What is Glycolic Acid?

There’s a lot of buzz around this ingredient: glycolic acid. Here’s what I’ve discovered.

Dr. Susan Taylor, M.D. is a dertmatologist and Director of the Skin of Color Center. She also is the author of a book called Brown Skin. Dr. Taylor also created a website called rxforbrownskin.com. She specializes in the dermatological needs of people of color. People of color include Latino/as, African-Americans, Native Americans, and Asians.

The following question and answer was posted on http://tinyurl.com/kmb4l7

What is glycolic acid?

Glycolic acid is a fruit acid or alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA) derived from sugar cane. It is considered a natural product and is often used as a skin exfoliant and moisturizer. Glycolic acid reacts with the upper layer of your skin (the epidermis), weakening the binding properties of the lipids that hold the dead skin cells together. The outer layer of your skin "dissolves" revealing the underlying healthier skin. The result is a much-smoother skin surface and a more youthful appearance.

I would like to add to this posting the following additional information.

Benefits
Exfoliates and moisturizes (Dr. Susan Taylor, M.D., author of Brown Skin)
Hydrates skin (Dr. David E. Bank, author of Beautiful Skin)
Unclogs pores (Dr. David E. Bank, author of Beautiful Skin)
Stimulates collagen production (Dr. David E. Bank, author of Beautiful Skin)
Helps generate a smooth youthful complexion (Dr. Susan Taylor, M.D., author of Brown Skin)


The Other Side of the Coin

Now we know most products have some good and some bad.
A blog post titled “Five Ingredients Your Skin Can’t Live Without …and How to Use Them” http://tinyurl.com/acvyzq lists AHA’s as one of 5 must have skin care ingredients. This blog post, which is written by a second year medical student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, adds some very beneficial warnings.

The blog post states that AHAs should be discarded “six months after opening. Over time alpha hydroxy acids become more potent, and hence more potentially irritating.” Most people probably assume that products become less potent over time. This is critical information to know especially about something that is designed to go on your face. The blog post offers up another warning. Don’t use AHAs in conjunction with retinol/retinoids.

Warnings

Discard after 6 months
Use sunscreen while using the product
Don’t combine AHAs with Retinoids

Here is one more awareness, on page 34 of, Brown Skin, it says if you have sensitive skin you should "avoid cleansers containing glycolic acid" especially if it irritates your skin. However, if you have one of the common skin types: dry, oily, or combination skin, "cleansing or moisturizing with products containing glycolic acid (an AHA)...will give you a clearer, smoother complexion (Page 105, Brown Skin)."