Glycolic acid is truly a miracle ingredient. It can clear problem skin and fight the signs of aging. Here are the specific benefits:
- Fades Dark Spots
Dark spots on skin can show up after breakouts, because of age, or because of too much sun exposure.
- Clears Blackheads
Blackheads are clogged pores with an easily seen black, dark part on top - which is why they’re called ‘blackheads’.
- Smooths Rough Skin
Glycolic Acid can smooth any roughness caused by dry skin and congestion.
- Anti-Aging
Glycolic acid supports your skin to make more collagen - the most important protein in your skin - which can soften the look of wrinkles and make your skin feel firmer and younger.
How Long Until I See Results from Glycolic Acid?
The time it takes for your skin to benefit from glycolic acid depends on the results that you’re looking for! The best thing about glycolic acid is that it makes improving how your skin looks easy, as long as you use it regularly.
Glycolic Acid for Dark Spots
Dark spots appear as a result of your skin over-producing melanin, the pigment in skin that’s responsible for skin color and hair color. Glycolic acid can interrupt this process to lighten hyperpigmentation and age spots over time.
Glycolic Acid for Blackheads
Glycolic acid is great for helping skin to clear blackheads and other types of congestion in the skin. Clogged pores usually form because of dead skin cells and other particles lingering in pores, creating plugs that could eventually turn into active breakouts or may remain as blackheads.
To clear blackheads, glycolic acid can take 3-4 weeks to take effect for clearer, congestion-free skin. This is because it takes time and repeated use for glycolic acid to break down pore-blocking dead skin cells and debris for clearer skin that doesn’t have any congestion.
Glycolic Acid for Rough Skin
Rough, bumpy skin texture can be caused by dry skin flakes on top of your skin. Glycolic Acid helps to smooth roughness by helping your skin let go of excess dead skin cells that could block pores and cause flakiness.
Glycolic acid helps rough skin caused by dryness instantly, giving your skin a super-smooth feel and boosting your skin’s glow at the same time.
Glycolic Acid for Anti-Aging
Glycolic acid products have a unique impact on the skin - they can affect the skin cells underneath the surface, speeding up your skin cell creation cycle. This means that your skin gets told to create more collagen, the important protein that makes up most of your skin’s structure.
A greater amount of collagen in your skin means that wrinkles are less visible and that your skin has a firmer texture than before - all signs of younger skin.
These effects can take a while to see because they change your skin under the surface, instead of on top. It can take close to three months to begin to see the anti-aging benefits of glycolic acid in your skin - however, the wait is worth it!
The Bottom Line
The different benefits of glycolic acid for skin need different lengths of time to really show on your skin. This skincare ingredient has fast appearing and long-term perks for your skin when it comes to clearing blackheads, smoothing skin, and reducing the signs of aging - so add it to your skincare routine.
