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PRESCRIBED BY NATURE

With increasing research into what causes wrinkles and the effects of photoaging, the use of hydroxy acids has increased greatly in popularity. Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA's) have been used for thousands of years as a skin rejuvenating product. Cleopatra is reported to have bathed in milk (lactic acid) to improve her complexion. Now hydroxy acids are a common additive to numerous skin care products including moisturizers, cleanser, toners, and masks.

There are two types of hydroxy acids - Alpha and Beta. Alpha hydroxy acids are exfoliants derived from fruit and milk sugars such as glycolic acid produced from sugar cane and lactic acid produced from milk. There is only one beta hydroxy acid (BHA) - salicylic acid.

ALPHA HYDROXY ACIDS
Alpha hydroxy acids, as stated above, are derived from fruit and milk sugars. The most commonly used alpha hydroxy acids are glycolic acid and lactic acid because they have a special ability to penetrate the skin. They also have the most scientific data on their effectiveness and side effects.

The following are the 5 major types of alpha hydroxy acids found in skincare products and their sources:
Glycolic acid - sugar cane
Lactic acid - milk
Malic acid - apples and pears
Citric acid - oranges and lemons
Tartaric acid - grapes

How Alpha Hydroxy Acids Work
Alpha hydroxy acids work mainly as an exfoliant. They cause the cells of the epidermis to become "unglued" allowing the dead skin cells to slough off. Alpha hydroxy acids may even stimulate the production of collagen and elastin. Alpha hydroxy acids are reported to improve wrinkling, roughness, and mottled pigmentation of photodamaged skin after months of daily application. Ironic because they also can cause sun sensitivity.
Alpha hydroxy acids found in skincare products work best in a concentration of 5% to 8% and at a pH of 3 to 4.

Side Effects of Alpha Hydroxy Acids
The two major side effects of alpha hydroxy acids are irritation and sun sensitivity. Symptoms of irritation include redness, burning, itching, pain, and possibly scarring. People with darker coloured skin are at a higher risk of scarring and pigment changes with alpha hydroxy acids. The use of alpha and beta hydroxy acids can increase sun sensitivity by 50% causing an interesting dilemma. It appears that alpha and beta hydroxy acids may be able to reverse some of the damage caused by photoaging, but at the same time they make the skin more susceptible to photoaging (sun damage). It is clear that anyone using hydroxy acids must use a good sunscreen that contains UVA and UVB protection an with an SPF of at least 30 if you live in sunny South Africa.

FDA Guidelines on Alpha Hydroxy Acids
Because of concerns over the side effects of alpha hydroxy acids, the FDA in 1997 announced that alpha hydroxy acids are safe for use by consumers with the following guidelines:

The AHA concentration is 10% or less.
The final product has a pH of 3.5 or higher.
The final product must have an effective sunscreen in the formulation and/or warn people to use sunscreen products.

My say: Before you read further I want to stress the fact that the FDA guideline for 'SAFE' use of AHA's is 10%. Some of the AHA peels done today (as you'll read below) have extremely high doses of AHA's . . . way over the SAFE dose of 10% and produce the equivalent of a 2nd and 3rd degree burn on the skin. There are also skincare products out there that should be banned for distrubution. They are unsafe and don't have serious enough warnings on them.
Personally I feel it's not good enough to put a little label on a tube of cream that says "Use sunscreen". I feel these products should be removed from our shelves and destroyed. High doses of AHA's don't form 'new fresh' collagen, they form a type of collagen called SCAR TISSUE. In fact, they may be able to stimulate collagen production but they cannot produce collagen.
If you decide to go the route of a chemical peel, get it done by a professional such as a cosmetic surgeon and then make sure you have an SPF 50 chained around your neck for life. See article entitled 'The Peel Appeal' for more info.

Treating Wrinkles with Alpha Hydroxy Acids
Alpha Hydroxy Acids and Chemical Peels
Alpha hydroxy acids in various concentrations are used in chemical peels. The concentration determines who can use it. Alpha hydroxy acid products sold to consumers must have a concentration of less than 10%. Trained cosmetologists can use alpha hydroxy acid products that have a concentration of 20% to 30%. These chemical peels give results that are similar to microdermabrasion (without the scouring effect) - erasing fine lines and giving the skin a smoother appearance with 1 to 3 applications. However, these treatments must be repeated every 3 to 6 months to maintain this skin appearance. Doctors can use alpha hydroxy acid products that have a concentration of 50% to 70%. These treatments also erase fine wrinkles and remove surface scars, and the effects last anywhere from 2 to 5 years.

The higher the alpha hydroxy acid concentration used in a chemical peel, the more skin irritation occurs. At the 50% to 70% concentration, a person could expect to have severe redness, swelling, peeling and flaking skin (like sunburn), and raw oozing skin that can last for 1 to 4 weeks. The skin will be extremely sun sensitive for about 6 - 8 months and a special suncare & skincare routine is necessary.

The Difference Between Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids
There is only one beta hydroxy acid - salicylic acid. The main difference between alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acid is their lipid (oil) solubility. Alpha hydroxy acids are water soluble only, while beta hydroxy acid is lipid (oil) soluble. This means that a beta hydroxy acid is able to penetrate into the pore which contains sebum and exfoliate the dead skin cells that have built up inside the pore. Because of this difference in properties, beta hydroxy acid is better used on oily skin with blackheads and whiteheads. Alpha hydroxy acids are better used on thickened, sun-damaged skin where breakouts are not a problem.

Choosing an Alpha Hydroxy Acid
Alpha hydroxy acids are found in a variety of skin care products including moisturizers, cleansers, eye cream, sunscreen, and foundations. Here are some guidelines to use when trying to decide which alpha hydroxy acid formulation to use:

It is best to pick one product that contains the proper formulation of alpha hydroxy acid to use as your exfoliant, and then choose other skin care products or cosmetics that don't contain alpha hydroxy acids to reduce the likelihood of skin irritation.

Using an alpha hydroxy acid in a moisturizer base may be the best combination of products. However products containing AHA's should be used at night.

Cleansers containing alpha hydroxy acids have little or no effective because the alpha hydroxy acid must be absorbed in the skin to work. Cleansers are washed off before this absorption occurs.

At this time there are no effective products that combine alpha hydroxy acid and sunscreen, because sunscreen is not stable at the pH required to make the alpha hydroxy acid effective.

Sunscreen MUST be applied liberally when using an alpha hydroxy acid product. The sunscreen should have an SPF of at least 30 for UVB protection and contain avobenzone, titanium dioxide, or zinc oxide for UVA protection. Best option - use products containing alpha or beta hydroxy acids at night. However don't forget your SPF in the morning!!!

Alpha hydroxy acids work best in a concentration of 5% to 8% and at a pH of 3 to 4.
Unfortunately, cosmetic manufacturers are not required to provide concentration information on the label. As a general rule of thumb, having the alpha hydroxy acid listed as the second or third ingredient on the list makes it more likely it contains the proper concentration.

The only way to know for sure the pH of a product is to test with a pH strip.

BETA HYDROXY ACIDS

How Beta Hydroxy Acid Works
Beta hydroxy acid works mainly as an exfoliant. It causes the cells of the epidermis to become "unglued", allowing the dead skin cells to slough off. They are best used on oily, congested skin due to the fact that they penetrate deeper than AHA's..

Beta hydroxy acid is reported to improve wrinkling, roughness, and mottled pigmentation of photodamaged skin after at least 6 months of daily application. Beta hydroxy acid found in skincare products works best in a concentration of 1% to 2% and at a pH of 3 to 4.

Beta Hydroxy Acid and Sun Sensitivity
As for Alpha Hydroxy Acids. See above

Beta Hydroxy Acid and Irritation
Beta hydroxy acid appears to be less irritating than alpha hydroxy acid even though it penetrates deeper into the pore. This occurs because salicylic acid is derived from acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin. Aspirin has anti-inflammatory properties, and salicylic acid retains many of these anti-inflammatory properties. Despite this fact, beta hydroxy acid can still cause skin irritation. Symptoms of irritation include redness, burning, itching, pain, and possibly scarring. People with darker colored skin are at a higher risk of scarring pigment changes with beta hydroxy acid.

Using a Beta Hydroxy Acid
Beta hydroxy acid is found in a variety of skin care products including moisturizers, cleansers, eye cream, sunscreen, and foundations. Here are some guidelines to use when trying to decide which hydroxy acid formulation to use:

1. It is best to pick one product that contains the proper formulation of beta hydroxy acid to use as your exfoliant, and then choose other skin care products or cosmetics that don't contain hydroxy acids to reduce the likelihood of skin irritation.
2. Using an alpha hydroxy acid in a moisturiser base may be the best combination of products. However products containing BHA's should be used at night as with AHA's..
3. Cleansers containing beta hydroxy acid have little or no effective because the beta hydroxy acid must be absorbed in the skin to work. Cleansers are washed off before this absorption occurs.
4. At this time there are no effective products that combine beta hydroxy acid and sunscreen, because sunscreen is not stable at the pH required to make the beta hydroxy acid effective.
5. Sunscreen MUST be applied liberally when using an alpha hydroxy acid product. The sunscreen should have an SPF of at least 30 for UVB protection and contain avobenzone, titanium dioxide, or zinc oxide for UVA protection.
6. Beta hydroxy acid works best in a concentration of 1% to 2% and at a pH of 3 to 4.
7. Unfortunately, cosmetic manufacturers are not required to pH information on the label. The only way to know for sure the pH of a product is to test with a pH strip.
8. Unlike alpha hydroxy acid that must be listed in the top 3 ingredients to indicate the appropriate concentration, beta hydroxy acid can be listed in the middle or even towards the bottom of the ingredient list because it is effective at lower concentrations.
   
   
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