Glycolic Peel Benefits

Glycolic acid peel is a form of chemical peel which is used for skin treatments. Basically, it consists of glycolic acid which is a type of naturally occurring alpha hydroxy acid found in fruits. Glycolic acid is mostly derived from different fruits like sugarcane, sugar beets, unripe grapes, pineapple, etc. The best part of glycolic peel is that it is suitable for all types of skin.

Benefits of Glycolic Peels

Glycolic acid and skin care go hand in hand. Usually, the old skin cells of your body get replaced with new ones after every 30 - 35 days. However, these dead skin cells tend to get accumulated on the surface of the skin and makes it rough and patchy. When glycolic peel is applied on the skin, it loosens up the bond between the dead cells on the upper layer and the underlying skin. Thus the outer layer is peeled off and a fresh and new underlying skin is revealed. It also promotes collagen production which is a protein component that makes the skin look young and healthy. Some of the key glycolic peel benefits are as follows:

• You can use glycolic acid for acne control. When you apply glycolic facial peel regularly on your acne prone skin, it exfoliates the dead skin cells. So, the dead skin cells do not get the scope to clog up the skin pores. As a result, you will get fewer acne outbreaks.
• Glycolic acid peel for acne scars is an equally effective treatment. It covers up the pits and dents on the face caused by old acne outbreaks by promoting growth of new cells. This way the ugly acne scars are faded out.
• It has a healing effect on sun damaged skin. It strips off the dry and damaged upper layer of the skin. Thus the smooth underlying healthy skin is exposed.
• It reduces the appearances of skin wrinkles. It promotes regeneration of cells which makes the fine lines of wrinkles less visible.
• You can include glycolic peel in your regular skin care regime in order to get a glowing healthy looking skin. It strips off dull and rough dead skin cells and leaves behind a soft and smooth skin texture.
• It can be safely used on various common skin problems like skin pigmentation, age spots, etc. After glycolic acid peeling, you will find that the appearance of these kinds of marks have lightened to a great extent and even normal complexion of your skin has been restored.

To use glycolic peel at home, you have to purchase an over the counter kit. Or else, you can go for salon treatments. Each session of this glycolic acid peeling requires 15 - 20 minutes. It has to be repeated after a gap of two weeks. To yield maximum glycolic acid peel benefits, you must provide your skin adequate amount of rest and protect it from sun. After treating skin with glycolic peel, you must use a good quality sunscreen of SPF value 25 or more generously on the skin to prevent your skin from sunburn. Moreover, do not scrub your skin with sponge or such abrasive exfoliants after the treatment as it can badly damage the sensitive skin cells.

There are no major glycolic acid side effects as it is a mild form of chemical peel. However, if highly concentrated form of this acid is applied on the skin or it is allowed to stay on the skin surface for a long time, then it can have a damaging effect on the skin. In general, chemical peel side effects are mostly found in those people who have past medical history of fever blisters, cold sores or keloid. In such cases, you must consult a dermatologist before using the peel. It is not suitable for pregnant women or lactating mothers.