Glycolic acid has skin benefits that make it a very popular beauty ingredient. It gives you instantly younger looking skin and can help reduce breakouts, hyper-pigmentation and scarring.

You can improve the texture and tone of your skin by incorporating glycolic acid into your skin care routine.

Glycolic acid is an alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) found in sugarcane. There are various AHA's such as lactic acid ( sour milk), malic acid (apples), tartaric acid (grapes), and citric acid (citrus fruits). Glycolic acid is the smallest AHA and deeply penetrates the skin.

Glycolic acid can be naturally derived from sugarcane, but is often made synthetically. Glycolic acid is used on the skin to remove dead skin cells, revealing fresh new skin. It can help lighten age spots, reduce scars, and help people dealing with acne and blackheads.

Glycolic acid is an effective anti-aging ingredient.

How Does Glycolic Acid Work?

Over time, your skin naturally exfoliates, shedding old, dead skin cells to reveal healthy, new ones. As we age, this shedding slows down, leaving us with dead skin cell buildup and dull looking skin.

Glycolic acid works by reacting with the upper layer of the epidermis, weakening the binding properties of the lipids that hold dead skin cells together. This exfoliates the skin and exposes live skin cells. 

Glycolic acid improves the tone and texture of your skin, reducing blemishes, fine lines, wrinkles, large pores and uneven skin tone (source). It allows your younger, clearer complexion to shine through . It works on people of all ages, genders, skin types and tones.

The following video explains how glycolic acid works on the skin:

Glycolic Acid vs Scrubs

Glycolic acid is known as a chemical exfoliate.

A mechanical exfoliate is something that rubs off dead skin cells with friction. Scrubs, cloths,  microderm-abrasion machines, and loofahs are examples of mechanical exfoliates.

Which is Better?

Both methods have their benefits. It is really a matter of personal preference. The main thing to remember with both methods is to not over-do it. With mechanical exfoliation, it is important to not over-scrub, as this will lead to irritation.

Chemical exfoliates are easier to control. The chemical does the work, and we can tweak the concentration to get the results we desire.

Chemical exfoliates offer more consistent results and are better for those suffering from acne, as mechanical exfoliation will actually lead to more breakouts.

How to use Glycolic Acid

Dermatologists use glycolic acid at high concentrations (70% and up) for in-office chemical peels. These offer dramatic results, but are not safe for preforming at home. For home use, concentrations of 3 - 10% are often used, though you can get concentrations up to 30%.

The following video shows you how to use glycolic acid:

How I use Glycolic Acid to Control Acne

My skin care routine is for treating acne (read about my acne here). I am using the acne regimen from acne.org.

In the morning I wash my face, then dry it. I apply benzoyl peroxide (I use this one) to combat my acne. I then allow the BP to dry and then apply a facial oil (this is my favorite right now). I then put on my sunscreen.

In the evening I do the same routine. Every third night, I replace my moisturizer (facial oil) with a glycolic acid lotion ( I use this one). This helps keep my skin clear and looking it's best. If I am getting lots of breakouts, I may mix my glycolic acid lotion with a moisturizer and apply every night.

Add glycolic acid to your skin routine and start seeing results today!

Share your stories below, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask, I always answer 🙂

Yours In Beauty,
Andrea