Should you add glycolic acid to your routine?
If you look now at our Alpha Beta exfoliator, you will see that we added glycolic acid.
Why? Because glycolic acid is popular.
Sometimes we may add an ingredient because it is very popular, as long as it is OK, i.e. safe. There is nothing special about glycolic acid. It’s a hydroxy acid like lactic acid (which I like better) but it has no specific problems.
Why is glycolic acid so popular? The legend goes that it is smaller than other hydroxy acids so it “penetrates” better. There is no evidence that this is the case.
Lactic acid molecular weight: 90
Glycolic acid molecular weight: 76
This small difference would make no difference. For a peel, what matters is the acidity of the solution. The pH of a solution is determined by the pK and the concentration (molarity) of the acid, molecular weight has no effect.
I have no explanation for the myth, although maybe the formulators were using percent for concentration when comparing the solutions (that would be a silly mistake).
This change in the formulation of a great product shows you that we at Skin Actives are human: we sometimes are sensitive to the pressure of the internet. As long as it’s not important.
Enjoy our alpha-beta exfoliator: it’s still the best super fast treatment to make you look ready for a high school reunion or a wedding. So, the answer is no, you don’t need to add glycolic acid to your routine, but Skin Actives alpha-beta exfoliator is worth adding.
As always, please follow the instructions.
Hannah
References
Moy LS, Howe K, Moy RL. Glycolic acid modulation of collagen production in human skin fibroblast cultures in vitro. Dermatol Surg. 1996 May;22(5):439-41. doi: 10.1111/j.1524-4725.1996.tb00344.x. PMID: 8634806.
Ceilley RI. Treatment of Actinic Purpura. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2017 Jun;10(6):44-50. Epub 2017 Jun 1. PMID: 28979656; PMCID: PMC5605207.
DISCLAIMER: These claims have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease.