How Glycolic Acid Smooths and Brightens Skin | Expert Tips

Oh yeah, and the highly effective acid helps scale back high quality traces and wrinkles, too, as a result of its small dimension. “It may well truly penetrate into the deeper dermis, the place our collagen and elastin reside,” Zubritsky explains. “Glycolic acid works on fibroblasts to stimulate new collagen, leading to firmer, tighter-appearing pores and skin.” 

Who ought to use glycolic acid? 

With these advantages in thoughts, the dermatologists we interviewed say glycolic acid is protected for all pores and skin sorts however is finest for these with oily and acne-prone pores and skin sorts. In case you have dry, sensitive skin, although, implement glycolic acid into your routine with warning, particularly when you have rosacea or eczema, Zubritsky says. Nonetheless, it isn’t out of the query. “Fortuitously, there are merchandise in the marketplace that mix glycolic acid with elements that may replenish hydration, resembling urea, glycerin, and triglycerides,” Mitchell provides. 

Fortunately, merchandise are infused with a variety of glycolic acid concentrations — from as little as 5 p.c to as excessive as 20 p.c — so you possibly can search out completely different merchandise relying in your pores and skin issues, too. “Individuals with acne-prone skin or quite a lot of solar injury will profit from a stronger focus than somebody who needs a delicate exfoliation to brighten the pores and skin,” Kim explains. Frequency of use comes right down to the precise product you find yourself including to your skin-care routine. Some may be utilized every day whereas others are for under as soon as every week, he provides. 

Delicate pores and skin sorts ought to search for merchandise with low percentages of glycolic acid, particularly underneath 10, and use it much less continuously than their directions suggest, ideally each different week. “Much less is extra, and also you need to discover the optimum frequency the place your pores and skin feels smoother and brighter with out peeling,” Kim provides. 

It doesn’t matter what, remember to not get overzealous along with your glycolic acid utilization simply since you’re seeing wonderful outcomes. “Overuse can result in over-exfoliation, which may end up in dryness, irritation, redness, or much more breakouts,” Zubritsky says. 

Which merchandise needs to be averted when working with glycolic acid?  

To keep away from irritation and compromising your pores and skin’s barrier, remember to not layer glycolic acid onto your face similtaneously vitamin-A derivatives, like retinol, retinoic acid, and tretinoin, Kim says. Motive being: Each glycolic acid and retinoids pace up the turnover of cells, so combining them will increase one’s danger of irritation and dryness, Mitchell provides. The identical goes for bodily or handbook exfoliants, resembling scrubs.