The Acne-Fighting Cream You Need in Your Routine Right Now (Before & After Pics)

At first she was skeptical. After all, contributing editor Sheryll Donerson is a self-professed chemical exfoliation queen. But after trying the Swanicoco AHA 10% Coco Soft Peeling Cream, she became a believer. Why you need this acne-fighting cream now.

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I need you to stop what you’re doing and just take your credit card out right now because I’m about to tell you about a product that has changed my life. No exaggeration. If I were Oprah, I’d give it out like candy — “YOU GET A JAR! YOU GET A JAR!” — because honestly, everyone in life needs this cream.

Sadly, I am not Oprah, but I do want to let y’all know about my new favorite AHA cream: the Swanicoco AHA 10% Coco Soft Peeling Cream.

I’d initially had my doubts about it. I’m a chemical exfoliation pro and regularly use 15% mandelic acid. I thought that 10% wouldn’t make a difference at all, but boy, was a wrong.

Let’s talk first about the ingredients. I’ve never tried anything from Swanicoco before, but I know that the brand prides itself on using between 90% to 100% natural ingredients, all made with Korea’s ridiculously high-tech technology. The first ingredient of the cream is blueberry fruit extract, followed by my bae glycolic acid. Then we have some niacinamide for brightening, shea butter, aloe leaf extract, and camellia leaf extract, among other awesome oils and extracts.

AHAs are a vital component of any skincare routine (except those with the most sensitive of skin). For me, AHAs help to get rid of acne and give me an otherworldly glow. Even for those that don’t suffer from acne or oily skin, AHAs can help exfoliate and slough off dead skin cells, revealing that so-called “glass skin” that people have been talking about for a few months.

I’d been dealing with the aftermath of a killer hormonal acne breakout along my jawline for some time now, but after incorporating this cream into my nighttime routine, my skin has changed drastically (for the better). It’s smooth to the touch, my post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is nearly non-existent, my skin is BRIGHT, my pores are smaller, and best of all, I haven’t had ANY new breakouts, not even during that time of the month. It’s an actual miracle in a jar.

And I actually have picture proof. Check out these before and afters over two months:

I will say the one slightly negative thing about it is the texture. It’s a bit thick and takes a while to sink into the skin. This product is definitely one where the phrase “less is more” is definitely true. I’ve found that it works better on slightly damp skin, so I first remove my makeup with an oil cleanser, use my foaming cleanser, use my hydrating toner (currently from PurpleTale), and THEN I use the cream. I take smaller than a dime size amount and gently rub it into my skin, wait for about 10 to 15 minutes, and then I’ll either follow up with a sheet mask, or a very hydrating essence, and then another serum, and then my night cream and oil (it’s winter and my skin is dry as hell).

I can’t rave about this acne-fighting cream enough. Trust me. It’s already entered Holy Grail status and I’ll never be without it. EVER.

Have you tried this Swanicoco acne-fighting cream? What did you think? And share with me any of your holy grail acne-fighting products in the comments!