Liquid Gold
The 5% glycolic acid treatment that built the brand. Used every second night. The product most dermatologists in Australia have recommended at least once.
Alpha-H review — Glow Score 9.0/10, updated June 2026
The verdict.
Alpha-H is the Brisbane-founded chemical-exfoliation brand built around glycolic acid — Liquid Gold the original. Glow Score 9.0/10. Best first product: Liquid Gold Original at $75 — at MECCA, Adore Beauty and alpha-h.com.
ALPHA-H
Australia's original acid brand. Built in Brisbane in 1995, still the benchmark for glycolic acid skincare 30 years on.
Liquid Gold is the icon — a 5% glycolic acid treatment used every second night. Midnight Reboot and Vitamin C sit alongside it as the brand's three core actives.
A Brisbane chemist walks into glycolic acid.
Michelle Doherty founded Alpha-H in Brisbane in 1995. The proposition was unusual for the era: bring clinical-strength acid skincare to the consumer market, before The Ordinary made it normal and before Sunday Riley made it luxury.
Liquid Gold launched the brand. A 5% glycolic acid treatment used every second night, it built a 30-year cult following on word-of-mouth and dermatologist recommendation. Midnight Reboot Serum, Vitamin C and the Clear Skin Tonic followed — the same clinical-first approach extended into retinoids, vitamins and BHAs.
Alpha-H remained family-owned until 2018, when it was acquired by Australian beauty group McPherson's. Still formulated and manufactured in Australia. Available at MECCA and Adore Beauty alongside the brand's own e-commerce.
When the bottle does the work.
Alpha-H's strategy hasn't changed in 30 years: clinical-strength actives at supermarket-adjacent prices. The brand sells more glycolic acid in Australia than any competitor — and most international competitors combined.
The three to know.
Midnight Reboot Serum
14% glycolic acid plus granactive retinoid. Stronger, faster results than Liquid Gold for people already comfortable with acids.
Vitamin C with Grape Seed
10% pure vitamin C in a stabilised water-based serum. The brightening counterpart to Liquid Gold's exfoliation.
If you like Alpha-H.
The Ordinary
Cheaper acids. Less considered formulations.
SkinCeuticals
Clinical premium. C E Ferulic is the equivalent.
Sunday Riley
Same actives-first brief. Three times the price.
Drunk Elephant
Premium clean actives. American counterpart.
Paula's Choice
Results brand. Strongest in BHA exfoliants.
Medik8
UK clinical brand. The closest competitor on credibility.
Alpha-H is the rare Australian skincare brand with thirty years of category leadership and a single product — Liquid Gold — that has outlasted every trend cycle since 1995. Start there. If your skin needs gentler entry, the brand's Clear Skin Tonic is a softer way in. If you want luxury packaging or marketing flair, look at Sunday Riley.
A few common questions.
Is Alpha-H worth it?
For results-led skincare buyers, yes. Liquid Gold alone has built a 30-year reputation as one of the most-recommended glycolic acid treatments globally.
What is Liquid Gold?
A 5% glycolic acid treatment, used every second night. The product that built the brand.
Where do you start?
Liquid Gold if your skin tolerates acids. The Clear Skin Tonic if you want a gentler entry.
Can you use Liquid Gold every night?
No. The brand specifies every second night to avoid over-exfoliation. Most users build up to that frequency over weeks.
Is Alpha-H Australian?
Yes. Founded in Brisbane in 1995 by Michelle Doherty. Still formulated and manufactured in Australia.
Where do you buy Alpha-H in Australia?
MECCA, Adore Beauty, and direct from alpha-h.com.
Reviewed by Hannah Pham, Editor-in-Chief - 30 May 2026 - Last verified at retail
The verdict.
Alpha-H is an Australian skincare brand established in Brisbane in 1995 by Michelle Doherty. Best known for Liquid Gold (AUD 64) - a 5% glycolic acid treatment used every second night that built a 30-year cult following. Acquired by Australian beauty group McPherson's in 2018; still formulated and manufactured in Australia. Available in Australia at MECCA, Adore Beauty, and direct from alpha-h.com. Hannah Pham's first recommendation: Liquid Gold for acid-tolerant skin, Clear Skin Tonic for beginners.
- Founded
- Brisbane, Australia - 1995
- Founder
- Michelle Doherty
- Owner
- McPherson's (acquired 2018, Australian)
- Headquarters
- Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Best first product
- Liquid Gold - AUD 64
- Best alternative pick
- Midnight Reboot Serum - AUD 84
- Where to buy (AU)
- MECCA Australia, Adore Beauty, alpha-h.com
- Tested under
- The Glow Standard - Six weeks
The Glow Standard · Independent review
9.0
/ 10
Australia's original acid brand. Start with Liquid Gold.
- FormulationClinical-strength acids, well-dosed, decades of refinement.9.5
- Brand integrity30 years of unchanged focus. Liquid Gold has never wavered.9.2
- Value at tierPharmacy-adjacent pricing for prestige-grade actives.9.0
- AU availabilityAustralian-made. Widely stocked at MECCA, Adore, direct.9.5
Products purchased at retail. No paid placement in any Glow ranking. Score reflects the methodology at glow.com.au/review-methodology.
Alpha-H vs the closest alternatives.
How Alpha-H sits against three closest peers. Updated May 2026.
| Brand | Founded | HQ | Hero product | Entry price (AUD) | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha-H | 1995 | Brisbane, AU | Liquid Gold | $64 | McPherson's (2018) |
| The Ordinary | 2013 | Toronto, CA | Glycolic Acid 7% | $15 | DECIEM / Estée Lauder |
| Sunday Riley | 2009 | Houston, US | Good Genes | $170 | Independent |
| Drunk Elephant | 2012 | Houston, US | T.L.C. Framboos | $130 | Shiseido (2019) |
More from The Glow
- Similar to Alpha-H
- Aesop
- Ultra Violette
- SkinCeuticals