Alpha Hydroxy Acids

Alpha hydroxy acids are derived from fruit and milk sugars. The two most common alpha hydroxy acids are glycolic acid and lactic acid because of there unique ability to penetrate the skin at the cellular level. They also have the most scientific data documenting and proving their effectiveness on treating the skin and the side affects associated with their use. The following list is the 5 major types of alpha hydroxy acids found in skin care products and where they are found:

Gycolic acid is a natural product derived from sugar cane. It is in the family of Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) and has the smallest carbon size (2 carbon) therefore penetrates the deepest for maximum skin resurfacing. This small characteristic is important in determining a compound's ability to penetrate the top layer of the skin. In that respect, glycolic acid (the smallest AHA) is a clear winner and clearly accounts for its popularity in both cosmetics as well as medical procedures.

How They Work

Alpha hydroxy acids work mainly as an exfoliant. By penetrating deep into the epidermis and causing the cells to become separated, this allows the dead skin cells to slough off, thus making room for new cell growth. With decades of research into the benefits of glycolic acid skin treatments use, it has been scientifically proven that wrinkling, roughness and hyper-pigmentation of acne or photo damaged skin improves dramatically after daily use.

History of AHAs

The use of glycolic acid as a topical resurfacing agent was pioneered by Eugene Van Scott, M.D and Ruey Yu, Ph.D. Their work and the results are based upon natural glycolic acid and the majority of published, accepted and respected medical literature is also based upon glycolic acid. Some cosmetic manufacturers produce product with citric or lactic or combine these other AHAs with glycolic acid and claim they will produce the same results because they are all AHAs. There is no accepted clinical literature documenting this to be the case. Intaglio products with glycolic acid have been clinically proven to be a highly effective resurfacing agent.

AHAs: The First Cosmeceuticals

Cosmeceuticals are the strongest generation of cosmetics to date. These are not new substances or product groups however they differ from conventional cosmetics with regard to the effect and results of the products owed to special production process (esterization, chelation, miscelllization) and concentrate. The term is derived from cosmeticum (cosmetic) and pharmaceuticum (pharmaceutical).

Cosmeceuticals are the "tools" of today's soft methods of treatment offering permanent and qualitative improvement in the appearance of the skin.

A Cosmeceuticals product offers therapeutic benefits and changes the structure of the skin

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) are now essential to the modern cosmetic-oriented practice. Their excellent exfoliating, cell stimulating and clarifying properties are highly effective in the process for skin rejuvenating.

Examples of Alpha Hydroxy Acids

Effects of AHA on the skin:

• Of the various acids that make up the AHA group, glycolic acid has been shown to be one of the most effective in topical resurfacing.
• The use of glycolic acid products reduces the stratum corneum, preparing the skin surface for maximum penetration of therapeutic agents and antioxidant therapy.
• Glycolic acid accelerate cell division, thus increasing the production of collagen.
• Glycolic acid acts as a vaso-dilator which causes the capillaries to open, providing the skin with additional oxygen, nourishment and waste removal.
• When using glycolic acid, the cumulative effect will provide the greatest results.
• Reduces hyper pigmentation.
• Helps minimize fine lines and wrinkles.