Does Glycolic Acid Really Work?

Glycolic Acid can be used to address a wide varity of skin conditions including acne, acne scars, dry skins, etc. It has other cosmetic benefits such as stimulating collagen growth and moisture retention in your skin and evening out skin tone. Hence you can have healthier and smoother looking skin.  The benefits of glycolic acid make it one of the commonly used substances by dermatology and beauty professionals.

It is used by skin care professionals to help following skin conditions including but not limited to: 

Glycolic Acids used in combination with MSM, Colostrum and Vitamins (especially vitamin C) will greatly enhance the positive effects from Glycolic Acid treatments. Glycolic Acid and Vitamin C triggers the formation of collagen while MSM, Colostrum and Vitamins feeds the formation and prevents cross-linking between cells when new collagen is being formed Glycolic Acid speeds up the skin renewal process.


Is it safe & proven?

  • Yes it is safe & proven.
  • It is the same professional (Medical-Grade) Glycolic Skin Peel you would get from Spa or Dermatologists.
  • Open secret for the beauty professionals and celebrities, now available to you! See Glycolic in Hollywood.
  • There are a huge body of scientific proof of the efficacy of Glycolic Skin Peel. See Scientific Evidence
  • If you are interested in the science, see Scientific Details.

What Should Result Look like?

  • Check out this blog for some third party results, see here.
  • Specifically, this is an image in reference to third party result.

How long does it take to see visual outcome?

  • It will depend on the objective and frequecy of the peel, but significant improvement is not expected until you complete a series of peels. Generally at least 6 peels.  
  • You may be able to see some visual improvements in 3-4 peels along the way. Superficial peels like glycolic acid peels always take a series to get the full effect. During that time, there should be gradual improvement in skin texture and tone (decrease in discoloration) as well as a nice glow to skin will noticeable. 
  • For seasoned peelers with stronger acid strength such as 40% or 60%, you may see results in less number of peels.  But we do NOT recommend inexperienced users to try this as your skin needs time to be adjust to the effects of Glycolic Acid.
  • Scientists have written myriads of scientific journals to show the efficacy and safety of Glycolic acid.  See Evidence here.
  • Individual results may vary.

How Often Should I Peel?

  • Depend on your preference. We recommend 1 Peel per week.  Do NOT peel more than twice a week.

My Skin is light or medium or olive or light brown or dark or very dark as defined by Fitzpatrick Scale (F-scale), can I use Glycolic Peel?

  • Yes you can.
  • Glycolic peel is a superficial peel and applies to all skin types.

I am dark-skinned of African descent, will Glycolic acid be effective on me?

  • Yes it will. See the following article at National Institute of Health which it states that Glycolic Peel is effective on black patients. 
  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9145958
  • We quote from the article  - "This pilot study demonstrates that serial glycolic acid peels provide an additional benefit, with minimal adverse effects, for the treatment of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation in dark-complexioned individuals."

Will My Face/Body Scale or Flake as Result of Glycolic Peel?

  • Medium or Deep Chemical Peels such as TCA, Jessner, or Salicylic Peels will result in red/dark facial scales in forms of excessive pinkness. They are usually performed by professionals and rarely performed as Do-It-Yourself endeavor.
  • Glycolic Acid Peel is a superficial peel.  It is considered as a "Lunch Time Peel". You won't notice a thing.
  • You may see some minor scaling/flaking for a day when you use stronger acid such as 40% or 60%.  But that is short-lived.
  • In short, Glycolic Acid Peel can be performed at your leisure.  Just make sure you use SPF-based sunscreen the day after the peel if you intend to spend your time outdoor.

What acid strength do I choose?

30% Best for new skin peel users who are familiar with the concepts of chemical peel. Use on dry, normal, oily, or combination skin. Will help to lift mild acne, acne scarring and mild skin blemishes and imperfections. Stimulates collagen growth and moisture retention of skin. Great starting point for acne, premature-aging, and other common skin issues.
40% Use on dry, normal, oily, or combination skin. Best used after a period of 3 months uses of 30% Glycolic acid. Can help brighten dull, lackluster complexions, uneven skin tones, acne, moderate acne scarring. Stimulates collagen growth and moisture retention of skin. Can also help with actinic keratosis, hyperkeratosis, seborrheic keratosis, keratosis pilaris with prolonged use. Can give you smoother skin texture and treat skin with enlarged pores.
60% Intended for use by experienced users and professionals. Treat deeper acne, acne scarring, actinic keratosis, hyperkeratosis, seborrheic keratosis, keratosis pilaris. Can help brighten dull, lackluster complexions, uneven skin tones. Stimulates collagen growth and moisture retention of skin. Can give you smoother skin texture and treat skin with enlarged pores. Best used after 3 months of Glycolic 40%.

Is it easy to use?

Easy to use in 3 Easy Steps plus initial patch test. Patch test is recommended to see how your skin reacts to the peel.

              


Do I have to continue to use it after I have results?  

This is a case where more is better.  The more peels you do, the better the results. 

It certainly takes a series of Gylcolic acid peels to see initial results, as gylcolic acid is considered part of the group of light peeling agents.  It typically causes a more gentle peel, which many user prefer, as the peels require less healing time and are quite tolerable.  Most users return to work right after a Glycolic peel. 

Glycolic peels effects are cumulative.  Users do an initial serious of peels, and will to do a series of refresher peels to further the positive results.


How is your Acid Different from Other Formulation?

Not every acid formulation is the same.

Why not?

Because it depends on the strength of the acid and the pH that is buffered at. Each acid has an “intrinsic acidity”, known to chemists as “pKa”. If the formulation is buffered at a pH higher than the pKa, the acid is no longer an effective acid. Buffering to a pH below the acid’s pKa makes the acid stronger. Glycolic acid has a pKa of 3.83. Many formulations buffer their pH higher than 3.83, meaning that the glycolic acid is essentially unable to act as an acid. All of our acids are buffered to a pH below 2.0, which makes our glycolic formulations the strongest on the market.


Is it Expensive?

  • Our Peel costs $7.50/treatment

  • Dermatologist Treatment costs $300/treatment

  • Spa Treatment costs $150-300/treatment

  • $800 in saving compared to spa visits and $2200 in savings compared to dermatologist treatment equivalent to 2oz worth of glycolic acid peels 


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