What does alpha hydroxy acid do for skin?

What Is Alpha Hydroxy Acid?

Alpha Hydroxy Acid is a general term for a series of acids, which can be abbreviated as AHA. According to different molecular structures, Alpha hydroxy acids include glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, mandelic acid and several other types. What they have in common is that they all come from the purification of natural ingredients.

At this point, some people will definitely ask: Then I can just apply sugarcane juice, lemon juice, and yogurt on my face, isn't it? Is it necessary to go to the hospital to do alpha hydroxy acid? In fact, alpha hydroxy acid comes from the purification of natural ingredients. Purification has two meanings: one is the concentration. You definitely don't want to drink milk mixed with water to pretend to be pure milk, so it is unreliable to talk about ingredients without talking about concentration. The second is the removal of impurities. There are many allergens and microorganisms in natural ingredients, which can easily cause allergies and infections. Among them, the most commonly used ingredients are glycolic acid, citric acid, mandelic acid and lactic acid.

What Are The Functions Of Alpha Hydroxy Acid?

Alpha hydroxy acid can penetrate into the dermis of human skin, promote the formation of collagen fibers in the dermis, provide sufficient nutrition for the face, make the skin more shiny, smooth and tender, and have a good skin beautification effect.

Alpha hydroxy acid can help the body remove dirt and impurities on the surface of the skin, reduce melanin, and make the facial skin moisturized and smooth.

Alpha hydroxy acid can also promote the activation and renewal of epidermal cells, strengthen the metabolism of the skin, and then absorb a large amount of water, making the skin smooth and energetic.

Alpha hydroxy acid can also rejuvenate the skin and has a beauty effect.

What Is The Mechanism Of Action Of AHA?

Skin effect: By activating steroid sulfatase and serine protease to degrade desmosomes, it reduces the adhesion of the main components of the epidermis, regulates the keratinization process, promotes the shedding of the aged stratum corneum, and avoids excessive accumulation of the stratum corneum, thereby achieving more precise exfoliation. It can remove the ineffective dead cells accumulated at the opening of the sebaceous glands, making the excretion of the sebaceous glands smoother, so as to prevent the pores from being blocked by sebum, and make the keratinization of the hair follicle duct mouth tend to normal. It promotes the increase of the renewal time and rate of epidermal cells, thereby promoting skin renewal. The sebum, epidermal sweat gland fluid and water on the surface of the skin are emulsified to form a sebum membrane, which ultimately achieves a moisturizing effect, that is, forming a skin protective barrier, so that the water in the skin is not evaporated too much, and the skin is also prevented from being invaded by bacteria. By regulating keratinocytes, the keratinization process is normal, the stratum corneum is dense and smooth, and the epidermis is thickened, so that the cell structure of the skin surface is arranged normally, the effect of renewing and rebuilding the epidermis is achieved, thereby improving the appearance of the skin.

Dermal effect: Alpha hydroxy acid peeling activates the synthesis and secretion function of fibroblasts in the dermis by starting the reconstruction function of skin damage, increasing the density and rearrangement of mucopolysaccharides, collagen fibers, and elastic fibers, thereby increasing the thickness and elasticity of the dermis. Among them, the increase in the number and thickness of the papillae in the dermis is the most prominent. Alpha hydroxy acid can activate the synthesis of endoglucosamine and other intercellular matrix, stimulate the synthesis of more hyaluronic acid in the dermis, and thin the connective tissue of the papillae layer in the dermis, thereby enhancing the skin's water retention ability, increasing the moisture content in the skin, and achieving the results of skin rejuvenation and moisturizing.

Pigment effect: Improve the excessive accumulation of keratinocytes, accelerate the shedding of pigment cells, reduce the pigment, thereby fading spots and brightening the skin color.

What Is The Application Of Alpha Hydroxy Acid?

In terms of beauty and skin care, alpha hydroxy acid is widely used in various beauty products, such as cleansers, essences, masks, etc. It can remove the aging stratum corneum and promote the generation of new cells, thereby improving problems such as rough skin, dullness and spots. Alpha hydroxy acid can also stimulate the production of collagen, enhance the elasticity and firmness of the skin, and make the skin look younger and smoother.

In dermatology, alpha hydroxy acid is mainly used to treat diseases such as acne, melasma, and photoaging of the skin. High concentrations of alpha hydroxy acid can cause epidermal loosening, accelerate skin renewal, and reduce the contact time between keratinocytes and melanocytes, thereby improving skin problems. Alpha hydroxy acid can also be used to treat keratotic diseases and post-inflammatory pigmentation to help restore skin health.

Which One Is Better, Alpha Hydroxy Acid Or Salicylic Acid?

Which one is better, Alpha hydroxy acid or salicylic acid, needs to be determined according to your own situation. Alpha hydroxy acid is suitable for treating closed comedones, improving acne marks and dull skin color. Salicylic acid is more suitable for oily skin, for red and swollen acne and blackheads. Choose the best one that suits you.

Alpha hydroxy acid: Most of them are extracted from fruits. Alpha hydroxy acid has a small molecular weight and is easily absorbed. It can penetrate into the dermis to promote the growth of collagen fibers in the dermis and play a role in conditioning keratin. It is suitable for all skin types. It will promote the synthesis of mucopolysaccharides, hyaluronic acid and ceramides in the skin and is mostly used for daily skin care. The concentration of Alpha hydroxy acid cannot exceed 3%.

Salicylic acid: It is more soluble in oil and is more suitable for oily skin. It can act deep into the hair follicles, clean aging keratinocytes, and is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and regulates keratin. Oily acne skin with problems such as blackheads and acne can try salicylic acid. The effective concentration of salicylic acid is 1%~3%. Too high a concentration will be highly irritating, and above 6% will be destructive to skin tissue.