Ole Henriksen swapped the watery lactic acid base for a thicker glycolic pump — and long-time users are *pissed*. The old version felt like nothing; this one feels like a treatment.
The real drama? They killed the “glow-in-your-sleep” effect that the lactic version was famous for. This one works faster but stings more.
It’s a 20% AHA night serum — $55 for 1 oz. They claim “overnight resurfacing” in one use. That’s a lie, but three nights? Yeah, close.
20% AHA Blend
Glycolic + lactic + mandelic — not just one acid, so it hits different layers
Pump Dispenser
Thank god — the old dropper was a slippery mess
PH 3.5-4.0
Acidic enough to work, not acidic enough to peel your face off
Photo: Content Pixie / Unsplash
They swapped a water base for aloe juice — which sounds bougie but actually helps buffer the sting. Squarane is in there too, so it’s not stripping. Smells like a melted orange Tic Tac.
- Glycolic Acid: digs into pores — not just surface exfoliation
- Lactic Acid: holds moisture in while it works
- Mandelic Acid: gentle enough for your neck
- Squarane: prevents that tight, cracked-leather feeling
Photo: Nora Topicals / Unsplash
It’s a thin gel — absorbs in about 12 seconds. No tackiness, which is rare for a 20% acid. First night felt like tiny needles. Not painful, just… present.
Week two: my chin texture — those tiny bumps that never pop — flattened. But my neck got red. Don’t put this on your neck. Learned the hard way.
Photo: pmv chamara / Unsplash
Pores look smaller in the morning — not permanently, but for about 8 hours. My forehead lines are softer, not gone. The glow is real but it’s a “just did a mask” glow, not an “I’m 20 again” glow.
The reformulation is objectively stronger and more stable. But it lost the lazy-girl charm of the original — you have to *work* with this one now.