Alpha Hydroxy Acid Products

Today's skin-care products do more than just clean and moisturize: They promise smoother, clearer, more radiant skin with fewer fine lines and wrinkles. But there's a downside to some of the ingredients. A seemingly endless array of creams, lotions and cleansers use alpha hydroxy acids to improve skin texture and make it firmer by thickening the collagen beneath the surface. But these acids also can make the skin more sensitive to the ravages of the sun.

Things to know when shopping for a low-priced alpha hydroxy acid product: * AHAs generally cause less skin irritation than prescription Retin-A products. Still, stinging may occur. And some users report an increase in blemishes for the first few weeks as impurities are brought to the surface. * Drugstore cosmeticians (see Directory, E4) can offer additional information on products and help consumers choose the best items for their skin types.

Wrinkle-fighting creams with alpha hydroxy acids, the hot new thing in cosmetics, can have price tags as breathtak ing as the promises in their advertisements. Estee Lauder's Fruition Triple ReActivating Complex is $42.50 per ounce, and Chanel's Day Lift Oil-Refining Complex costs even more. But these and other high-end products face growing competition.