Anti Aging Skin Care » Skin Care Products » Alpha Hydroxy Skin Care Products

Alpha Hydroxy Skin Care Products

Research has shown that alpha hydroxy acids have proved very effective to cause wrinkles and the effects of photo aging. For thousands of years, alpha hydroxy acids have been used as a skin-rejuvenating product. Reports have come to light that Cleopatra had bathed in sour, mild, lactic acid to improve her complexion. Now hydroxy acids is added to a lot of skin products including moisturizers, cleanser, toners and masks. Alpha hydroxy skin care products are quite a rage in the market and it is common substance used in most of the anti-aging brands.

How is alpha hydroxyl acid derived?

Alpha hydroxyl acids are derived from fruits and milk sugars. Glycolic acid and lactic acid are the most commonly used alpha hydroxyl acids, as they have a special ability to penetrate into skin. It has also proved effective scientifically, and is found to give no side effects. Here's a list of the five major types of alpha hydroxyl acids that are found in skin care products and the source they are obtained from:

• Glycolic acid, obtained from sugar cane
• Lactic acid from milk
• Malic acid from apples and pears
• Citric acid from oranges and lemons
• Tartaric acid from grapes

How alpha hydroxyl acid work?

Alpha hydroxyl acids mainly work as an exfoliant. They allow the cells of the epidermis to become non-sticky, which helps the dead skin cells to slough off, giving room for re-growth of new skin. Alpha hydroxyl acids also give rise to the production of collagen and elastin in the skin. They are effective to improve wrinkles, roughness and mottled pigmentation, after months of daily application. It works best in a concentration of 5% to 8% and at a pH of 3 to 4 in skin care products.

Side effects of alpha hydroxy acids

Alpha hydroxy acid has two major side effects. It might cause irritation or sun sensitivity. If one finds symptoms of irritation such as redness, burning, itching, pain or scar, then the use of the product needs to be discontinued. People with dark skin have high chances of getting scarring pigmentation with alpha hydroxyl acids. People using alpha hydroxy acids can have increased sun sensitivity by 50%, therefore, it is essential for them to use a good sunscreen apart from using alpha hydroxy acids. This leads to an interesting controversy because alpha hydoxy acids are able to reverse some of the damage caused by photoaging.

Guidelines for the use of alpha hydroxyl acids
As alpha hydroxyl acids have few side effects. There are a few guidelines that need to be followed for the safe use of it, which includes:

• The alpha hydroxyl acid concentration must be 10% or less
• The final product must have a pH of 3.5 or higher
• An effective sunscreen must be used in the formulation, or people must be warned to use sunscreen products