Same here. I haven't had any discomfort or anything except for the first day I used it. I've been using it since maybe September.

My skin feels very soft when I have it on but after I shower it goes back to be rough...cocoa butter worked better for me in keeping it consistently smooth.
I feel like the AHA is just sitting on my skin and not absorbing since all smoothness goes away when I shower and also I can see the whiteness of the lotion coming off.

I'm in the same place you guys are. I've used it for about two weeks and I can't really tell how much it's helping yet. I was going to bump up to the 20 but now there's a red irritated patch on my right arm...it's at the bottom of my upper arm though right about where the KP stops, so I think it's just the normal skin getting irritated? I'll have to work around it and be more careful. Obviously though this process takes time and I'm not going to give up yet or anything. How I understand it though, it's exfoliating your skin so it makes sense that it would be more dry, right? I was using cocunut oil before and it made my arms feel very nice and smooth but I wasn't convinced it was going to get rid of the bumps. It was just like moisturizing it.

My face has a bit of redness in it so I tried using the 15 on it but that stuff is WAY too strong for my face. Maybe like an 8 would work but not 15.

Yes, that is exactly it. You just need to be more careful where you're putting it. If you're not having any irritation on the KP areas, it is safe to move up to the 20%.

Yes, it should get VERY dry. That is exactly how it works, so it sounds like it is starting to remove your KP layers. You can expect it to get dry and crackly-feeling for the next few weeks at least. You can start using moisturizer if it's a bothersome effect.

Quote:

I've been using the 15% lotion for about two weeks now and I have had really no results. I know it takes time but nothing so far. It helps smooth out my skin but as soon as I shower again my skin feels bumpy again. I'll continue using it with the hopes of my redness fading. Should I go up to to the 20%?

It will take at least a couple months before you start feeling smoother skin, and probably longer before you notice the redness fading. It simply takes that long to exfoliate those thick, dense bumps. Again, if you're not having irritation, it's safe to go up to 20%.

Quote:

I feel like the AHA is just sitting on my skin and not absorbing since all smoothness goes away when I shower and also I can see the whiteness of the lotion coming off.

It isn't *supposed* to penetrate deeply. It just removes one thin, top layer of skin at a time. I'm not sure what you mean by "whiteness." It's more likely that the whiteness is dead skin debris that is coming off.
The AHA is supposed to sit on your skin. It is not like a lotion that absorbs. For instance, when you shower or your skin gets wet, the AHA should re-liquefy and feel slippery and then have to dry again. That is totally normal.

If you guys have severe KP (and it sounds like you do), it will be a slow process to remove it. Remember, my KP was only moderate and bad in some places, and it still took about 3 months to clear up. For more severe cases, it may take longer.

Just remember, TWICE a day. If you skip days or get lax about it, you will slow the process even more.

Sorry for the italics. I could not get it to stop, even by hitting the button again lol.

Hi,

Turquoise you pictures are fantastic!
I have KP on my upper arms and am getting married in July next year, my dress is strapless so I need to get this sorted!
I have been looking for AHA lotion in the UK but cant find it anywhere so I have just bought some off ebay from a US seller who is willing to ship.
My spots are very red but not really so raised as I have been exfoliating and using high % Urea based moisturisers for the past few months.
I have ordered NeoStrata 15 lotion so I hope I will be ok with it!


Victoria x

the neostrata 15 aha didnt really work for my kp, but great for my face,

iv been using the DDF aha lotion, and that is great im going to try the DCL lotion and im gonna go and do some more aha peels on my arms, they worked wonders for me before.

im also from the UK and get all my stuff from ebay US, as stuff here is so expensive and u cant get half the stuff anyway.

also i tried oil pulling and i think it works!!! however my problem is, im not consistent i do these things here and there. ....but will get better as its xmas, and i want to wear a knockout outfit for the parties

the other thing iv been doing and i think it works, i exfoliate on dry skin all over before i get into the bath/shower....i just scrub away using any cheap scrub and then wash it off, bcoz its dry it seems to work better than it would if it were wet.

Hi giggly,

I exfoliate on dry skin and it seems to be good for smoothing the skin!
When you say it was good for your face how do you mean? Do you have redness?
Also where did you get ur AHA peels?
Sorry for all the questions Im a bit new to all this!

Victoria x

thats ok, i got my peels from ebay in the UK as there quite cheap anyway, i get the 50% for arms, but only 30% for face as i have sensitive skin.am thinking of getting a 70% for some bad scars i have on my ankles and feet.

the neostrata was great for clearing my skin, however the 10% smoothing lotion seemed to work better than the 15% lotion, not sure why. also works better after a facial and when u actually look after ur skin and use it all the time. u can seethe difference after about a week or so i think.....cant remember now, as i was in india for 5 weeks and got skincare for asian skin, so ive been using that instead now.

and i used the DDF home face peel kit in september and it was great i got that from ebay too...but with aha u must remember to wear sunblock!!! otherwise u end up doing more damage than good, the best one i have tried is the dermalogica solar booster, which u can just mix with ur moisturiser and it is great.

or if u get redness from aha's, u should just try plain yogurt, it has natural lactic acid and leave for 10 mins and voila u have mega smooth skin, use for a week and u will glow (u just need the stomach for it and its abit messy).......there are also some other homemade indian recipes u can try but i cant think of them at the moment, but do a google or try this www.indiaparenting.com/beauty they have loads of info on other stuff, if u need help with some of the language let me know.xxxx

Ohh fab thanks Giggly!

I take it you only need to wear sunblock in the time after the AHA is applied and not forever afterwards?

Victoria x

Dear Turquoise,

Thank you for sharing your story. I did buy the Dermatalogic 20% and have been using it for a few weeks now. I'm being patient with it based on your experience. I am using it twice a day on the backs of my arms and parts of my thighs. I definitely have some redness and stinging, which I thought was probably a good thing and meant it was really working, and I do very occasional jojoba bead exfoliation which maybe i'll stop altogether, but you said you had no redness or stinging. So, maybe I should just go to once a day. I also use Aveeno lotion which I have mostly stopped while I just use this AHA lotion. Did you moisturize at all during your initial 2 months or so, or did you just use this lotion? I'm wondering if moisturizing with anything just makes the process take longer due to the potential of the pores getting clogged? Hmmmmm....let me know what you did specifically with this. I do notice that my skin is actually rougher because I'm not moisturizing at all, so I'd like to know more about your protocol.....Thanks again and I'm keeping the faith about it!

hey turquoise,
im gonna buy some AHA lotion and just want some advice. I'll be honest and say that i haven't gone over all this thread cuz its 2 long so srry if u've already answered this.
I have sensetive skin so should i start off with 15% or do i need 20% (my KP is light to moderate and i have very few "bumps"). I saw that you said you need the 20% to get rid of all the dead skin thats pilled up over the years but i've not had my KP as long as most people - three and a half years for it to spread as far as it has - so i don't think i'll have as much "debris" to peel away as most.
I just want to know because my skin can be irritated easily sometimes, but i really want to get rid of my kp.
x

I have pretty bad KP.

It's really bumpy......and REALLY red.

I think I'm gonna start using the Neo AHA.

I've never used anything on my KP before........but I can't stand it anymore.....I've gotta get rid of it.

Will the Neo AHA take care of the redness or just the bumps?

NO, that is bad. You need to go down to 15%. Irritation is always bad.

I didn't, even though this treatment does cause a lot of dryness. I don't think moisturizer will clog the pores or anything like that. It may slow the process a little bit due to its dilluting effect of the AHA, or it may not. So few people have used this treatment and done it properly that the moisturizer issue is still an unknown one.

It will start getting very dry and rough-feeling as the exfoliation happens. That's normal.

Try the 20%. If you get any irritation, go down to 15%. If you still do, try the 10%. Don't give up. Find the one that works for you. I would guess that the 15% would work ok for you since your KP is not that old.

If the treatment works for you, it will take care of both. Remember, the redness is just the irritation caused by clogged follicles, and this treatment can open them up, therefore eliminating the very cause of the redness.

Yeah, irritation is....not good. I'm not really sure how people think that it could be! Play it smart. I had a bad reaction to the AHA when I put it on one night after a concert and my skin flared up, but I just layed off it for a day and started back up and everything's fine. The bumps are flattening out a lot and my skin is getting really dry. My skin is actually smooth at the bottom of my upper arms now! I'm just excited to see any results because so far this is the only thing that's had any effect on my KP. I don't really mind the dryness so I haven't bothered moisturizing. I was afraid that might slow the process down too. I ordered the 20% and am going to try using that in the morning after I shower and the 15% at night. I think it'll be even more effective.