Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One AHA Lactic Acid Treatment

What the experts use it for.

The concerns the experts tie this product to, in their own words. Paid and founder takes don't count.

Dark spots and post-acne marks5 experts

“The Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment is a lactic acid serum that targets the look of pores, hyperpigmentation, and dark spots.”

Dr. Aleksandra Brown, watch at 6:14

Clogged or visible pores4 experts

“it keeps away closed comedones, and it makes my pores look smaller.”

Lab Muffin Beauty Science, watch at 13:58

Rough or uneven texture4 experts

“I just love it for people with sensitive skin who struggle with hyperpigmentation and just overall skin texture.”

Dr. Sam Ellis, watch at 13:28

Breakouts and acne2 experts

“I personally have loved this lately because I've been getting a few breakouts here and there and it has a touch of salicylic acid.”

Beyond50Skin, watch at 7:37

Fine lines and wrinkles2 experts

“It is clinically shown to reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles.”

Dr. Aleksandra Brown, watch at 16:36

Dull skin1 expert

“I used this throughout my pregnancy when I couldn't use my retinoids but I still wanted my skin to have this really beautiful glow and this would be one that I would feel okay using over the summer as long as I was really good with my sun protection.”

Dr. Sam Ellis, watch at 12:13

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Mixed Makeup

1.46M subs

~Yay

"Another old school really good serum is Sunday Riley Good Genes. Oh, always. I've always thought that was a great one. Yeah, so that's like another go-to. So I'm rotating in."

Beyond50Skin

32k subs

~Yay

"The first exfoliating product that I ever used was Sunday Riley's Good Genes. It made such a difference in my skin, and that is the lactic acid formula. They now have a glycolic formula too."

All 9 takes from Beyond50Skin

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"You can use this in the morning. You can use this in the evening. If you have mature skin and you're kind of maybe a little bit nervous about doing an exfoliation step, this is a great first start. This was my entryway into exfoliating acids about six years ago when I was really nervous. I didn't really know what they were. I wasn't sure how my sensitive, dry skin would react. This is absolutely gorgeous and one that I return to and repeat purchase all the time."

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"Sunday Riley's Good Genes, you can use it A.M., you can use it P.M. It has lactic acid. Perfect for gently exfoliating mature skin and hydrating mature skin. I personally have loved this lately because I've been getting a few breakouts here and there and it has a touch of salicylic acid. Perfect overnight for smooth, baby soft skin when you wake up in the morning. But it is on the potent side. So definitely do your patch test. If you have a little bit more sensitive skin."

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"I've also jumped over to using Good Genes. It's a lactic acid exfoliator. And for mature skin, it can be hydrating and also gently exfoliating. That's a great one to kind of rely on through the winter months. It's kind of one that I actually return to every winter."

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"Sunday Riley Good Genes was at the top of everyone's list last year -- [...] it kind of made a bit of a comeback. It is one of the best treatment serums that I've ever tried, especially for mature skin."

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"Sunday Riley Good Genes is one of my skincare empties that's always on repeat purchase, I can't give it up. It's hydrating and moisturizing, and it has a little bit of exfoliation, so it just makes your skin so luminous and glowy. You can use this AM and PM. I love this. I've used it since I purchased it about five years ago."

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"I love Good Genes, it's been one of my all-time favorite skin resurfacing treatments for my evening routine."

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"Sunday Riley Good Genes is an oldie but a goody for your morning skincare routine. If you're looking to address fine lines, it's one of my top recommended serums, I gifted it to my cousin a few years ago. It helps reduce pigmentation along with plumping up the skin, the lactic acid is great for mature skin, it plumps up those lines and has a slightly exfoliating property, so it's an all around great morning serum, and you can also use it in the evening."

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"This serum is lactic acid, beautiful for mature skin. It's a serum I can always confidently recommend, it's always on my back shelf and I'm currently out of, so I'll be restocking. [...] You get a duo and it's better than the discount that I have. I would definitely pick this up if you are a Sunday Riley Good Genes fan."

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"The first exfoliating product that I ever used was Sunday Riley's Good Genes. It made such a difference in my skin, and that is the lactic acid formula. They now have a glycolic formula too."

Dr. Aleksandra Brown

153k subs

~Yay

"Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid. This one's much gentler, really nice, layers really good with your skincare, especially if you have sensitive skin."

All 3 takes from Dr. Aleksandra Brown

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"The Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment is a lactic acid serum that targets the look of pores, hyperpigmentation, and dark spots. It's clinically shown to reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles as well. It's a very gentle exfoliant but it also deeply hydrates, so it's going to leave your skin plump and radiant."

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"It is clinically shown to reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles. It gently exfoliates and deeply hydrates, leaving your skin really nice and plump and radiant. The key ingredients are purified lactic acid, which hydrates and exfoliates the surface layer of the skin, smoothing the texture and improving the look of fine lines and wrinkles and visibly clarifying some blemishes."

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"Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid. This one's much gentler, really nice, layers really good with your skincare, especially if you have sensitive skin."

Hyram

4.33M subs

~Nay

"And I will say this formula has a lot of other high quality ingredients like agave, prickly pear extract, skin soothing agents, antioxidants. It does have a lemongrass essential oil which can be irritating to the skin. So that's one of the reasons why I've never recommended this on my channel in addition to it being like super expensive. But my biggest concern is when she's using it. If this truly is a daytime routine, which I believe it is, lactic acid should not be used during the daytime."

The Style and Beauty Doctor

222k subs

~Yay

"I use the Sunday Riley Good Genes lactic acid exfoliator which I love. I tend to not use the tretinoin on that same night just because you know to avoid irritation."

All 3 takes from The Style and Beauty Doctor

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"I use the Sunday Riley Good Genes lactic acid exfoliator which I love. I tend to not use the tretinoin on that same night just because you know to avoid irritation."

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"With the Good Genes lactic acid treatment you can see results within minutes of putting it on. Obviously you need to use it over time consistently to get your real results, but you can see a difference in your skin when you first put that on."

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"For exfoliation I currently use the Sunday Riley Good Genes. What's amazing about this is you can get some immediate results where you can see a marked difference in the radiance of the skin. However you do want to use it over time to get the full benefits."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

~Nay

"All well and good. But $122 for 1.7 oz. Like, this is just marketing. And Sunday Riley, they have some controversy behind the hype as well. [...] They have a history of fudging online reviews. A lot of the hype is manufactured, I believe. [...] It is a good product. [...] It does what lactic acid does, helps smooth and hydrate the skin. But there are other options that do the same thing for less."

All 4 takes from Dr Dray

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"Sunday Riley's Good Genes is very much over hyped although it is an effective product. [...] Lactic acid is good for rough and bumpy skin, it's also good for improving hyperpigmentation, smoothing the skin surface. If you have mature skin, lactic acid can help with skin cell turnover which tends to get a little slow with age and that leads to dull skin. This has lemongrass in it and you can definitely smell that."

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"Tried out Sunday Riley Good Genes, gave me consistently gave me chap lips no matter if I protected them with petroleum jelly. That wasn't overall horrible though if I'm being honest, that was actually pretty good. It left my skin soft and smooth."

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"It was a lactic acid thing, the Good Genes. It was not bad, I will say, but it wasn't a miracle worker either and it caused me lip irritation too. [...] It has lactic acid which is good for softening and hydrating the skin, but you have to be careful when you use Alpha hydroxy acid on your face to not get it around your lips or eyelids because it can cause irritation there, and for me that was the case with this."

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"All well and good. But $122 for 1.7 oz. Like, this is just marketing. And Sunday Riley, they have some controversy behind the hype as well. [...] They have a history of fudging online reviews. A lot of the hype is manufactured, I believe. [...] It is a good product. [...] It does what lactic acid does, helps smooth and hydrate the skin. But there are other options that do the same thing for less."

No BS Beauty

89k subs

~Nay

"I don't love it because the pH of it is very low for what it needs to be to be effective."

All 3 takes from No BS Beauty

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"I don't love it because the pH of it is very low for what it needs to be to be effective."

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"Sunday Riley Good Genes, which smells like sour milk and is super strong, much stronger lower pH than it necessarily needs to be to be effective, but it's a holy grail for a lot of people."

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"The Sunday Riley [...] Good Genes, that one's very low pH, very strong."

Allie Glines

829k subs

~Yay

"Maybe it's because I've really healed my acne and so now when I use a lactic acid, I feel like I'm able to actually see the results. It's like one of those products that gives you basically instant results, which is always amazing when it comes to skincare products. My skin has looked way better since incorporating that back into my routine. 10 out of 10 loving this all over again. I'm definitely going to buy the big bottle after I run out of this."

All 2 takes from Allie Glines

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"This right here, the Sunday Riley Good Genes serum, I feel like this is one of their bestselling products and kind of what they're known for. I used to love it, but it's been years and I incorporated it back into my routine this month and I swear to you my skin has looked so good. I feel like especially in this area here with my larger pores, it's really really made a difference and I'm loving it. [...] I've been using this in the daytime as well and I'm about to buy a big bottle of this."

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"Maybe it's because I've really healed my acne and so now when I use a lactic acid, I feel like I'm able to actually see the results. It's like one of those products that gives you basically instant results, which is always amazing when it comes to skincare products. My skin has looked way better since incorporating that back into my routine. 10 out of 10 loving this all over again. I'm definitely going to buy the big bottle after I run out of this."

Tea with MD

115k subs

~Yay

"I have sensitive skin and exfoliants are usually pretty harsh on my skin and can cause me to turn red or sting, but this one has been very gentle and it has left my skin feeling really smooth. I use this on nights when I'm not using my retinoid, [...] and I find that this leaves my skin texture feeling really smooth, it helps to unclog my pores, and it's just a really nice gentle treatment that gives me all the benefits of an exfoliant without leaving my skin feeling stinging or over exfoliated."

Lab Muffin Beauty Science

865k subs

~Yay

"The Sunday Riley Good Genes which is mostly lactic acid, my skin just really loves it. It gives me a really lovely smooth glow, it keeps away closed comedones, and it makes my pores look smaller."

Darnell Cox | 50+ Healthy Aging Expert

55k subs

~Yay

"This by Sunday Riley is a lactic acid, so when I use a chemical peel on my neck because my neck is super sensitive, I will do more of a mandelic acid, still an AHA, or a lactic acid, still an AHA. [...] This is my favorite amongst all of the AHAs at home because you can use this once a week, which I do."

Dr. Sam Ellis

902k subs

~Yay

"The good genes exfoliant by Sunday Riley is amazing and actually now that I come to think of it they have a glycolic version and a lactic acid version. I usually recommend starting with the lactic acid again because it's a little more gentle but if you feel like your skin can handle a little extra oomph you could switch over to the glycolic acid."

All 4 takes from Dr. Sam Ellis

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"The good genes exfoliant by Sunday Riley is amazing and actually now that I come to think of it they have a glycolic version and a lactic acid version. I usually recommend starting with the lactic acid again because it's a little more gentle but if you feel like your skin can handle a little extra oomph you could switch over to the glycolic acid."

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"The Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One AHA Lactic Acid Treatment [...] is such a lovely, nice exfoliant for people who have more sensitive skin but are looking for a little bit of cell turnover, who want to help with things like dullness, maybe have a little bit of pigment, and they just want to get that a little bit better. [...] I would probably use this just one to two times a week, and then on the other night either use your retinoid or take a break."

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"Sunday Riley Good Genes AHA Exfoliating Serum with lactic acid is so gentle and I just love it for people with sensitive skin who struggle with hyperpigmentation and just overall skin texture."

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"One of my favorite chemical exfoliants [...] is the Sunday Riley Good Genes, the all-in-one lactic acid treatment. [...] The nice thing about the lactic acid one is it's just a little bit more gentle and a little bit goes a long way. I used this throughout my pregnancy when I couldn't use my retinoids but I still wanted my skin to have this really beautiful glow and this would be one that I would feel okay using over the summer as long as I was really good with my sun protection."

Dr. Shereene Idriss

1.73M subs

~Yay

"Sunday Riley has their lactic acid Good Genes. I have tried it and that one is not a bad one to use in comparison to the L'Oreal's glycolic acid."

All 5 takes from Dr. Shereene Idriss

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"Lactic acid is a very gentle chemical acid. Stones by Sunday Riley is not going to be one of those massive powerhouses but it's very gentle and it's going to help you lightly buff your skin. So this one's a nice one."

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"Good Genes by Sunday Riley is nice. These are lactic acids that have been tried and true and I've never had problems with."

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"Sunday Riley has their lactic acid Good Genes. I have tried it and that one is not a bad one to use in comparison to the L'Oreal's glycolic acid."

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"Sunday Riley Good Genes, their all-in-one lactic acid treatment, does have licorice root extract in this, but just don't overdo lactic acid or any form of acid because you don't want to re-inflame your skin barrier."

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"Lactic acid is really nice for people who have discoloration. The one thing is they do not disclose the percentage and it is a steep price. If you're going to buy this, buy it now when it's on sale. It's a luxurious experience."

Robert Welsh

1.11M subs

~Nay

"If your skin is sensitive, do not use it daily. It's a glycolic acid treatment, an AHA, alpha hydroxy acid, and it says you can use it daily, so I did. My skin hurt, it was sensitive, it was dry, it was the most horrendous experience I've had with a product. [...] When I use it [...] three to four times a week, it's absolutely fine. Daily, absolutely not. My skin just really, really hurt. Some people might have built up less sensitivity to it, [...] but oh my god, it just really really hurt."

Cassandra Bankson

2.46M subs

~Mixed

"Good Genes is a lactic acid treatment that I tried on a live stream. They redid the packaging which is great, but I still think it's ridiculously expensive for a lactic acid serum. It's 122 dollars for some alpha hydroxy acids. [...] The ingredients are basically alpha hydroxy acids, we also have some yeast, we have some lemongrass oil which could be irritating for some, we have some agave. These are not bad ingredients, they're just not worth 122 or even 80 dollars."

Mad About Skin

734k subs

~Mixed

"I like lactic acid, it's my favorite exfoliator."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Alpha hydroxy acids

Alpha hydroxy acids loosen the bonds holding dead cells at the surface. The evidence supports smoother texture and more even tone over time, and they can leave skin more sensitive to sun.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One AHA Lactic Acid Treatment?

A lactic acid (AHA) leave-on exfoliating treatment from Sunday Riley, designed to smooth skin texture, refine the look of pores and even out dark spots and uneven tone.

Is Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One AHA Lactic Acid Treatment worth it?

The gurus are split. 11 of the 17 gurus give it their stamp of approval while 4 would skip it, which lands it in the middle at a Guru Score of 65%.

What is Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One AHA Lactic Acid Treatment's Guru Score?

Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One AHA Lactic Acid Treatment holds a Guru Score of 65%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 17 expert reviewers we have collected.

Who is Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One AHA Lactic Acid Treatment best for?

Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One AHA Lactic Acid Treatment is generally suited to oily skin, combination skin, normal skin and acne-prone skin.

What is Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One AHA Lactic Acid Treatment good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One AHA Lactic Acid Treatment is good for dark spots and post-acne marks (5 experts), clogged or visible pores (4 experts), rough or uneven texture (4 experts), breakouts and acne (2 experts), fine lines and wrinkles (2 experts) and dull skin (1 expert).

Is Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One AHA Lactic Acid Treatment good for dark spots and post-acne marks?

5 experts who reviewed Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One AHA Lactic Acid Treatment say it is. Dr. Aleksandra Brown put it this way: “The Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment is a lactic acid serum that targets the look of pores, hyperpigmentation, and dark spots.”