My skin has never looked so good, thanks to glycolic acid
I‘ve never really had good skin. I started getting acne at 11 and I still have scars. What’s more, with a combination skin, I often get blackheads and open pores. I also have a rather dull-looking complexion. And to add insult to injury, I have flaking dry skin on the sides of my nose during winter and I’ve never understood why because I exfoliate every week and moisturize my face twice a day.
So I started to look for a miracle cream which would give me a healthy glow with smooth, soft and clear skin. I didn’t think this cream existed till I tried glycolic acid.
I already knew about glycolic acid. I knew it was an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid), an exfoliant derived from sugar cane. It’s an ultra-fine molecule (finer than other AHA’s frequently used in skin care products) which penetrates the skin deeper and more easily.
The main advantage of glycolic acid is that it gradually removes the outer layer of dead skin. It’s great for removing those pesky dry flakes and revealing the healthy new skin underneath. The results are fantastic.
A dull-looking complexion is often caused by the quantity of dead cells on the skin’s surface. With a glycolic acid treatment, the skin becomes luminously uniform as never before.
The other advantages of glycolic acid are an improvement in the skin’s texture and its general appearance (softer and clearer), reduction of dry skin, increased hydration, youthful effect, reduction of wrinkles, crow’s feet and age spots, deep exfoliation which clears pores and prevents blackheads and pimples, evens out skin tone, encourages cell renewal etc.
Creams containing glycolic acid are particularly recommended for women with brown spots because this ingredient lightens them.
The only problem with glycolic acid is that it should be avoided by people with sensitive skin, as with all AHA’s. But for everyone else, it’s really worth trying. It does however make your skin more sensitive to the sun so you should avoid sun exposure when you’re using this kind of product, Or at least use a really good sunscreen with a high SPF. That’s why most glycolic acid creams already contain SPF. But if you’re going for a trip to warmer climes during the winter, don’t use the product during this period.
Another thing you should know is that the percentage of glycolic acid contained in the product varies enormously. Assess your needs and choose one accordingly with a higher or lower content. Of course, the more wrinkles and pigmentation you have, the higher the concentration you should choose. For over the counter products, there’s a maximum permitted quantity but you can get a more powerful product by consulting a dermatologist or with a peeling. In general, you can get 4, 8 or 10 percent in over the counter products.
I’ve been using a glycolic acid cream for about a month. I’ve never had compliments about my skin but it has happened to me twice during the last month which makes me feel great. I’m really impressed by the effects of this cream and I intend to use it for a long time to come.
The two best brands I know containing glycolic acid are Reversa and Neostrata.
The cream I’ve been testing for the last month is Neostrata smoothing cream, level 1. But I can’t wait to try Reversa, because this brand has a new technology which gradually distributes the glycolic acid so that the risk of reactions, redness, and sensitivity is diminished. On the other hand, I haven’t had any problems with Neostrata, apart from a slight redness during the first few days, in fact, the skin quickly gets used to glycolic acid. So if you’re worried, begin with a cream containing a limited quantity and increase gradually as you skin gets used to it. You could also begin by alternating your glycolic acid cream with a regular moisturizer, for example, a regular day moisturizer and a glycolic night cream. Or use it on alternate days.
The Neostrata level 1 cream only contains 4% of glycolic acid: it was enough for me because I’m only 30 and i still don’t have any wrinkles (Hooray!).
My skin is soft, even and luminous, with fewer imperfections and it’s well-moisturized. I’m not going to stop using glycolic acid creams any time soon (unless it’s for my next trip to Mexico!) ;o)…