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What is Glycolic Acid and what can it do? (one of the many AHA's on the market)
Glycolic Acid in the correct pH level is one of the most effective skincare ingredients.
Glycolic Acid comes from Sugar Cane and can also be made synthetically.
Its small molecular size allows it to penetrate the skin more easily, which contributes to its effectiveness.
Glycolic Acid works in a number of ways:
It helps dissolve the “glue†like substance that holds skin cells together. This leads to exfoliation.
Helps repair photoaged or sun damaged skin.
It helps smooth the skin’s texture.
It helps moisturize the skin.
It has the potential to help skin discoloration.
It may help stimulate the production of collagen.
Helps other beneficial skin care ingredients to penetrate the skin easier.
It helps reduce surface skin oils and can help remove skin impurities
Helps give your skin a healthy looking glow.
Very Important :
Glycolic Acids will make your skin more sensitive to the sun, so always apply sunscreen while using Glycolic Acid Products.
Your skin builds up a tolerance to Glycolic Acids. It is important to start at the lower concentration and build up the next higher concentration. It is not a race to begin at the highest percentage of Glycolic Acid.
Skin rejuvenation is a long-term commitment and if the skin is not acclimated to the product, irritation can occur.
You may experience a quick slight “tingling†when you apply the moisturizers. This is simply a sign that the products are working.
Glycolic Acids will help other skin treatments like Vitamin A, Vitamin C and other antioxidants to penetrate your skin more effectively.
DO NOT USE GLYCOLIC ACID IF YOU HAVE EXTREMELY SENSITIVE SKIN OR ANY SENSITIVE SKIN DISORDERS.
BIOAVAILABILITY:
“Bioavailability†is the term used by scientists to describe how much glycolic acid is available in a topical cream to permeate the stratum corneum or the outer layer of your skin. “The bioavailability of glycolic acid in a topical formulation is the fraction of glycolic acid that can permeate the stratum corneum of the skinâ€. (Source Cosmetic Dermatology) “Bioavailability†is also sometimes referred to as “free acid valueâ€.
In order for you to know how much glycolic acid is actually in a product, you need to know the amount when it is being prepared for processing (we call this the “initial concentrationâ€) and what the pH level is when the processing is completed. If you do not have that information you will not have any idea how effective the product will be. A product should always indicate on the front of the package the pH level, the initial concentration and the bioavailability so that you always know what you are getting.
Remember, the higher the initial concentration and the lower the pH level of a product, the more effective the glycolic acid product will be. For example, a concentration of glycolic acid of 7% and a pH level of 3 means that 5.74% of the glycolic acid (round to 6%) is available to penetrate the stratum corneum. If the pH level of that product were 4.5, the amount of glycolic acid available to penetrate the stratum corneum would be only 1%, hardly enough to do anything at all for your skin. These calculations are based on the Henderson-Hasselbach Equation (Source: Cosmetic Dermatology). Because the pH scale is logarithmic, a difference of one pH unit represents a tenfold or ten times change. As an analogy, earthquakes with magnitudes of between 2.5 to 5.4 only cause minor damage while earthquakes with magnitudes of between 7.0 to 7.9 are considered major and cause severe damage (Source: UPSeis), very similar to the logarithmic scale of pH.
It is important to note that most glycolic acid products in the retail market have pH levels of between 4 and 4.5. On the next page you will see a chart that illustrates the pH scale for glycolic acid products based on the Henderson-Hasselbach Equation. It shows how products with initial concentrations of 7% and 11% respectively can vary in effectiveness depending on the pH level of the product.
Most Glycolic acids - the lower percentage / higher PH. (approximations)
i.e. 30% = 2.2 or higher
50% = 2.1
70% = .6 (doctors/dermatologists only)
Like a recipe for cooking you have to know how much glycolic acid.
Glycolic Acid in the correct pH level is one of the most effective skincare ingredients.
Glycolic Acid comes from Sugar Cane and can also be made synthetically.
Its small molecular size allows it to penetrate the skin more easily, which contributes to its effectiveness.
Glycolic Acid works in a number of ways:
It helps dissolve the “glue†like substance that holds skin cells together. This leads to exfoliation.
Helps repair photoaged or sun damaged skin.
It helps smooth the skin’s texture.
It helps moisturize the skin.
It has the potential to help skin discoloration.
It may help stimulate the production of collagen.
Helps other beneficial skin care ingredients to penetrate the skin easier.
It helps reduce surface skin oils and can help remove skin impurities
Helps give your skin a healthy looking glow.
Very Important :
Glycolic Acids will make your skin more sensitive to the sun, so always apply sunscreen while using Glycolic Acid Products.
Your skin builds up a tolerance to Glycolic Acids. It is important to start at the lower concentration and build up the next higher concentration. It is not a race to begin at the highest percentage of Glycolic Acid.
Skin rejuvenation is a long-term commitment and if the skin is not acclimated to the product, irritation can occur.
You may experience a quick slight “tingling†when you apply the moisturizers. This is simply a sign that the products are working.
Glycolic Acids will help other skin treatments like Vitamin A, Vitamin C and other antioxidants to penetrate your skin more effectively.
DO NOT USE GLYCOLIC ACID IF YOU HAVE EXTREMELY SENSITIVE SKIN OR ANY SENSITIVE SKIN DISORDERS.
BIOAVAILABILITY:
“Bioavailability†is the term used by scientists to describe how much glycolic acid is available in a topical cream to permeate the stratum corneum or the outer layer of your skin. “The bioavailability of glycolic acid in a topical formulation is the fraction of glycolic acid that can permeate the stratum corneum of the skinâ€. (Source Cosmetic Dermatology) “Bioavailability†is also sometimes referred to as “free acid valueâ€.
In order for you to know how much glycolic acid is actually in a product, you need to know the amount when it is being prepared for processing (we call this the “initial concentrationâ€) and what the pH level is when the processing is completed. If you do not have that information you will not have any idea how effective the product will be. A product should always indicate on the front of the package the pH level, the initial concentration and the bioavailability so that you always know what you are getting.
Remember, the higher the initial concentration and the lower the pH level of a product, the more effective the glycolic acid product will be. For example, a concentration of glycolic acid of 7% and a pH level of 3 means that 5.74% of the glycolic acid (round to 6%) is available to penetrate the stratum corneum. If the pH level of that product were 4.5, the amount of glycolic acid available to penetrate the stratum corneum would be only 1%, hardly enough to do anything at all for your skin. These calculations are based on the Henderson-Hasselbach Equation (Source: Cosmetic Dermatology). Because the pH scale is logarithmic, a difference of one pH unit represents a tenfold or ten times change. As an analogy, earthquakes with magnitudes of between 2.5 to 5.4 only cause minor damage while earthquakes with magnitudes of between 7.0 to 7.9 are considered major and cause severe damage (Source: UPSeis), very similar to the logarithmic scale of pH.
It is important to note that most glycolic acid products in the retail market have pH levels of between 4 and 4.5. On the next page you will see a chart that illustrates the pH scale for glycolic acid products based on the Henderson-Hasselbach Equation. It shows how products with initial concentrations of 7% and 11% respectively can vary in effectiveness depending on the pH level of the product.
Most Glycolic acids - the lower percentage / higher PH. (approximations)
i.e. 30% = 2.2 or higher
50% = 2.1
70% = .6 (doctors/dermatologists only)
Like a recipe for cooking you have to know how much glycolic acid.
