Glycolic acid is an excellent way to fight acne, reduce fine lines, lighten discoloration and trigger collagen production in the skin. Glycolic acid works by loosening the bonds holding dull, dead, or discolored skin cells in place and encouraging them to slough off so fresh, new skin can rise to the surface. Glycolic acid also penetrates deep into the skin to counter aging with increased collagen production. Collagen is what gives the skin structure and its depletion causes sagging and wrinkling of the skin-Glycolic acid is one of few agents that can actually increase collagen production. Up until recently, professional grade glycolic skin care products could only be found in a doctor's office at a cost of several hundred dollars, but now there are high quality glycolic acid products available on the internet for home use. Home versions of glycolic skin care products are also much less expensive, however, it's important to know how to properly use glycolic acid products for optimal result
1
Determine what you want to achieve. The products required for an at home glycolic acid peel are different than everyday skin conditioning products. Know what your goal is. I would suggest going for a peel initially and then following it with maintenance products that can be used daily.
2
Start with a low concentration of glycolic acid. 10% is a good place to start and 10% glycolic acid solutions are sometimes found in brick and mortar drugstores. At the dermatologist's office patients typically start at 10 or 20% acid concentration and work up to 40 to 80% acid concentration depending on individual tolerance. The effects of glycolic acid are cumulative so plan to use increasingly stronger glycolic skin care products consistently over time for best results.
3
Do a chemical peel by buying a glycolic acid peel kit. Glycolic acid chemical peels consist of glycolic acid, a neutralizer, and a moisturizer/sunscreen. You must have a neutralizer and a sunscreen! Some products are sold separately, but make sure you have a neutralizer to avoid burning your skin! Sunscreen is important to protect newly exposed skin and prevent discoloration of new skin cells. See Resources section for links to some suggested products.
4
Read and follow the directions of the chemical peel kit carefully. Most peels have you apply the acid for 4 to 6 minutes followed by a neutralizer and then a sunscreen/moisturizer. Note that if, at any time, you feel intense burning that you should immediately neutralize the peel. In some cases it may take several applications to be able to tolerate the acid for more than a minute--it just depends on your own sensitivity. Peels may be done weekly, every other week, or monthly depending on the kit.
5
Expect to immediately see smoother, softer skin after the first treatment and some improvement in superficial discoloration. Breakouts brewing under the skin should be stopped in their tracks and stubborn pimples should dry up. With continued use, expect to see more drastic improvement in discoloration, as well as improvement in skin tone and reduction of fine lines and wrinkles. Cystic acne and large pimples should decrease drastically (but you may still need to use acne products in addition to glycolic acid).
6
Continue to use sunblock regularly to preserve the improvements in skin tone and texture. Make sure the sunblock has good UVA/UVB protection--Neutrogena's sunscreen with Helioplex is recommended by many dermatologists.
7
Use a toner containing glycolic acid between peels, but only if it doesn't irritate skin. The goal here is to freshen skin up between treatments, not burn it like a peel does. See the Resources section for a link to some suggested products.
8
Allow for enough time between peels that all redness and irritation of the previous glycolic acid peel has subsided.