Alpha H Liquid Gold, RRP €39.95. No press samples featured. All links used are affiliate links, which means I make a commission if you click through and purchase.

I wanted to review Alpha H Liquid Gold at the end of my first week of use. Results were that fast and that good. Still, I hold myself to a three-week “calm down, love” period. Skin care can react differently over time, so I put it through its paces from the end of July onwards.

Happy days, it’s been seven weeks and I’m still head over heels for it.

Boring Bit: Chemical Exfoliants and Physical Exfoliants

Let’s get the boring bit out of the way so that the gushing can commence; we exfoliate to remove dead skin, and chemical exfoliants only target dead skin.

That process makes for a brighter, less dull complexion. It speeds up regeneration, so is suppose to give lingering marks from blemishes and pigmentation spots the shove off too. Also, when it’s not hidden behind a mask of dead cells, skin tends to behave better in general. I could espouse the benefits for days.

The other side of that coin, and one that most people are used to, is physical exfoliation – creams that carry little beads or grains. The issue here is that these physical exfoliants aren’t clever. They take the good with the bad, so you’ll damage healthy, fresh skin in the process of sloughing off dead skin.

So, chemical is the way to go. This particular one, Alpha H Liquid Gold, uses glycolic acid as its exfoliant. My thoughts on it are simple – use it to fill a bathtub and plonk me right into it.

Alpha H Liquid Gold

Skin Conditon

The first effect that I noticed was how much less dry my skin was. It’s brighter, more supple and has its own natural glow. Granted, it’s not as strong as what you get from a shimmery highlight cream, but it’s so much more radiant than it was, even before I start packing on my slap.

That’s the thing about Liquid Gold, it makes your skin do things, rather than doing things to your skin. I feel like my lazy face has been given a shove in the right direction. With the wall of dead skin gone, it’s producing enough oil to stay hydrated throughout the day, and is feeling so, so much less dry.

Scarring

I had my fingers crossed that it would get rid of marks left by The Great Chin Battle of 2015. If you weren’t following me on Snapchat (lorrainehaigney) when that occured, here’s the scoop: I got two spots that were so big, you could see them before I rounded a corner. I tried my hand at getting rid of them by force and failed. It’s been months and the marks remain. No difference. Welp.

I don’t have any sun damage, so those spots were my only measure of how well it tackles scarring and pigmention. I don’t think it was a very comprehensive test, but I’m still a bit underwhelemed by how Liquid Gold fared as a scar buster. Pass the concealer!

Sebaceous Filaments (Not blackheads!)

Most people call sebaceous filaments blackheads. These are the little pores, usually around the nose, that look darker than clear pores, but aren’t raised or super dark like true blackheads. It’s just a build up of oil and junk. You can attack your nose with your thumbs and squeeze with all your might, but they fill back up within weeks.

Mine aren’t very obvious. In fact, I think very few people have obvious sebaceous filaments. It’s easy to forget that the rest of the world doesn’t see what you see when you’ve got a magnifying mirror a few inches from your face. Still, I was delighted when I noticed that Alpha H seemed to make them even less apparent, by a long shot. Thumbs up, not pressed together on my nose when nobody’s looking.

Makeup Helper

Like I said in the first paragraph, my skin is in better condition. That smoother texture is making any and every foundation more feel more comfortable and look much nicer. It’s like my bare skin is primed. Smooth, even and with enough natural moisture to give foundation some slip and glow.

Texture Issues

The skin on my jaw was always sort of rough. It’s where I get those white bumps, and it’s where I was most dry. Now, the bumps are few and far between, and my face is uniformly softened.

That effect took longer to notice. I was keeping an eye out, and it was only around the fourth or fifth week of use that I saw the bumps fade. Still, it was worth holding out for. I think texture issues were my biggest concern. You can’t really hide it with foundation, and it’s obvious to the touch. Now, the difference and reduction is huge. I’m delighted.

SPF Every Day

I researched Liquid Gold a lot before I bought it. So many reviews noted that it caused sun damage, but all of the reviewers admitted that they hadn’t worn sun cream. I almost rolled my eyes out of my head. Chemical exfoliants will make your skin more sensitive to the sun, and you need to be really strict with SPF when you’re using one – even for a couple weeks after you discontinue use.

I stayed on top of sun cream application and haven’t got a bit of sun damage. I was using this at the height of summer too, and I’m ultra pale/sensitive to sun. On this count, it’s a matter of using the product as directed and committing to the routine.

On that point, there are a few guidelines about use. You can ask me anything in the comments, as I don’t want to make this post any longer! If you want it from the horse’s mouth, check this video on How To Use Alpha H Liquid Gold by its creator and Caroline Hirons.

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It’s a pricey bit of skin care, but it does so much. I really, really wouldn’t want to be without it. It’s not very widely available in Ireland, but Cult Beauty and Look Fantastic both stock it with free shipping.