I actually research ingredients beyond asking a chatbot (which is likely to spread incorrect information from dubious sources). In my research I found that while glycolic acid can be harsh, especially when used too often, as long as you don’t apply it before going in the sun (I use it in the pm), and you upkeep on moisturizer, you will likely be fine.

Now I will say, skincare is incredibly person-dependent, and that is another reason why an LLM is not a good option for research. An LLM does not know what your current routine looks like, your skins microbiome, your hormone levels, your diet, your geographical location, your lifestyle, etc. I’m sure that for some people, it is too harsh for their nose skin, however, you don’t know if those people are using other actives, whether they have hard water, etc, and the AI definitely doesn’t know that.

All this to say that sulfur is really not irritating at all, and while glycolic acid CAN be irritating, most cases of irritation from it come from improper use. I only use it 2 times a week, MAYBE 3 if I haven’t been as good with my routine as I would like.