The Complete Guide To Glycolic Acid

49 Comments on The Complete Guide To Glycolic Acid

1. I’m currently using one by DDF. It’s their ‘10% glycolic exfoliating oil control gel salicylic acid 2% ace treatment’. What a mouthful to say but that’s what’s written on the pump bottle. I use it every few nights instead of retinol and sometimes during the day when I’m not outdoors much.

   I don’t trust some skincare on Amazon. I used to order my vitamin C serums there and I occasionally still do, but a few of the brands seem to have fake reviews. Like I never even heard of them a month before and they now have a few hundred reviews? It just seems odd. I could be mistaken though.

   Every now and then I do use this LUSH scrub that smells like cookie dough just because it smells so good. And the occasional scrub samples I get from Sephora. 😀

   • Janessa, oh the power of a good scent. When something smells that good, it’s impossible not to use it.

     Could it be that they’re bloggers’ reviews? I know on Goodreads a lot of people write reviews of books before they come out. They get an advanced copy from the publisher who hopes to attract interest in the book. Not sure if those brands use the same tactic. But if they are small and unknown, it’s always best to err on the side of caution. You never know. Some may get friends to write fake reviews.

2. I’ve read AHAs are pH sensitive and that it’s crucial to make sure products containing them are between pH 3 and 4.5. Any truth to this and if so, is there any way to determine whether a product falls within this range?

   • Vanity, yes, that’s true. Unfortunately, it’s often impossible to determine the ph of a product. You could do a test using ph strips. Or, sometimes, a product contains ingredients that work well at a basic ph and others at an alkaline one, so you know that something is off.

3. I love Glycolic and swear by it! I’m a few weeks away from my 40th birthday and most people place my firm, wrinkle-free face in the first half of my 30s. I always thought I’d be buying myself botox or fillers for my 40th, but no need 🙂 I’ve been using glycolic acid since my 20s.

   • Sage, it’s wonderful, isn’t it? Definitely one of the best treatments for anti-aging, and a great help in keeping botox away. 🙂

     • Hi Sage, may I ask what concentration of Glycolic acid you have been using?

4. I actually have a serum that contains both AHA and BHA and I love it! 😉

   http://www.iherb.com/Earth-Science-Active-Age-Defense-A-B-Hydroxy-Acid-Night-Rejuvenator-1-fl-oz-30-ml/21481

   • Stavroula, sounds great!

5. Hi Gio
   First off, I am grateful to you for all the advice.

   I am a 26 year old male and am considering starting Paula’s choice 8% AHA. Using it daily in the morning followed by SPF.

   Q1) Do you think its too early an age to start?
   Q2) I know my skin can tolerate 8% AHA daily. Is daily use too frequent?

   please let me know

   • SK, I think it’s great that you want to start taking better care of your skin. And nope, 26 is definitely not too early too start.

     And that depends. If your skin can tolerate it, then there’s no reason why you can’t use it daily.

     Hope this helps.

6. I like to ask if I can use the glycolic mosituriser of Thomas Peter Roth on my eyes area. My eyes area are extremely dry. Will it be too harsh?

   • Xy, you won’t know until you try it. but yes, that’s a possibility.

     • I have been reading your blog and understand that mosituriser are good enough for the under eye as well. But I ended up buying the glycolic gel which is suitable for all skin types instead of the mosituriser. I find the gel not mositurisering enough. I will try the cream one next. The thing is it stated on the bottle to avoid with eyes and mucous membranes. Not so sure what it meant. I did apply a thin layer under my eye, so far not much of adverse effects.

       Such a pity you don’t do reviews on Korean or Japanese products. I’m from Asia and it’s very popular here.

       • XY, I find most creams and gels say “not suitable for the eye area”, yet they contain the same ingredients as eye creams! As long as they don’t contain fragrance or any other irritating ingredients, you can safely use them.

         It’s funny you mention that, because I have just got a couple of Korean products. They’re makeup products, but skincare stuff may follow soon. 🙂

       • Hi Gio
         I hv been hv a good time reading ur blog
         Currently I’m using Caudalie glycolic mask 10 mins 2 t
         times week
         I want to switch to the Ordinary glycolic toner
         How do I use it
         Tqvm

         • Rajesh, you can use it every other night after cleansing. 🙂

7. There is a very affordable brand with good AHA options. It’s Alpha Skincare, formerly known as Alpha Hydrox. It gets high ratings on.Beautypedia.

   • Sherry, thanks for sharing. I think I tried one of their products and it was very good indeed.

8. The only thing I’m concerned about is indirect premature ageing caused by exfoliation which speeds up the skin’s renewal process. Apparently a skin cell itself ages and the number of times it renews itself is the way it ages. I wonder if there is a bigger price to pay later.

   • Ella, in moderation, it is fine. You can check out this article for more information: https://www.truthinaging.com/review/the-truth-about-hayflick-limit

9. The best EVER article I have EVER read about glycolic acid. You sum it all up beautifully. Thank you! I am subscribing to your blog.

   • Sheryl, thank you! So glad you loved the article and thanks for subscribing,

10. Hi – I was so happy when your blog came up in my search results; I was trying tonremember the name of the swelling/irritation that glycolic acid can create. I didn’t find it in your post, but having read it I am leaving my first ever comment/question:

    My understanding is it glycolic acid is not chirally correct and can have a damaging effect on skin over the long-term. Can you please address this issue of chirality? Thanks so much!

    • Johanna, I will do a post about it or edit this one. In the meantime, you can check this out: https://www.cosmedixuk.com/skin-cop-constance-campion-chirality-vs-glycolic-acids-part-2/

11. I just spent a boatload of money on glycolic acid and a variety of other products by dr. Dennis gross (before I found your blog) do you know anything about his products or have you ever done a review?

    • Kate, I find it to be a good line most of the time. I’m a big fan of the Retinol + Ferulic Acid serums for eyes and face but their exfoliating products use a bit too much alcohol for my liking. Having said that, if you apply a good moisturiser afterwards and don’t have sensitive skin, the alcohol content likely won’t be a problem.

      You may also find this post interesting:http://www.beautifulwithbrains.com/dr-dennis-gross-best-worst-average/

12. Great info, thank you! I’m excited to try one of these. I too have used scrubs in the past. This may be a silly question- but if you use glycolic do you still need a manual exfoliant – or will the dead skin dissolve naturally when washing your face?

    • Kelly, no, if you use glycolic acid you don’t need a manual exfoliant. Glycolic acid and manual exfoliation do the same thing so you only need to pick one. 🙂

13. Detailed read on glycolic acids!Thank you! I’m very new to these acids.. I have combination to dry skin..occasional breakouts, but loads of stuborn blackheads here and there..I’m 32 and would like to know if it’s ok to start off with 5% glycolic acid toner.. would it help?

    • Shalini, if your main concern is blackheads, salicylic acid would be a better option. You can find more about it here: http://giorgiaguazzarotti.com/nadine-rohner-interview/

      Unlike salicylic acid, glycolic acid won’t get inside the pores and unclog them from within. So try salicylic first and, once the blackheads have disappeared, you can switch to glycolic.

14. Hi. I’m 27 and I apply a glycolic acid serum every night and I was wondering, should I also start retinol? I keep reading that it’s an essential part of a nighttime skincare routine but how is it different from glycolic acid. Do I need it or is glycolic acid enough?
    If you think it’s essential that I start using it, how should I incorporate it into my nighttime routine considering that I also use glycolic acid, and what are the best products in your opinion?
    Sorry for all the questions and thanks!

    • Meg, retinol (and all forms of vitamin A) is the only thing that’s proven to reduce wrinkles once they’ve appeared. It also boosts collagen production, preventing them in the first place. If you’re serious about anti aging, you should add it to your skincare routine indeed.

      The best way to start would be to pick a product with a low amount of retinol and alternate it with the glycolic acid at night. One night glycolic, the other retinol…

      You can check out my tips on how to use retinol and what products to try here: http://www.beautifulwithbrains.com/strength-retinol-need/

15. Hi! I’ve been using a moisturizer with Glycolic Acid copolymer. Does it have the same potency as Glycolic Acid? And does it cause sun sensitivity? I’ve only been applying sunscreen in the morning under my makeup. I’m wondering if that’s enough protection?

    • Shauntel, if you’re applying the recommended amount of sunscreen (about 1/4 teaspoon for the face), it’s protection enough. It’ll exfoliate your skin without side effects.

16. Hello, first thank you for so much information on glycerin acid. It was actually difficult to search for info about it that was not from generalized websites that lack more depth about it. After reading the 2 articles linked here, I want to know if PHAs and BHAs also can be safe for daily use without shortening the Hayflick Limit on our skin?

    • Christine, the Hayflick Limit doesn’t really apply to exfoliation. This post explains why: http://thebeautybrains.com/2014/04/does-exfoliating-make-you-run-out-of-skin-the-beauty-brains-show-episode-24/

      Having said that, I wouldn’t use any exfoliant every day unless my skin were really oily and resistant. Dead cells are there for a reason: to protect the raw skin underneath from sun damage, pollution etc. If you exfoliate daily, you may remove too many dead cells and irritate your skin.

17. Hi! I have a glycolic acid toner. Can I use with vitamin C serum? Does the order matter?

    • KR, that could be too irritating. Use Vitamin C in the morning and glycolic acid at night.

18. Hi Gio,
    Thank you for the interesting article and informative comments. I am 41, normal – dry skin. Never used glycolic acid. Do you think 10% pads could be a good start to reduce pores and even wrinkles like crow feet, frown and smile lines? Would you suggest any brand?
    Thanks!

    • Sam, I’d start with 5% and see how your skin takes it before upgrading. A common mistake with exfoliation is that people use higher concentrations or exfoliate every day to get faster results… and it massively backfires! Overexfoliation just irritate skin and it can take a while to recover from it.

19. Hi Gio, just discovered your website serendipitously and I’m so impressed with all the information. I’ve been reading it for the last hour!
    I’m 34 with normal/combination skin – shamefully, not very well looked after – but it’s been not too bad considering, so far. However my pores have become visibly larger in the last couple of years, and recently I’ve noticed fine lines & crows feet under my eyes (I’ve always had bad dark circles too).
    Because of that and the general dullness of my skin I’ve been wanting to incorporate AHAs or BHA into my skincare (and improve my routine generally!). Would you recommend glycolic or salicylic acid for my skin please?
    And any recommendations for eye care? Thanks!

    • Tanvi, thank you for your kind words. So glad you’re enjoying the website. Try salicylic acid. Or you can go for a product that has both, like Drunk elephant Glycolic Night Serum.

      For eye care, check out this post: https://www.beautifulwithbrains.com/do-you-really-need-an-eye-cream/

20. Hi, can you help me figure this out like how to combine it? I have here the vit c serum, vit a retinol and glycolic acid, i dont know the how to order that for AM and PM..

    • DJ, Vitamin C in the morning. At night, alternate retinol and glycolic acid.

21. Hi Gio,
    Thanks for the great info!
    I have been using The Ordinary granactive retanoid 2% for a few months now every night, and I recently ran out of my scrub so was looking at using a non physical exfoliant like Glycolic Acid instead, for exfoliating purposes, how many times a week would you recommend the glycolic? I’m 30 and at night I currently the Retinoid followed by Hyluranoic Acid for moisture and then a simple night creme. In the day I put on Hylurnoic and then a spf 30 Mineral BB cream. Thanks in advance 🙂

    • Monica, alternate it at night with retinol. One night glycolic, the following retinol.

22. Hello 👋🏻
    Sorry, my English is so weak so my question is simple:
    Why we have to avoid it if we have oily and acne prone skin? Thank you

    • Nena, oily and acne-prone skin needs an exfoliant that can unclog pores. Glycolic acid can’t do it.

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