How to Use Glycolic Skin Care Products?

Glycolic Acid comes in many different products like facial cleansers, serums, moisturizers, eye creams and face peels. Home versions of glycolic skin care products are also much less expensive; however, it’s important to know how to properly use glycolic acid products for optimal results.

Well here are few points for you to remember before you venture into the world of glycolic skin care products.

What is Glycolic Acid?

Glycolic acid is the most common and the safest forms of alpha hydroxy acid. It is found naturally in sugar cane and grapes and is commonly used in skin care treatments. Glycolic acid is an exfoliant that efficiently removes the dead skin from the top layer of skin so that you are left with a new radiant and bright skin. Glycolic acid is an excellent way to fight acne, reduce fine lines, lighten discoloration and trigger collagen production in the skin.

• Start with a low concentration of glycolic acid and then work up on higher concentrations depending on your tolerance and need. It is best to start off with 10% acid concentration and then gradually increase the percentage for best results. Glycolic acid is safe for home use when the concentration is 10 percent or less and the formula has a pH of 3.5 or greater, which means it is not a very strong acid.

• Avoid the use of scrubs or other exfoliating product along with the glycolic acid lotion.

• Skin that has been treated with glycolic acid, as with any AHA, must be moisturized well after the treatment as high acidity dries out skin, which can result in dry patches or excessively oily skin.

• Use of topical acne products containing anti-aging components, Retin-A, benzoyl peroxide and antioxidants directly after the peel can have harsh effects on the skin, so it is better to avoid them until your skin has healed.

• Skin that has been treated with glycolic acid, can see mild skin irritation, redness, swelling, itching, and skin discoloration. However, if you have sensitive skin these products can cause moderate to severe skin irritation, redness, and burning. So, it’s best to talk to a dermatologist before deciding to do an at-home peel. When you want to do a chemical peel at home them make sure that your kit includes a neutralizer, and a moisturizer/sunscreen in it. You need a neutralizer to avoid burning your skin and sunscreen is required to protect newly exposed skin from sun damage.

• However, glycolic acid skin care products can do more harm than good if not used and stored according to directions. So proper storage of these products is a must.