Glycolic Acid, an ingredient I am absolutely in love with, and will always look to incorporate in my skincare routine.
In the past I have spoken about the benefits of GA as a part of my product reviews, but trust me when I say, this ingredient in itself deserves a blog post all to itself - and here it is!
What is it?
Glycolic Acid is an AHA or Alpha-Hydroxy Acid, also known as fruit acids. GA is naturally found in grapes, sugar beet etc., but the most commonly used natural source is sugar cane.
When we speak about the term Acids, many people worry about it, but this is just the chemical structure of it, and Lab Muffin has a wonderful post explaining what an AHA is. Essentially the term alpha just describes how far away a Hydroxy group (OH) is from carboxylic acid group.
Glycolic Acid like all AHAs are chemical exfoliants, meaning they penetrate into the layers of the skin and have the ability to unglue or unstick the top layers of dead skin cells. Consistent use of GA can help slough off the top layer of dead skin cells, revealing fresh skin underneath - infact with GA you might even be able to see the difference in a few days, with long term use giving you a number of other benefits.
In terms of its chemical structure, GA is the smallest compared to other AHAs such as Lactic Acid, Malic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Citric Acid and Mandelic Acid. What this means is that GA has the ability to penetrate into the lower layers of the skin and work its magic, whereas AHAs with larger molecular sizes can penetrate only a few top layers of the skin.
Fun Fact - There are roughly 20 layers of dead skin, and your skin sheds this off every 3 - 5 weeks. As we age, the rate at which we get rid of the dead skin cells reduces, leading to a thicker layer of dead skin which makes signs of aging more prominent. AHAs can help slough off the dead skin, as well as have the ability to increase the skin cell turnover rate!
Glycolic Acid and other AHAs, are hydrophilic - meaning they love water - and work best in water based solutions. What this means is that while it will act as a good chemical exfoliant, it might not be able to unclog your pores and you would need a BHA or Beta-Hydroxy Acid which is lipophilic or oil loving / oil soluble to help unclog the sebum and oil in your pores.
What are the benefits?
1. Chemical Exfoliant - GA is a chemical exfoliant and can gently loosen out dead skin cells from the top layer, revealing fresher and smoother skin cells underneath.
2. Increases Collagen Synthesis - Of all the AHAs, GA seems to be the only one that has the ability to boost the production of collagen and even Hyaluronic Acid to an extent. This however, takes time and you'd have to wait over 4 - 6 months to see a difference. Also, lower concentrations of GA (<10%) might not be able to deliver this benefit.
3. Reduces Hyper-pigmentation - One of the best benefits of GA is it's ability to reduce hyper-pigmentation. How this works is that GA is a known tyrosinase inhibitor - meaning GA inhibits or suppresses the enzyme that produces melanin, which in-turn could help in lightening hyper-pigmentation, acne marks and scars and even melasma. However, again this would require higher concentrations of GA and you might have to get multiple skin peels at the dermatologist's office to see the best results.
4. Acne Control - Glycolic Acid is definitely not the best way to treat acne, especially since it's water loving and can't do much for your active acne. However, studies have shown that use of high concentration peels (available at your dermatologist) have shown significant resolution of comedones (stuff that clogs your pores) and pimples, as well as reduced the size of pores. This can overall help in controlling acne, and can work beautifully well when combined with acne treatment.
5. Skin Cell Turnover - As mentioned earlier, GA has the ability to increase the rate at which your skin cells are shed, bringing new and fresher skin to the top. Additionally, some studies have shown that it also has the ability to increase the thickness of your skin, making the skin stronger and in a better condition to handle extrernal stress.
6. Penetration Enhancer - One of benefits of exfoliation is that as it lifts the top layer of dead skin, it enables your other skincare actives to be able to reach the skin faster and work it benefits, essentially reducing the time it might take for the product / ingredient to show results as compared to when used alone.
Points to keep in mind
1. Concentration & Usage - Despite what some products might recommend, there is no need of exfoliating your face of a daily basis, and how often you should be using GA depends on its concentration. Always check the concentration of Glycolic Acid in your product, and if they do not mention it, harrow the brand till they do provide this information as it very important -
< 3% - This is going to have negligible exfoliating properties, and instead acts as a humectant as GA has water binding properties as well. At this concentration, it can be used daily
4 - 10% - This is mild, yet effective enough to rid you of the top layer of dead skin cells, however, you might not see a lot of difference in terms of skin-firming or anti-aging benefits. At this concentration, GA can be used daily - however, I would recommend you using this on alternate nights or 2 - 3 times a week
10 - 20% - At this concentration is when you are going to see the benefits of increased collagen production, giving you firmer and younger looking skin. However, using this more than once a week is not recommended as you could severely over-exfoliate your skin leading to a number of other skin issues
> 20 - 25% - Ideally you should not be doing this at home! GA is used in chemicals peels at concentrations of approx. 35% upto 70% and this should be done by a practicing doctor. There are certain products available that do use higher concentrations, however, it is important to follow the instructions to the T!
2. Sensitivity to Sunlight - It is imperitive that you use sunscreen with broad spectrum coverage if you are using GA or any other AHA. The reason there are so many layers of dead skin on your skin is to protect you from the environment, especially the sun. When you use any means of exfoliation, you are removing that barrier between the harsh environment and the skin, and it is important that you use a good sunscreen to protect the skin. Some studies have pointed out that skin treated with GA have reduced SPF by 50% (Our skin inherently has some level of sun protection).
For the same reason, it is also advisable to use GA and other AHAs at night, to reduce the risk of accidently exposing our skin to UVA & UVB rays.
3. Layering with Vitamin C - There is a lot of contradicting information available about how Vit C and AHAs work / do not work together. AHAs work best at lower pH levels, now your Vit C depending on which derivative you use, might have a lower or higher pH, which might not work so well with AHAs. However, this isn't completely true and has been debunked.
In my opinion, the larger issue is that Vit C also have some exfoliating properties, and when combined together have the potential to over-exfoliate or sensitize the skin. This can especially be an issue with potent derivatives of Vit C used in higher concentrations.
Another issue can be pairing Ascorbic Acid (pure form of Vit C) which is oil based with GA which is water soluble. The combination is not bad, but might not necessarily work well together given their inherent nature.
I personally prefer to alternate between GA and Vit C, and have had no issues till date with the combination.
4. Skin Tolerance & Purging - As we highlighted earlier, GA has the ability to increase cell turnover. What this might do when you introduce it into your skincare routine is cause any comedones in the lower layers of your skin to appear at the top. This could make it look like GA is causing breakouts, however, as long as the breakouts are in places you usually get pimples, DO NOT stop using it. This is basically your skin "purging" and removing all impurities present in lower levels of the skin, and this should soon clear in about a month's time (as normal skin cell turnover is 3 - 5 weeks).
Another point to keep in mind is that GA can cause burning / tingling sensation when you introduce it into your skincare routine, and you'll soon find it reducing over time. However, if the burning sensation continues - you might want to use lower concentrations of GA or switch to a different AHA altogether.
Start at lower concentrations, and build up skin tolerance, and most importantly Always Patch Test.
My favourite Glycolic Acid product - Pixi Beauty - Skintreats | Glow Tonic
Disclaimer: I am not a dermatologist. The overview of the ingredient has been sourced from multiple reputable websites that provide well researched and latest information on ingredients commonly used in skincare and make-up. Wherever specific facts and figures are mentioned, these have been sourced from published Journals, Paula’s Choice Ingredient Dictionary or INCI Decoder, and Journal sources listed on these websites. Wherever, information has been taken from the source, the references will be listed as well.
I neither take credit for this information, nor can I guarantee the accuracy of these facts and figures and do not take responsibility for the same.
My main aim of the ‘What’s on the label’ segment is to help people understand what the ingredients in their skincare or make-up routines are, and more specifically how these ingredients can deliver benefits to our skin. If I have made any error or mistake, please do let me know, and we can work together to make the necessary changes.
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