Antifungal
It also carries naturally occurring antifungal properties — uncommon among alpha hydroxy acids, and the reason this formula is Malassezia-safe.
04
Tone
Mandelic acid is a tyrosinase inhibitor, which is a separate pathway from exfoliation — it helps reduce the appearance of dark marks left behind.
These are documented properties of mandelic acid as an ingredient. Almond Clear is a cosmetic exfoliant and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Gentleness, by physics
Twice the size. Half the speed.
152
Mandelic acid152.15 daltons
76
Glycolic acid76.03 daltons
Glycolic is one of the smallest alpha hydroxy acid molecules there is. It arrives fast and it arrives deep, and that speed is what people feel as stinging, aggressive peeling, and marks left behind on deeper skin tones.
Mandelic acid is roughly twice the size, so it penetrates at roughly half the rate. Less acid reaching the lower layers at any one moment. The exfoliation is spread out instead of arriving all at once, which is why it is the acid dermatology reaches for on skin that cannot tolerate the others.
Why the last one didn't hold
What each active actually does
| Mandelic | Glycolic | Salicylic | Benzoyl peroxide |
Physical scrubs |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exfoliates the surface plug | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| Antibacterial property | ✓ | – | – | ✓ | – |
| Antifungal property | ✓ | – | – | – | – |
| Helps with the look of dark marks | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – |
| Gentler option for deeper skin tones | ✓ | – | ✓ | – | – |
| Stays on the skin, not rinsed away | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | – |
Mandelic acid is one of the few widely available cosmetic acids carrying both antibacterial and antifungal properties. Comparison describes documented properties of ingredients, not the performance of any specific branded product.
How to use
Thin, even, and over the whole area.
-
1
Apply to clean, dry skin
After showering, once the skin is dry. A thin, even layer across the whole problem area — not dabbed onto individual bumps. Friction and sweat affect the entire surface, so the entire surface is what you treat.
-
2
Start every other day
Give your skin a day between applications for the first stretch. This is the step most people skip, and it is the one that decides whether they are still using it in week four.
-
3
Build up to daily
Increase frequency as your skin tolerates it. If things get excessively dry or tight, drop back a step and climb more slowly. Consistency does more here than intensity.
-
4
Moisturise as needed
Follow with a non-comedogenic moisturiser whenever skin feels dry. Some light peeling in the first few weeks is normal and settles.
Body only. This is formulated at body strength and is not recommended for the face. Not on broken skin, and not on an area you have just shaved raw — wait until the next day.
What to expect
Texture moves first. Tone takes longer.
The gap between those two is where most people decide something has failed. It usually hasn't.
Weeks 1–2
Adjustment
Some light peeling is normal as the surface turns over. If skin feels tight, space applications further apart and build back up.
Weeks 2–4
Texture
Rough, bumpy texture is typically the first thing to change. Skin starts to feel smoother under your hand before it looks different in the mirror.
Month 2 onward
Tone
The dark marks left behind by old bumps fade on a slower schedule — often months, not weeks. It is a separate process from smoothing, and it is normal for it to lag.
Exfoliation clears pigment that has already reached the surface. Evening out what sits underneath is a different mechanism on a different clock. We would rather tell you that now than have you decide at week three that it didn't work.