DR. GROSS ALPHA BETA PEEL PADS

PJ:

Today, I am cutting right to chase, I have never hated a beauty product more! I will admit that without even knowing it I ordered the DR. Gross Alpha Beta Daily Peel Pads in extra strength which may have been why my results were so negatively strong.

I found the pads to be so harsh and really drying/irritating for my skin which usually is not sensitive at all. They are called daily peeling pads but even using them 1-2 times per week was problematic for me. The more I used the pads, the more my skin became uneven and bumpy. I developed acne and blackheads which is not really normal for me. I have combination/oily skin and I honestly think these pads just took too much oil out of my skin and caused my skin to then produce excess oil causing all kinds of problems.

I am really not a fan especially considering the super high price of the product. Save your money ladies, this one is definitely a Honey, No for me.

TAYLER:

When I turned 30 earlier this year, I decided that this was the year to start taking my skin care seriously. I had already began to notice more fine lines around my eyes and forehead. NOT ok with me! I mentioned this to my grandmother and she thoughtfully tailored my birthday gift around that idea. She gifted me a large set of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel pads and the Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLite FaceWare Pro.

I immediately began using both and started seeing great results almost instantaneously. There was some slight irritation/ redness in the first week when I used the product every night so I cut back to once a week. After doing so, I was left with soft, glowing skin and much less noticeable fine lines around my forehead. (I did not use the pads on my underyes as I was afraid that would cause major irritation).

At first, I wasn’t sure if using the pads in conjunction with the SpectraLite was causing the great results. Fortunately (or unfortunately) as I tend to do, I got a little lazy with using the SpectraLite every day but continued using the pads once a week. Even with just using them once a week, I do think they still perform well for me. But I do notice maximum benefits when I pair the pads with the SpectraLite. So just keep that in mind!

I need to note that I did not get the extra strength version like PJ and Deziree did. Therefore, I did not notice much in terms of overly negative effects on my skin like they did. Even if you don’t normally have sensitive skin, I recommend trying either the Universal Daily (orange box) or the Ultra Gentle (blue box) and possibly working your way up from there. So, for me, these are a Honey, Yasss!

DEZ:

In the last year I have seen more and more skincare products containing both Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acid, or better known as AHA and BHA. AHAs can vary in its type, but one of the most common being Glycolic Acid. This type of AHA helps to not only exfoliate but diminishes the signs of aging (wrinkles and fine lines), while also making your complexion appear brighter. On the other hand, BHAs are mostly made up of Salicylic Acid, whose main goal is to help with black and white heads, thus clearing any blocked pores. If you recall from our blog post earlier this month, we Honies, have already reviewed The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution, which I definitely was a fan of! However, we thought it was a good idea to also test and review the Dr. Gross Alpha Beta Daily Peel Pads after hearing some hype around this product in past months.

I was actually pretty excited and had pretty high expectations of these facial pads, especially given their price points. These Daily Peel Pads have three size options: Mini Size, which is 5 pads for $17; Standard Size, 35 pads for $88 and finally, the Value Size with 60 pads for $150. In addition, they come in three strengths: Ultra Gentle, which is for skin on the more sensitive side; Universal, which is for more normal or combination skin and finally the Extra Strength, which is for oily, combo or aging skin. I tested the Extra Strength and immediately discovered this was not the right fit for me.

I figured that since this was called a “Daily Peel Pad” this product was to be used daily. After about day 3 or so I quickly realized my skin could not handle this product, at least on a daily basis. This could be due to the strength of the pads I was using, but immediately after using step 1 of the 2-step system my face would start to sting and turn red, mostly on my cheeks and forehead. The stinging sensation typically wouldn’t subside for about 5-7 minutes. Although, my skin did seem to glow and appear brighter immediately following the use of this product, I still knew the irritation couldn’t be good for my skin. I continued using this product daily for another few days, getting the same result before deciding to cease the daily use and move to weekly. Since I’ve switched to using this product on a weekly basis the redness and stinging still occurs, but my skin doesn’t feel nearly as irritated as it did when I was using it daily.

Given that I have found another AHA/BHA product that is not only extremely affordable, but produced even more desirable results, I will not be purchasing these Daily Peel Pads again. For that reason, this product is a Honey, No for me.