Adding Glycolic Acid to Your Skincare Regimen
When it comes to skincare, it seems as though every other week we hear about a new product or compound that can help patients to achieve the clean, clear, blemish-free skin they’ve always wanted. And while the vast majority of such compounds are rarely as effective as they claim to be, through careful testing we are able to find out what ingredients are truly as effective as their reputation might say they are. One compound that has become quite popular in the world of skincare recently has been glycolic acid. Despite first being popularized during the early 90’s, glycolic acid has seen somewhat of a strong resurgence of late – in everything from chemical peels, facials, night creams, daily moisturizers and more. In fact, according to Dr. Carol Huang, the best dermatologist Garden City has to offer, at one-point glycolic acid was seen as the highly effective ingredient to be added to a variety of different chemical acid peels.
Being a derivative of sugar cane, glycolic acid is an AHA or alpha hydroxy acid – a group of naturally occurring “fruit acids” that can be found in foods. AHAs work by loosening the glue-like substance that holds dull and dead skin cells on the topmost layer of your skin, revealing newer, healthier skin. It also stimulates new cell generation, resulting in improved skin texture, tone and a brighter complexion. And because glycolic acid has the smallest molecular size of all the AHAs, it’s the most bioavailable and active, allowing it to penetrate the skin the most easily. According to Dr. Huang, the best dermatologist Garden City has practicing, in addition to providing instant rejuvenation, glycolic acid has also been shown to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, which means that with continuous use, glycolic acid can actually accelerate skin healing and reduce signs of environmental damage.
Due to the effectiveness of glycolic acid, many dermatologists prefer to use it in favor of other acids, in order to improve the look and feel of the skin. Glycolic acid has been proven to deal with a variety of blemishes and acne-like issues, including – blackheads, hyperpigmentation, enlarged pores, psoriasis, keratosis pilaris and hyperkeratosis, among others. In addition, glycolic acid is also known to help cleanse the skin, while removing impurities and eliminating excess oil; just as it relieves dry and scaly skin conditions. In fact, dermatologists prefer it because, not only does it work far more effectively than any other acid product, but it offers far fewer side effects than any other acid as well.
An interesting aspect about Glycolic acid is that the amazing number of benefits it offers, make it one of the most versatile skincare ingredients around. In fact, glycolic acid is an active or main ingredient in a variety of different products and even different types of products. According to Dr. Huang, the best dermatologist Garden City has to offer, here are some of the most popular and effective uses for glycolic acid as a skincare product.
· Overnight Cream
Glycolic acid makes for an extremely effective night cream, especially when you consider its chemical makeup and the fact that it has almost exactly the right pH and acid concentration – a glycolic acid value of 10%. This concentration is essentially the sweet spot between a highly effective acid and something that would damage your skin and we simply couldn’t tolerate.
· Rejuvenating Cleanser
When using glycolic acid as a skin fortifying cleanser, not only is it highly effective on its own – but it works quite well alongside other products, especially those containing glycolic acid itself. Therefore, if one were to combine the night cream with the cleanser before bed, they would wake up with amazing skincare improvements – including things like a renewed, youthful glow, reduced wrinkles and fine lines, less discolorations and an even complexion, overall clear skin and an overall more vibrant, radiant skin complexion.
For more information on adding glycolic acid to your skincare regiment, be sure to contact Long Island Dermatology today.
