Use glycolic acid to reap amazing skin benefits!

With so much on our beauty shelves, we tend to forget to turn to some very effective skincare ingredients. It’s time to ditch your old cliché skincare products and add glycolic acid to your skincare vanity to see wonders happening to your skin. The hype around this beauty ingredient is real. So, if you are someone who has never heard of this before or is trying to use it for the first time, then this one on the skin benefits of glycocid acid is for you!

Health Shots got in touch with Dr Ekta Nigam, Paras Hospitals, Gurugram, to understand the various skin benefits of glycolic acid. Read on to find out!

What makes glycolic acid special?

Sugarcane is a good source of glycolic acid, which is an alpha-hydroxy acid. Among all acids, it has the lowest and highest molecular weight, which makes it simple to penetrate the skin to yield the best results. It has no flavour or colour and is very water-soluble. Glycolic acid can be best used to treat older skin, dry skin, lacklustre complexions, sum-damaged skin and oily or acne-prone skin. Earlier, its usage was only limited to treating oily or acne-prone skin. However, depending on the quantity used, it is not advisable to be used on all skin types.

Benefits of glycolic acid

Here are some of the benefits of glycolic acid for the skin:

1. Reduces fine lines and wrinkles

The expert tells, “By exfoliating the top layer of the skin, glycolic acid minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. As a result, the skin’s natural capacity to retain moisture is maintained, collagen formation is boosted, and fine lines and wrinkles get prevented and reduced.”

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Alongside, glycolic acid flattens the skin’s surface, gives it a uniform feel, and minimizes the appearance of wrinkles.

2. Hydrates the skin

The secret to having good skin is moisturization, and glycolic acid helps a lot with that. It is classified as a humectant because it draws water molecules to itself, hydrating the skin.

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3. Makes the skin feel bright and smooth

To this Dr Nigam says, “One of the glycolic acid’s key purpose or advantages is the removal of dead skin cells by its tiny molecules, which penetrate far beneath the surface of the skin. This shows bright, smooth, silky, and radiantly fresh infant skin.”

4. Fades hyperpigmentation

Regular usage of glycolic acid aids in fading of minor pigmentation such as age and black spots. When you have hyperpigmentation, the skin’s surface begins to change color and gets darker, while the skin underneath is less pigmented. Glycolic acid reduces hyperpigmentation by eliminating darker skin cells from the skin’s surface and revealing a new, even layer beneath. However, only regular usage will yield effective results.

5. Fights acne

As per the expert, glycolic acid is excellent for treating acne-prone skin since it exfoliates dead skin cells that often block pores and cause outbreaks.

6. Maintains skin’s lipids

It is a well-known fact that glycolic acid dissolves dead skin cells, and your lipids stay unaffected. Lipids are healthy fatty acids that make up the skin’s elastic barrier, which keeps moisture in and pathogens out.