Skin Care
7 Secret-Weapon Ingredients For Making Your Skin GlowAcid-based products are the key to radiant skin. Here, find the right acid for your skin type |
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Comes from: sugar
Strength: 3/5
Why: Because it's often used in professional chemical peels, glycolic acid has a bit of an ass-kicking reputation. However, it's much milder than you might think. It's moderate in strength and is a highly stable molecule, so it maintains its potency if it's exposed to oxygen, UV light and temperature fluctuations. It can treat a variety of skin issues including acne, fine lines, dullness and hyperpigmentation.
"Almost all skin types would do well with an exfoliating cream that contains glycolic acids to help turn over skin cells, leaving the skin healthy and soft," Tanzi says. "It's the best of the alpha hydroxy acids because it helps to exfoliate most skin types nicely without too much irritation."
Most over-the-counter products have an eight to 10 percent concentration, while concentrations of in-office treatments vary.
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Cover image via Imaxtree
SEE NEXT PAGE: The Acne-Fighting Acid
Alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids are the workhorses of your skin care routine. They exfoliate dull skin and fade imperfections, minus scratchy microbeads. Pretty much everyone can benefit from having acid in her routines -- but you shouldn't pick just any ol' AHA cleanser. If you wanna get nerdy about it, the various alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids (like salicylic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid and malic acid) work differently on a molecular level, and choosing which one to use can make or break your skin. We asked Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi, M.D., a Washington, D.C.-based dermatologist, to decode some of the most common AHAs and BHAs and tell which one you should be using.
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