Alpha-H Instant Facial review

.If you’re like me, when someone mentions “Alpha-H”, you immediately think “Liquid Gold”. Liquid Gold has been such an iconic product in my mind (despite never having tried it) that I was surprised to discover that Alpha-H actually has other products. A lot of other products, in fact!

One of the newest is Alpha-H Instant Facial, which I’ve been using as my sole AHA product here on my Europe trip. It’s a glycolic acid based product, but unlike any other AHA I’ve tried so far, this comes in a handy 100 mL spray bottle so I took it in my carry-on luggage.

Ingredients list: Aqua, Hamamelis virginiana water, glycerin, glycolic acid, plankton extract, Chamomilla recutita extract, Thymus vulgaris leaf extract, potassium hydroxide, polysorbate 20, PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate, ammonium glycyrrhizate, Arnica montana flower extract, phenoxyethanol, Aloe barbadensis leaf juice, Cucumis sativus extract, propylene glycol, caprylyl glycol, Cupressus sempervirens seed extract, Polygonatum officinale rhizome/root extract, Arnica montana flower extract, Hordeum vulgare root extract, citric acid

The main ingredients in this product are witch hazel water, glycerin and glycolic acid (an AHA). There are a bunch of other skin-friendly botanicals in there too, such as chamomile, thyme, arnica and cypress extracts.

It claims to minimise the appearance of pores and wrinkles, and mattify the T-zone, while firming and smoothing the skin. On my skin, it does live up to its claim… except for the mattifying part! Nothing mattifies my T-zone. I’m guessing the glycerin works to plump up the skin while the witch hazel water temporarily tightens the skin, giving the “instant facial” effect. It’s a little stingy on the skin, probably due to the low pH (~3), which is necessary for the glycolic acid to get into the skin.

Overall, it’s a very convenient way of getting your dose of AHA, if you don’t have time or forget to apply it – it’s quick and hygienic when you’re on the move! You could theoretically spray it over make-up (provided you left enough distance to avoid streaks). The glycerin does leave a slightly tacky layer on your skin though, which may be annoying for some people. My main gripe, though, is that it doesn’t state the percentage of glycolic acid anywhere on the product.

I’ve also been trying some samples of other Alpha-H products, and so far I’m quite impressed – the sunscreen is SPF50+, which is a bit of a rarity at the moment in the Australian facial sunscreen market, and the Balancing Cleanser is a very gentle cream-based cleanser that doesn’t strip the skin at all.

Alpha-H have a host of other products too, which include ingredients with well-documented benefits, like vitamins A and C. I haven’t personally tried them though!

You can buy Alpha-H Instant Facial at Adore Beauty, Skincare Store and Beauty Bay.
This product was provided for review, which did not affect my opinion. This post contains affiliate links – if you decide to click through and support Lab Muffin financially, thank you! For more information, see Disclosure Policy.