When I was 22, I fancied myself one of those women who would age gracefully.  Who would calmly and coolly entered her 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond embracing whatever Mother Nature had to throw at her.  What an idiot.

Once your skin starts aging in earnest, you will notice.  It will lose its glow.  Small wrinkles will appear.  It will no longer heal as quickly or completely as it once did.  Every pore will quadruple in size.  And if you’re anything like me, you’ll start sampling and purchasing an array of products that promise to slow down the aging freight train.

To care for my early-30s skin, I’ve embraced the power of lactic and glycolic acid.  It exfoliates dead skin and promotes the production of new skin cells.  Cell turnover is your friend.  And one of the best products for breathing life back into your skin is a chemical peel pad.

Dr. Gross Alpha Beta Peel ($80) is the original glycolic acid delivery system.  Use these pads on your face, neck, decollete and your hands to promote the formation of brighter, smoother skin.  You can use the pads each day, but since I have sensitive skin, I use them once or twice per week.

When I use them, I notice a real difference in the clarity and brightness of my skin.  I also feel like my moisturizer and serums penetrate better and are more effective.  And they’re great for travel because they don’t count against the TSA’s draconian 3oz. rule.

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads ($28) have been on my list to review for a while, because whenever I buy a dept. store product, I want to know if the drugstore version matches up.

Let me cut to the chase, the verdict on this Splurge vs. Save is SAVE!  I have sunk hundreds of dollars into the Alpha Beta pads, and these wipes from First Aid Beauty are just as good.  They’re not quite as potent as the Alpha Beta pads, so I just use them a little more frequently to get the same results.  And at less than half the price, I’m happy to find a less expensive product that delivers the same level of exfoliating and brightening power as the pricier alternative.