As the use of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) in at-home skin care products becomes more and more popular, brands like Alpha Skin Care are looking to fill the consumer demand. Originally known as Alpha Hydrox Skin Care, the manufacturer (Neoteric Cosmetics) has recently rebranded this line.

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It is difficult to tell what the reason for this change was, but it’s likely that the manufacturer wanted to create a more distinct brand that wouldn’t be confused with the name of the active ingredient. However, the focus of the Alpha Skin Care line hasn’t changed, and many of the products are still formulated with one of the most common AHAs: glycolic acid. In this review, we’ll discuss a few of the brand’s best selling products, key ingredients, Alpha Skin Care reviews from real customers, and more. 

The Alpha Skin Care line of products includes cleansers, toners, serums, moisturizers, and body care products. Many of the brand’s products have similar names, for example, Intensive Renewal Serum and Enhanced Renewal Cream, which can make it a little confusing to know what exactly the product is for. That’s why we’d like to discuss the top 5 best selling Alpha Skin Care products and what they are claimed to do. 

Renewal Body Lotion The Alpha Skin Care Renewal Body Lotion is an anti-aging body lotion for all skin types that contains 12% glycolic acid. It is said to reduce signs of aging while relieving dry skin, leaving skin feeling soft and smooth.

Intensive Renewal Serum Alpha Skin Care Intensive Renewal Serum is an anti-aging facial serum for all skin types that contains 14% glycolic acid. It is said to support collagen production, thereby helping to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles while evening skin tone and texture. 

Enhanced Renewal CreamA ha Skin Care Enhanced Renewal Cream is similar to the Intensive Renewal Serum, except this cream only contains 12% glycolic acid and the formula also contains vitamins and peptides. It is said to support collagen production, thereby helping to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles while evening skin tone and texture. 

Refreshing Face Wash This gentle soap-free formula uses citric acid to remove dirt, makeup, and excess oil from your skin’s surface and pores. The Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash can be used by all skin types, both day and night. 

Essential Renewal Lotion The Essential Renewal Lotion is an anti-aging facial lotion for normal to dry skin types that contains 10% AHA. It is said to support collagen production, thereby helping to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles while evening skin tone and texture. 

Alpha Skin Care named their brand after the key ingredient used throughout their line of skincare products: alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). These compounds consist of a carboxylic acid (-COOH) substituted with a hydroxyl group (-OH) on the adjacent carbon in the alpha position, hence the name. AHAs can be naturally derived from fruit and milk sugars or synthetically produced. For example, glycolic acid can be isolated from natural sources like sugarcane, sugar beets, pineapple, cantaloupe, and unripe grapes. 

AHAs are frequently used in skin care products because they have the ability to exfoliate the skin, stimulate the skin’s natural regeneration process, and help the skin to retain moisture. Like we said, glycolic acid is the most popular AHA and it is the one that Alpha Skin Care uses in most of their products. The other AHAs include lactic acid, mandelic acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, and citric acid. Since glycolic acid is the main AHA that the brand uses throughout their product line, let’s take a closer look at the benefits this ingredient can provide. 

Glycolic acid exfoliates the skin by targeting corneocytes (dead skin cells that make up the top layers of skin) in a process called corneocyte desquamation. By enhancing their breakdown and increasing the separation of skin cells, the rate of cell turnover is increased, leading to smoother, brighter skin.

Glycolic acid can also help to keep the skin hydrated. Remember, AHAs have a hydroxyl (-OH) group in the alpha position. This hydroxyl group enables AHAs to function as humectant moisturizers. A humectant moisturizer is an ingredient that sits on your skin and grabs onto water, slowing it from evaporating. This keeps your skin hydrated.

Lastly, glycolic acid is able to penetrate deep into the skin due to its small molecular size and stimulate the synthesis of collagen. Collagen is a structural protein naturally produced by the body that is responsible for keeping skin strong and firm. By stimulating new collagen synthesis, glycolic acid may be able to help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

When looking at the other ingredients in Alpha Skin Care products, we found that besides AHAs, the brand mostly uses emollients to formulate their products. An emollient is any ingredient that can soften the skin. A few examples of the emollients you’ll find in Alpha Skin Care products include petrolatum, mineral oil, and lanolin alcohol. The brand also uses silicones, such as dimethicone, in some of their products. Silicones improve the spreadability of a product, while also leaving behind a silky, smooth skin feel. 

Alpha Skin Care products are sold on the brand’s website (neotericcosmetics.com), as well as several third party online retailers, such as Ulta, Amazon, Walmart, and more. 

Neoteric Cosmetics is cruelty free, therefore, Alpha Skin Care is cruelty free. 

If you’re looking for skincare products to address the signs of aging, we recommend Carrot & Stick. Carrot & Stick maximizes the use of powerful ingredients and minimizes the use of superficial ones, resulting in advanced skincare solutions that help promote healthy, more youthful-looking skin.