Garden of Wisdom's Mandelic Acid 10% Serum is a proprietary blend of antioxidants, skin hydrators, alpha-hydroxy acids, skin conditioners and a 10% strength of Mandelic Acid. Mandelic acid lightens skin (especially when paired with our Light n' Bright serum), reduces pore size, improves complexion, evens out skin tone and helps to lighten skin irregularities and hyperpigmentation. Our Mandelic Acid is best to be used by those who have oily to very oily skin, mild acne, blemishes, or with normal skin.
Mandelic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid that helps clear away dead skin cells that have built up on the skin's surface, and because of its smaller molecule size it can also work within the pore as well. Unlike glycolic acid, it cannot penetrate the skin's layers to enable deeper exfoliation, but it can help to refine pores. Mandelic acid has antibacterial properties.
This is a more watery serum - the full size has an option for a pump or a spritzer to fit your needs.
Our Mandelic 10% Marine Serum (Yes Alcohol and Yes Seaweed) can be found here.
Method of Application If you are new to acids, use them every three days. In total, exfoliate no more than 3 to 4 times per week.
Use on clean skin (skin can be dampened with hydrosol, toner or fruit mists, or it can be dry). Apply a few drops with clean fingertips, then wait 20 minutes before using any other products. The acid will self neutralize and then you can continue with your routine.
The exception to the 20 minute wait rule is if the acids are very uncomfortable. If so, then rinse immediately and build up a resistance to the acids over about a month's time, increasing the length of time every few days. Acids, however, are not meant to be comfortable as they are a remodeling tool.
Shelf Life and Storage Information for Our Products and Ingredients
Finished Products - generally don't need to be refrigerated as they are preserved, but you can refrigerate them to extend their shelf life. The shelf life for most products is 9-12 months. Vitamin C Serum(s) and VitaResurface products should continually be refrigerated to extend their shelf life. Sample Sizes - do have a shorter shelf life (generally 3-6 months), and items in jars can dry up quicker than this if the lid is not tightened well enough (Vitamin C Serums - use within 90 days).
Please Keep Your Products Out of Humidity, Heat, Direct Light and in a Dark Cabinet When Possible
Exfoliating Acid - products have a shelf life of 9-12 months. The only things we don't suggest refrigerating are the Mandelic Acid Serums or Salicylic Acid Serums, as they can crystallize in the refrigerator. If this happens, you can set the product into a hot water bath to see if the crystals will dissolve.
Additional Items That Require Refrigeration and/or Kept in the Dark
Hydrosols and Distillates - remove 1 ounce of hydrosol and add it to a separate, sterilized spray bottle and spritzer. Keep the larger bottle in the refrigerator. Carrier and Exotic Oils - generally refrigerate all carrier oils, although some very rich oils will solidify. This is fine. All you have to do is take the oil out, warm it up at room temperature, and it should liquefy. If not, set the bottle in a hot water bath and occasionally shake the bottle, which will hopefully turn into a liquid. Some oils, like coconut cream and jojoba oil, have a super long shelf life.
Refrigeration of The Following Ingredients is Not Necessary, But it Won't hurt
Essential Oils - essential oils are best stored in a cool, dark place. Co2 Extracts - these should continually be refrigerated. Butters - we suggest refrigerating our "skincare" butters. You can remove what you need and keep the rest in the fridge. Clays - keep in a dry, dark place. Shelf life is at least 2 years. Herbs All herbs <i>(whole or ground)</i> should be kept in a dark, cool, and dry location. Herbal (liquid) Extracts are created using grain alcohol. The alcohol pulls the constituents (properties) from each herb, root, trunk, leaf, and flower. They have a shelf life of 3-5 years. They can be stored in the refrigerator or a dark, dry place. Other Raw Ingredients - such as Sodium PCA, Honeyquat, Oat Beta Glucan, etc., will all have different shelf lives.
MANDELIC ACID 10% SERUM INGREDIENTS(No Alcohol and No Seaweed):
Believe it or not,I like mandelic acid for use on my armpits. It totally kills underarm odor and yours works perfectly for this.
Margie, 😊
This is so interesting! We see this quite often drifting through the internet.
Let us know what you think??
Again, thank you for your reviews and thoughts.
Markey
O
Olaitan
Gets the job done
I use this once or twice a week especially whenever I need a glow the next morning. I like that there’s both a pump and spray option, but I only use the pump
Olaitan,
Thank you for sharing your experience with our Mandelic Acid 10% Serum. We’re so happy to hear that it gives you the glow you need, and it’s wonderful that the pump option works best for you. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope you continue to enjoy the results. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need assistance.
As always, Your GOW Team 😊😊😊
M
Michelle
Glowing
I love this stuff. It gives my skin a lovely glow and is helping smooth out my texture. I'm not sure it should be sprayed though, I have to leave the room after I spray my face, or else I go into a coughing fit.
Hi, Michelle :=)
Thank you so much for your glowing review ~ pun intended! We’re thrilled to hear that you love how the product enhances your skin’s glow and helps smooth your texture. Your feedback about the spray application is invaluable to us. We’re sorry to hear about the coughing fits and will definitely take this into consideration. In the meantime, you might find spraying it onto your hands or a cotton pad before applying it to your face a helpful alternative. Thank you again for sharing your experience, we’re always here to help if you need anything! Again, thank you and for your honesty as well! Markey
A
Anna Seery
Not a serum
This product is a toner, not a serum due to watery consistency. The product has fantastic ingredients yet is not what I'm looking for in terms of a "serum".
Hi, Anna :-)
Thank you for your review. I have thought this
over the years and to thicken it up keeps (slightly)
the absorbtion of the Mandelic Acid a bit less in
strength.
I will add to the site that this is a watery product.
Please also note the full size has the options of either a pump or a spritzer.
Also, we can certainly thicken this up as a custom
product for a small fee.
Again, thank you.
Markey
T
Tracy
Best exfoliant for my aging skin
I've tried a lot of the exfoliants out there and this one is the best for my skin. It doesn't cause redness or peeling. I did start at 5% for months before I shifted to the 10%. I use it 2x a week. I'm early 50s with sundamage and some acne. This serum really clears up my skin and helps with wrinkles and dullness. YAY!
The Capillary Buster Serum is my go
to for calming my skin after my at home microneedling
The Capillary Buster Serum is my go
to for calming my skin after my at home microneedling. It has just enough alcohol to keep things sterile and then the added secret of ogliopeptide-sh to help repair my barrier and stop wrinkles :) It’s a unique product that I kinda use off label
Hi Erika,
Your review absolutely made us smile. -`♡´-
We love hearing how thoughtfully you use our products and are honored that Capillary Buster Serum has become part of your post-microneedling routine. While we always formulate with specific goals in mind, it's fascinating to hear the creative ways our customers incorporate products into their own skincare journeys.
We especially appreciate your kind words about the formula and its unique combination of ingredients. Oligopeptide-SH has long been one of those ingredients we've quietly admired, so it always makes us happy when someone else notices it too.
Thank you for sharing your experience and for being part of the Garden of Wisdom family.
Customers like you are one of the reasons we still get excited about formulating after all these years.
Wishing you many more happy skin days ahead!
Your GoW Family 🙌
I love this schampoo!! I was a little skeptical if an all natural shampoo would work, especially since I have fine, straight hair that tends to get greasy after only a couple of days with regular high quality shampoos, but this really works. I can go for 3 full days without washing it and I immediately noticed how powder soft my hair felt after the first wash. I think it even washes out the hard water. I will definitely be buying this again!
Hi Lisa,
Thank you so much for taking a chance on our Locks of Lovely Shampoo! 😊
We completely understand being skeptical about a more natural shampoo, especially when you have fine hair that can become greasy quickly. Hearing that you can go three full days between washes and that your hair feels so soft is wonderful feedback.
We especially loved your comment about it helping with hard water. While everyone's experience is different, it's always exciting to hear when a product exceeds expectations in unexpected ways.
Thank you for recommending it to others and for taking the time to share your experience. Reviews like yours help other customers feel more confident when trying something new.
Interesting new product. I prefer the beautiful eye serum but this has some great ingredients
Thank you so much for this review. We really appreciate you giving Blue Lotus Veil a try and sharing your thoughts with us.
The Beautiful Eye Serum will always have a special place in our hearts too 😊 but we’re so happy you noticed the thoughtful ingredient profile in Blue Lotus Veil. We wanted it to feel like a beautiful extension of that same peptide-loving philosophy while offering a slightly different experience for the skin.
Thank you again for your honesty, support, and for spending time exploring our creations with us.
It truly means a lot to our small team
I love this serum so much I had to write another review! This is my number one anti-aging go to every night because it’s packed with all of the top anti-aging ingredients! It’s the first thing I put on my face after washing. It has completely changed the texture of my skin! I have large pores so I am not fortunate enough to have skin like porcelain, but the clarity and softening of lines and wrinkles has been amazing! The scent…not heavy or perfumey, but simply real rose petals in a bottle, LOVE!!!
Kerrie Thank you so incredibly much for not only this beautiful review, but for coming back to write another one.
That is so cool and greatly appreciated.
We always love seeing you in the shop, and hearing how much Rose Stem Cell & Peptide Serum has become part of your nightly ritual just makes our hearts happy. Your description of the scent being like “real rose petals in a bottle” honestly could not have been more perfect.
And, thank you for sharing your experience so openly. So many people feel self-conscious about texture and pores, so hearing that you’ve noticed clarity, smoother texture, and softened lines will be incredibly encouraging for others too. We formulated this serum to feel nurturing, active, and beautifully supportive to the skin, so hearing feedback like this reminds us why we do what we do.
We adore you and appreciate your kindness and support!
Your Team @ GoW
I really like this stuff! I have super sensitive, fungal acne-prone skin. This takes off makeup and sunscreen right away, and it doesn't feel stripping or irritating. If I use it on the skin near my eyes it stings just a bit, hence the 4 stars, but it's not to stop using it. In the morning I use it as my sole cleanser, and at night I follow it with a GoW cleanser in the shower.
Thank you so much, Caroline. We really appreciate you taking the time to leave such a thoughtful and detailed review.
Hearing that Micellar Cleansing Dew has worked well for your super sensitive, fungal acne-prone skin means a lot to us, especially since skin like yours can be incredibly difficult to please without irritation. We’re so happy it’s helping remove makeup and sunscreen gently without leaving your skin feeling stripped.
We also sincerely appreciate you mentioning the slight stinging around the eye area. That kind of feedback is genuinely helpful for both us and other customers. The eye area can be especially delicate, so we completely understand your caution there.
And, we love hearing that it has become part of both your morning and evening routine alongside another 😊GoW cleanser.
Thank you again for your support, trust, and kindness toward our small company.
It means a great deal to us.
Markey
I love this schampoo!! I was a little skeptical if an all natural shampoo would work, especially since I have fine, straight hair that tends to get greasy after only a couple of days with regular high quality shampoos, but this really works. I can go for 3 full days without washing it and I immediately noticed how powder soft my hair felt after the first wash. I think it even washes out the hard water. I will definitely be buying this again!
Locks of Lovely Shampoo (Unscented): Pure, Nourishing, and Gentle Care for Your Hair
Anonymous
Interesting new product
Interesting new product. I prefer the beautiful eye serum but this has some great ingredients
Blue Lotus Veil Peptide Infusion: Eye & Facial Renewal Serum
Teal Schinkel
ONLY MOISTURIZER THAT DOESNT CAUSE ACNE
Literally the only one I've ever used and I've searched for 30 yrs. Just the best!
Decadent Oat Enriched Emulsion
Teal Schinkel
Works on Melasma!
Nothing has worked so far on my Melasma as well as this. My skin has a glow that it doesn't have when I'm not using. And it's keeping acne at bay. There's a noticeable difference when I don't use this. Don't want to go without.
Clear, Brighten, and Prevent Serum
Rebekah Eustis
great for removing thick sunscreen
This micellar water is the best! I am in the ocean a lot and so wear thick mineral waterproof sunscreen. In the past, trying to get it all off so that my skin didn't break out was always a challenge because the foaming cleansers would dry out my skin. That is why this is a life saver. As another review mentioned, I shake the bottle, pour about a teaspoon or so in my palm and smooth over my face and neck. You can literally see the sunscreen (or make up) melt off. I rinse and then cleanse one more time with the gentle cleansing gel (another winner IMO). My skin is clean but not dry! I love the sensitive formula. Thank you GOW for making such amazing products!
Micellar Cleansing Dew | Sensitive Profile
CT
If I could only use one skincare brand for the rest of my life.
It would truly be garden of wisdom. I started using GOW about 8 or 9 years ago and have never looked back. I haven’t been disappointed by a single product, and I have tried soo many and would bathe in them all daily if I could. several have become staples in my routine, which is about 75% gow products now. The education they provide is genuinely game changing. You not only understand what you’re using and why, but the results are noticeably better than any other store brand skincare I’ve tried.
The company itself is lovely. It’s built on education, research, and experience, not marketing, trends, fake reviews, or the deceptive tactics most skincare brands rely on. Their success comes from a real commitment to honestly informing and educating their community while making truly amazing skincare. Thank you🤍
Garden Of Wisdom Skincare
Margie
Shrinks those bags!
I use this when I’m going out for something special I want to look my best. It really does shrink those puffy tissues around the eyes. It’s a great quick fix item.
Anti-Puffy Eye Serum
Margie
Lovely, soft skin!
Do you know the expression, “If I could bathe in this stuff, I would.”? Well, I do! I know this is an expensive option, but I use this as my body wash for my dry and sensitive body skin. Luckily, a little goes a long way. It’s so gentle and leaves my skin nice and clean, but also super soft at the same time. I use the Honey Butter cleanser on my face and this duo works really well for me.
Oats Milk and Honey Facial Cleanser
Anonymous
C3 Lipid Elixer
I tried this on a whim & I am so happy that I did! My skin is a bit sensitive, as well as very moody. This elixir works with my skin. My skin actually looks better.
Thank you!
C³ Lipid Elixir
Harmony Jensen
Perfect level of moisture.
I use this at night with a few drops of an oil and it’s the perfect level of moisture for my skin, even during winter. Heavy creams cause issue for me and this is perfect.
Decadent Oat Enriched Emulsion (No Essential Oils)
