Benefits of Glycolic Acid for Your Skin

Everyone out there is looking for that next best thing that can do 50+ things for your skin.  This is quite a feat to accomplish and sometimes we end up with a laundry list of products to handle all kinds of issues.  But what if we told you that there is a certain product out there that really can do multiple things and solve a lot of common skin issues?  Glycolic Acid is one of those miracle workers that doesn’t seem to get a lot of attention for some reason.  Even those that are up to date about the newest products and what is most popular, glycolic acid isn’t mentioned as often as it should be.

 

 

Understanding Glycolic Acid

This special acid is apart of a group known as AHA’s aka: alpha hydroxy acids.  Glycolic acid is the smaller of the molecules, which is why it is able to penetrate the skin deeply with ease.  It was originally derived from sugar cane but now it is mostly synthetically made, but that doesn’t mean doesn’t work as well.  The action that glycolic acid is known for is its exfoliation properties.  It safely removes the outer layer of dead skin cells, bringing the newer layers to the surface.  Newer skin faster?  It sounds like a dream but it’s 100% achievable!

The Multiple Jobs of Glycolic Acid

Let’s get down to all of those benefits.  Glycolic acid comes in multiple forms, such as in face washes, toners, serums, peels, and creams.  Each form has similar benefits, but they each do a little something different.  You can pick and choose which of these products will be best for your specific skin issues or you can use all of them together.

Cleansers:

A glycolic acid cleanser helps to exfoliate those dead skin cells so the acid can renew your skin.  Removing all of that congestion will encourage the cells around the pores of your skin to shake it up and purify any of the gunk that’s trying to make your face its home.

Toners:

These will help to shrink the pores down, which is perfect for blocking out skin irritants and going for a smooth look on the face.  It also continues that exfoliation by stimulating the skin to renew itself.  Applying this all over the face will encourage the skin to have a brand new base.

Serums:

Serums are a great way to target those problem areas.  Using a serum in your routine will really help to zero in on any certain areas of the skin that are struggling the most with issues such as wrinkles or sun spots. Glycolic acid serums are also great for spot treating acne and blackheads.  Depending on which serum you choose, the glycolic acid concentration can dissolve blackheads on contact.  Besides this, a glycolic serum will help to penetrate the skin and diminish the acne by encouraging skin cell turnover.

Peels:

Glycolic acid peels are great for effectively fading out dark spots, discoloration, and acne scars.  They also reduce the appearance of fine lines and even out the skin tone.  By peeling off those dead skin cells, it renews the complexion and resurfaces the skin.  These are great for evening out the texture of your skin and reducing the look of pores.  Your skin will be firmer, brighter, and younger looking.

Creams:

A great moisturizer is essential for any skin care routine.  Glycolic acid can be a bit drying, so this is an essential step to protect the skin from feeling parched.  The dryer your skin, the more dead skin cells that stir up and the more wrinkles you will get.  Instead of recreating the same problems you are trying to treat in the first place, always implement this last step.

A glycolic acid facial cream is the most beneficial of all other glycolic products.  These creams generally have the highest concentration of glycolic acid and you won’t be washing if off so it will be working its magic all day or night.  The cream brings out other benefits besides acne treatment, like fighting against pre-mature aging and sun damage.  These creams renew the skin by treating fine lines, wrinkles, and give your skin that big drink of moisture that it needs to stay looking youthful and healthy.

The cream, overall, is the best thing to add to your skin care regimen.  It’s that extra step to revitalizing your skin.  Your face can get used to those cleansers and gels, so a glycolic moisturizer will help to produce more significant results.  And as an added bonus, many of them have sunscreen added to it so you can avoid having even further sun damage on your skin.  For those that prefer a more natural lotion, using ingredients like coconut oil can be a great replacement.

One last benefit:

How can this acid do anymore?  It’s crazy how many benefits this one little acid provides for our skin.  The last benefit that glycolic acid can do for you is treat ingrown hairs.  Sometimes when we shave, we forget that our razor is dull or we shave in the wrong direction.  A perfect storm for painful bumps.  When they rear their ugly heads it’s hard to not want to just go in with tweezers to yank it out.  And sometimes it’s hard to work up the courage because it hurts enough as it is.  Luckily, glycolic acid ingrown hair treatments exist.  They slough away the dead skin cells that helped to trap the hair in the first place and smooth down the bump.  Once the skin has been thinned down, the ingrown hair can be released and you can remove it easily.  It also can keep other ingrown hairs from developing by always having a fresh layer of skin.

What are You Waiting for?

It’s pretty clear that if you want youthful skin, a better foundation for makeup application, and help with your acne, glycolic acid is the answer.  The benefits are a mile long stretch that is worth the run.  There are plenty of products out there with this special ingredient and we’re sure you will love the results.