Alpha Hydrox AHA Souffle' 12%

Not too sure how I missed reviewing this before as I have been using it now for a couple of years.....but better late than never!
This was one of the first products I introduced to my skin when I made the decision to start on a more 'serious' skin care routine. After much research it became apparent that one of the reasons products either fail to work 'or' take so long to work is due to them not being able to penitrate the skins surface adequately. Therefore I decided to find a product that could remove the 'glue like' surface of the skin enabling Retin a's and the like to do there job more efficiently and that is when I came across alpha hydrox AHA Souffle'.
AHA is a chemical exfoliant and it helps to break down the "glue" that holds dead skin cells together, allowing them to slough off more easily.
Alpha hydroxy acids are reported to improve wrinkling, roughness, and mottled pigmentation of photo damaged skin after months of daily application. The majority of OTC AHA products are around 5-8% but this product is 12% and very effective.
The two major side effects of alpha hydroxy acids are irritation and sun sensitivity. Symptoms of irritation include redness, burning and itching. The use of alpha hydroxy acids can increase sun sensitivity by 50% which creates an immediate issue.... alpha hydroxy acids may be able to reverse some of the damage caused by photoaging, but at the same time they make the skin more susceptible to photoaging (sun sensitive). Therefore it is imperative that when using alpha hydroxy acids you must use a good physical sunscreen.
Prior to starting on Retin A I used alpha hydrox AHA Souffle' for a total of one month, Even though this is an OTC product do not be fooled as to how powerful this stuff is. The instructions state that you can use this twice daily (morning and night) but I would suggest that you introduce it once a day in the evening for the first week before jumping to twice per day.
I noticed a difference in my skin after 10 days of continuous use. My skin was definitely clearer and brighter and I immediately noticed that foundation makeup was much easier to apply.
However what really amazed me was how 'unaware' I was as to how much my skin needed an AHA to remove the 'glue' like substance that I had on my skin and I am very happy that I introduced this product prior to using Retin. However since I now use Retin A, Tazret and facial peels on a regular basis I find that I only turn to AHA once every 3 months and use twice a day for one week.

Tips:
Only use once per day for the first week (preferably in the evening).
After the first week start using twice per day.
If you have any prior irritation or sore areas do not apply to those areas as it will 'sting'.
Use a microfiber cloth twice per week to encourage removal of skin surface.
Remember to use a physical sunscreen as you 'will' become more sun sensitive.

Pros:
This is a great introduction to prepping the skin for Retin a's and chemical peels.
Definitely improves skins texture.
Improves skins appearance giving it a 'brightness and glow'.
Works relatively fast....I noticed an improvement within the first 10 days.
Easy to find in local pharmacy's (CVS, Walgreens, Walmart).
Cost: around $12.00 for 1.6oz's.
Only a small amount needed therefore last a long time.
The following link is the official Alpha Hydrox Website who have plenty of other great items and hold regular sales:
LINK

Cons:
The only con I can think of is if your have easily irritated skin or have an allergic reaction otherwise this product is suitable for all.