this is a steaming pile of cow poo, it broke me out sooooo much. it turns out that glycolic acid as well as any other exfoliants breaks and destroy the top layer of the skin leaving it prone to wrinkles and acne bacteria.

I first tried this cleanser years ago when I worked at a pharmacy and we recieved a generous employee discount on md forte products. I loved their moisturizing cream so I tried out their cleanser as well. I was so disappointed with it!! It was one of the worst products that I had ever used. It felt like I was washing my face with lotion, it never removed any makeup, and my face didn't feel clean afterwards. My face also didn't improve in any way. I still broke out, my complexion was still uneven, i had to spend a fortune on facials for my skin to clear (I suffer from the closed comedome acne that are impossible to pop). 5 years later, my face went through another massive breakout so out of desperation, I did as much research as possible on finding the best skin products and came across MUA. I looked to see the highest rated cleansers and was shocked to see is as one of the tops. Out of curiosity, I read what people had to say on it and realized that I was using it wrong that whole time! I had no idea that you were supposed to apply to dry skin bc water inactivated the glycolic acid. I tried using it again and I think it can possibly be my HG cleanser. It has only been 1 week so It is too soon to tell but so far, it is the only cleanser that has not left my face dry afterwards and that is huge because even purpose and cetaphil left my face dry. I am still going through a slight skin purge which is why I am not completely sold on it yet but overall, my face does feel softer and better. It is also not too irritating to use with differin gel. I knocked 1 star off bc of the purging and also, it stings like crazy for about a minute when applying it to the skin. I will update this review in about a month to see how it goes. I will gladly add a star back if my skin clears and stays soft despite the stinging.

Decided to try this cleanser based on great reviews and I'm very glad I did. I started with the Facial Cleanser II and am now using the Facial Cleaner III. It isn't too harsh on my face at all and keeps my skin clear! I use with my fingers in the morning and my clarisonic at night. It has been a great routine for me. I have bought many other MD Forte products and am in love with this brand!

I now realize I can't live without this. After having used it daily for a couple of years, I decided I would try to go without it, to cut back on spending. I figured I wasn't really sure if it did anything anyway. So, I hadn't used it for quite a few months. My foundation wasn't looking great recently and I felt my complexion wasn't looking great in general. I decided to spend the money and buy this product again. And after a couple weeks now, WOW. What a difference. My skin feels soft again. My complexion is brighter. Smoother. I swear I look younger. Just a huge improvement. I will never go without again.

I use retin a 0.5% and use this cleanser a few times a week to take care of the flakies and dry skin. Apply, massage and leave for a few mins... then wipe off with a damp wash cloth and rinse! Does NOT remove makeup well, so you will need to cleanse that off before this. Packaging is ok, I need to order it off ebay as MD Forte is easily available in the UK.

I have highly tolerant skin after years of Retin Micro A use. Decided to try this with the encouragement of my dermatologist to help with flakes from the Retin A. She recommended to use it twice a week. I use it as a 5 min mask, then wash it off. I had a lot of cystic acne break outs recently, and I'm trying to determine if this is the problem. Will wean off and try to figure it out.

I've used this cleanser for several yrs. It's creamy and only stings if you leave it on too long. I don't think it caused more pimples, but it didn't prevent them. I'm trying an AHA cream next.

Love this cleanser. This has recently taken second place to my JM Argan Cleansing Oil, however the two are so different. This really "deep cleans" my skin. It removes make-up, makes my skin so clean and doesn't dry it out. Definitely a staple for me! Expensive in a way at $30 a bottle, but you get a generous amount and can find it on sale at online stores almost all the time. Definite re-buy.

I'm hearing great things about this cleanser but how "great" can a cleanser be? I've just started using it and so far I like it. It's got a creamy consistency and doesn't sting at all. Afterward it feels as though my skin is clean. So I guess for that it's good. I'm going to try to use it as a mask as others here have mentioned and will report back. I'm hoping for greatness.

I love this cleanser. And here I was, thinking I was so brilliant, using it as more of a mask, then I read all the reviews saying that's how others use it! If you haven't tried this yet, start using level I or II, and work your way up to III. I love how this makes my skin smooth and glowy. I like to use it in the mornings, rub it on and wait for the shower to warm up, then rinse it off once I get in.

For the first two weeks, my skin was so smooth and clear then I started to experience some purging and irritation. I cut back to using it once a day for a week or two. Now, I'm on my sixth week without any irritation and most of my acne from the purging is almost cleared up. Overall, I really like this cleanser. My skin is now a lot brighter, smoother and more even toned. I've noticed that new and existing pimples tend to clear up faster too while using this cleanser. I hope that with continued use I will not have any more breakouts.
Update 11/11/11
I stopped using this product 6 months ago and switched to their facial cleanser I. After prolong use the facial cleanser III made my skin itchy and red because it was too strong for me. I'm using facial cleanser I now and I love it.

My current cleanser. I'm on my fourth bottle of this stuff, and when I use it 2/day with my Pretika, I have amazingggg skin. It's the only cleanser I've found that does this for me. I docked a point for the awful packaging and the fact that, in order for it to work (for me), I have to leave it on for quite a while before I wash it off (~20 minutes), and that can be a serious PITA. Will not remove your MU. I use an oil cleanser before this one. This is the best I've found in my endless search, however, so I definitely rec if you have acne/lines. Also gives you that great healthy glow.

Overall I like this cleanser. It's soap free and oil free and for the most part pretty gentle. I prefer a chemical exfoliator like glycol over physical beads or crushed nuts that scratch your skin. It doesn't rinse as clean as I'd like, but it hasn't caused any issues either, like residue clogging pores. And the decorative domed cap is completely annoying and stupid, I ended up just throwing it away. The unnatractive actual cap underneath it is fine. The way I use this cleanser is to apply to dry skin, let it sit on my skin for 3-5 minutes (letting the glycolic acid eat away the dead skin) and then rinse with a soft washcloth.
Been using for a month and have had no breakouts. But I haven't noticed any improvements to clarity or evenness. or

Pleased to say, I have worked up to level 3. My skin doesn't tolerate trentinone and this is a nice alternative. As an esthetician the skin can be over worked with various anti-aging products. My basics are a good glycolic cleanser, moisturizer and follow up sunscreen. I do have the yearly laser treatment for those nasty spots, so my skin stays healthy and in check. This is an excellent product, but start off with the #1 and work up.

This cleanser is smooth, creamy, and doesn't make my skin feel too "squeaky". I switched to this after using physical exfoliants for years because I wanted to start using a chemical exfoliant. I also started on 0.025% Retin-A a few months after buying this and have had no problem using both products together.

From my experience with this product I can't believe it has so many rave reviews. I'm 35, have oily skin, clogged pores and frequent breakouts. As soon as I started using this product I broke out with cystic acne all across my jawline. I have used many products, from prescription medication such as Retin-A to expensive brands as Obagi, so I know that there may be some purging from using a new product, but this reaction was definitely not it. I tried it for over a month and gave up when my sister, who is used to seeing my face look like a war zone, told me my face had never looked worse. Thanks to 10 days in antibiotics my face is now better, but it took over three months since I stopped using it for the cysts to go away. Also, it does not clean well at all-even when using my Clarisonic along with it I would have a lot of makeup left behind that I had to remove with toner. I see this product more suited for dry and breakout-free skin and would not recommend to anyone with oily skin prone to breakouts.

THIS IS RIDICULOUS!! THIS PRODUCT IS LIKE MAGIC!! I've tried all U can imagine to treat my acne and NOTHING worked. I have very bad memories with my skin BUT NOW WOOW My skin has never look better (Not even when I was younger) MD Forte changed my life (Yes it did) Now I am a confident person with a beautiful skin and acne is not a part of my life anymore. ITS HARD TO BELIEVE THIS IS "THE" SOLUTION.
UPDATE: UNBELIEVABLE. MY SKIN IS 100% CLEAR NOW, PRETTY MUCH PERFECT, JUST RIDICULOUS ='D

I like this very much. It's gentle but really penetrates at the same time. I alternate between this and DHC cleansing oil. My cystic acne has been kept at bay ever since using it. I leave it on, brush my teeth, and then rinse. Will use it forever.

The best cleanser that I've ever used! I've been using this for 4 mths. now in the a.m. & p.m. & have noticed a drastic improvement in my skin (others have noticed & commented also). Before using this I would get hormonal acne that never seemed to go away along w/dark spots, but since using this I haven't had any breakouts and my dark spots have lightened and my skin is smooth, bright, and glows. I use this along w/the III lotion and my skin has done a complete 360 degree transformation. I highly recommend...I started w/III because I was already doing Glycolic Acid peels, however I do recommend starting w/the Cleanser I if your skin is sensitive. continued >>

This product saved my life. I suffered from crazy acne as a teenager and then had a decade of clear skin before I started having adult acne. The acne this time around was more cystic and I swear no prescription product made a difference. I started this product in February '10 and noticed a difference in 6 weeks. NO CYSTIC ACNE. No acne whatsoever, actually. If I start to feel something coming up it almost disappears overnight because of this stuff. I've been using this product for 4 months now and I cannot begin tell you what a blessing this product has been.
Like others have suggested here here, I use a small amount, rub it on dry skin until it disappears and then I wash it off in 15 minutes. Morning and night.
If you're not seeing results in a few weeks time, so long as your skin isn't irritated, give it a few more weeks. Also consider using Cleanser II if your skin is sensitive.