If you haven’t yet put this in your beauty arsenal, you’re missing out on life. With the ability to tackle just about every issue, from breakouts to fine lines glycolic acid is a natural ingredient extracted from sugar cane but these days it is often created synthetically in labs. One of the skincare ingredients known as AHA’s, or Alpha Hydroxy Acids, and it has a reputation of being one of the safest forms of alpha hydroxy acids. If the acid label still scares you, here’s few good reasons why you need this AHA on your beauty counter ASAP.
Treats Stubborn Acne
A major super power of this acid is that it fights blemishes. The ingredient is able to penetrate deep into the skin, and this characteristic makes it quite ideal for addressing bad cases of cystic acne and even the usual acne breakouts. Furthermore, it quite effortlessly destroys blackheads on contact.
Combats Signs of Aging
Another benefit of glycolic acid is an increase in the skin cell turnover rate. That’s because this very ingredient sloughs away the dead skin that builds up on the very surface of the skin, and helps the new cells on the lower level surface to move up to the top. Serums with this ingredient can work overtime to smooth over fine lines and reduce damage while you sleep, while the glycolic acid in certain creams can help keep the process going during the day, sometimes even with the addition of sun protection.
Minimizes Dark Spots and Pores
Thanks to the aforementioned properties on exfoliation, certain products can effectively fade spots caused by prolonged exposure to the sun or from acne. This happens via the evening out of the scar and fading the discoloration. Additionally, this ingredient can help give pores a added minuscule appearance. The reason? When dirt, oil, and sebum are clogged up in your pores, they have the tendency to take on a larger appearance. Glycolic acid can help clear the blockage and even cause the pores to tighten.
Treats In-Grown hair
When an ingrown hair is trapped under your skin, resist the urge to reach for the tweezers and instead go for a glycolic-based product. The exfoliation will help to slough away the dead skin keeping it just under the surface, and will prevent new ones from taking shape. You can even get products that focus on in-grown hair on your body. These are especially helpful if you use shavers.
Exfoliator
A main use of glycolic acid in skincare is as an exfoliator. When you use a glycolic acid product, it works to gently scrub away at the dead skin cells, allowing for “fresh” bright skin to come to the surface. This is good for when you have dull or dry skin. You don’t want to have a papery looking texture do you? Glycolic acid also works to brighten discolored skin, like age/sun spots and other hyper-pigmentation.
So get yourself some of this sweet AHA for a brighter, more even-toned, younger-looking and blemish free complexion.
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