NEOSTRATA High Potency Cream AHA 20
Works for
4 of 4 advertised claims delivered
Anti-agingLactobionic acid, Glycolic acidStrong evidence
“18% Glycolic Acid: known to help even skin tone, is a natural component of sugar cane that normalizes the skin’s exfoliation process, refining the appearance of pore size and smoothing the look of fine lines and wrinkles as it retexturizes skin.”
This product can help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and firmness because it contains glycolic acid, lactobionic acid.
Keep in mind that it typically takes at least 6 weeks to notice any results because the changes that are needed to improve fine lines and elasticity happen in the deeper layers of the skin. No topical anti-aging product can “erase” wrinkles or fully reverse signs of aging.
MoisturizingLactobionic acid, Arginine + 8 moreStrong evidence
“A high strength exfoliating and hydrating cream that provides skin-smoothing benefits with dual-antioxidant protection to help defend against future damage.”
This product can help improve hydration of the skin with the two types of ingredients.
The first type is called “humectants”:
these ingredients help attract water.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from
within deeper layers of the skin. The following ingredients in this product do the job:
arginine, propylene glycol.
This product also contains ingredients called “occlusives”. They help reduce the speed with which our skin loses moisture to the outside environment. These ingredients also help soften the upper layer of the skin, so it feels less tight and nicer to the touch. The following ingredients in this product do the job: arginine, dimethicone.
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: lactobionic acid
Evens skin toneGlycolic acid, Lactobionic acidStrong evidence
“High strength. Even higher performance. A favorite amongst long-time NEOSTRATA customers, this highly potent, silky cream is formulated to reduce the appearance of uneven skin tone and help regenerate and revitalize skin damaged from cumulative UV exposure while helping to prevent future damage.”
This product can help reduce hypepigmentation and even out the skin tone because it contains the following effective ingredients: glycolic acid, lactobionic acid
Keep in mind that you would need to apply any topical skincare targetted at hypigmentation consistently for a couple of months to get a result. No topical skincare product can help get rid of hyperpigmentation (including post-acne marks and age spots) instantly.
ExfoliationLactobionic acid, Glycolic acidStrong evidence
“A high strength exfoliating and hydrating cream that provides skin-smoothing benefits with dual-antioxidant protection to help defend against future damage.”
This product can help exfoliate the skin. In other words, it helps break down the bonds between dead cells on the surface of the skin and speed up the skin turnover. Skin often appears softer and brighter after exfoliation, but overdoing it can result in disrupted skin barrier. The following ingredient is doing the exfoliating job in this product: glycolic acid, lactobionic acid.
Anti-oxidationNot advertised by the brand · Lactobionic acid, Bisabolol + 1 moreStrong evidence
This product contains antioxidants (lactobionic acid) that can help neutralize free radicals in skin. By doing so, they can lessen the damage the skin gets from the UV light (sun).
Can it cause trouble?
Irritancy1 strong irritant: Glycolic acidMedium risk
Comedogenic1 ingredient rated 2 or more on the 0–5 pore-clogging scale1 flagged
User reviews
Be the first — your take helps the next person decide.
Ingredients
Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.
Ammonium hydroxide~23–34%
Water~12–18%
Arginine~5.3–7.9%
- Irritation risk
- Low
An amino acid that is naturally present in skin and helps keep it hydrated. When used together with AHAs, it can reduce their irritating effect on the skin
More about ArginineBht~3.7–5.6%
Bisabolol~2.6–4%
- Irritation risk
- Low
An active component of chamomile plant that historically has been used to calm down irritated skin. A recent study shows that bisabolol indeed can have some anti-inflammatory effect on skin, even though conclusive data is lacking. Bisabolol has a sweet floral scent and can be added to products for its aromatic properties
More about BisabololCetyl alcohol~2–3%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A non-drying alcohol that works to soften the skin and stabilize product formulations helping oil and water mix together
More about Cetyl alcoholDimethicone~1.7–2.5%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A silicone that helps to reduce water loss from the surface of the skin. Can temporarily "fill in" lines and wrinkles, absorb oil, and create a nice product finish
More about DimethiconeDisodium edta~0.5–1%
Glyceryl stearate~1.3–1.9%
- Irritation risk
- Low
An emollient that softens the skin and forms a protective layer on its surface. Helps water and oil mix together
More about Glyceryl stearateGlycolic acid18%
- Irritation risk
- High
An alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) that helps to remove the dead skin cells on the surface of the skin reveling a more even, smoother complexation. It is also able to stimulate collagen production with long-term use. Could help to reduce pore congestion. It can be irritating to the skin. Apply sunscreen daily if using products with glycolic acid
More about Glycolic acidIsododecane~1–1.5%
- Irritation risk
- Low
An emollient that helps soften the skin and can decrease moisture loss. Helps create a nice product texture
More about IsododecaneIsohexadecane~1–1.5%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Improves the texture of the product and helps soften the skin. Helps oil and water mix together and can be used as a cleansing agent
More about IsohexadecaneIsostearic acid~0.9–1.35%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Used to create a nice product texture
More about Isostearic acidLactobionic acid2%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
A polyhydroxy acid (PHA) that helps shed dead cells from the surface of the skin revealing a smoother, more even skin. PHAs tend to be gentler on the skin compared to AHAs (for example, glycolic acid). It also has hydrating properties and helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin. It can help calm down inflammation in skin and support restoration of the barrier function. It has an anti-oxidant effect as well. It can help reduce fine line, wrinkles and improve skin elasticity
More about Lactobionic acidMethylglucamine~0.5–1.15%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Methylparaben~0.15–0.3%
Myristic acid~0.5–1.2%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
- Comedogenicity
- 3/5
Helps oil and water mix together. Could be comedogenic
More about Myristic acidPalmitic acid~0.45–1.05%
- Irritation risk
- Low
An emollient that is naturally present in skin and helps soften it
More about Palmitic acidPeg-100 stearate~0.5–1.2%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps oil and water mix togehter and creates a nice product texture
More about Peg-100 stearatePolyacrylate-1 crosspolymer~0.4–0.95%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Propylene glycol~0.2–0.75%
- Irritation risk
- High
Helps oil and water mix together and can enhance the penetration of other ingredients into the skin. It can be irritating
More about Propylene glycolPropylparaben~0.2–0.4%
Sodium bisulfite~0.1–0.2%
Sodium sulfite~0.1–0.2%
Sorbitan stearate~0.1–0.35%
Stearic acid~0.2–0.8%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps oil and water mix together and works as an emollient
More about Stearic acidTocopheryl acetate~0.1–0.3%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
A more stable but less bio-available form of vitamin E compared to Tocopherol. Might help moisturize and protect the skin from free radicals, but mostly used in low concentrations to stabilize other ingredients.
More about Tocopheryl acetateXanthan gum~0.05–0.25%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Used to create a thicker product consistency
More about Xanthan gumIngredient list view
Ammonium hydroxide, Water, Arginine, Bht, Bisabolol, Cetyl alcohol, Dimethicone, Disodium edta, Glyceryl stearate, Glycolic acid, Isododecane, Isohexadecane, Isostearic acid, Lactobionic acid, Methylglucamine, Methylparaben, Myristic acid, Palmitic acid, Peg-100 stearate, Polyacrylate-1 crosspolymer, Propylene glycol, Propylparaben, Sodium bisulfite, Sodium sulfite, Sorbitan stearate, Stearic acid, Tocopheryl acetate, Xanthan gum
Compare prices
Retailers ranked by price — lowest first.
Worth comparing, line by line.
Match % combines shared ingredients, the first five ingredients, shared actives and hero ingredients, irritancy (lower counts in the alternative's favour), texture and body area. Only products in the same routine step are compared.
| NEOSTRATAHigh Potency Cream AHA 20YOUR PRODUCT | U BeautyThe Super Hydrator Sachet | ReversaSkin Smoothing Cream | ExuvianceTriple Microdermabrasion Face Polish | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match | — | 52% | 52% | 51% |
| Price | $50.12 | — | $28.58−$21.54 | $62.40+$12.28 |
| Shared key ingredients | — | 2 of 5 | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Key difference | — | Acetyl Hexapeptide-37 | Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride | Glycerin |
| Irritancy | Medium | Medium | Low | Medium |
| Drying alcohol | — | — | — | — |
| View product | Shop | Shop | Shop |
Product summary
"NEOSTRATA - High Potency Cream AHA 20" is effective for: Exfoliation, Evens skin tone, Anti-aging and Moisturizing
This product could be helpful for: Anti-inflammatory, but its actives are not the most effective or are not well-studied.
Ingredient callouts
- Exfoliating acids (glycolic acid 18.00% (declared)). In this concentration, they will have a noticeable exfoliating effect. They can also have an anti-aging effect and stimulate collagen production in a long-run. PHAs (lactobionic acid 2.00% (declared)) in this product also work for improving skin hydration. They might be even able to stimulate the production of skin's natural humectants and support the healthy skin microbiome.
- Humectants (arginine 5.80% - 8.60%). These ingredients help attract water to the upper layer of the skin and improve the skin hydration.
Price
The product retails for 114.52CA$ in Canada, for 179.87A$ in Australia, for 62.00$ in the United States and for 36.00£ in the United Kingdom.
For a detailed price comparison: click here.
Sources cited in this review
Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 14 studies and safety reviews.
- 1
- 2
- 3Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Dimethicone Copolyoljournals.sagepub.com
- 4
- 5Glycolic acid peel therapy – a current reviewncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 6
Affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate, WIMJ earns from qualifying purchases.