Take a good look in the mirror. Is your skin looking as bright and healthy as it should? Now, be honest. If the answer is no, then perhaps what you need is a little bit of alpha-hydroxy acids.
There are five different alpha-hydroxy acids. These include glycolic acid, which comes from sugar cane; lactic acid, which comes from tomatoes and sour milk; malic acid; which comes from apples; tartaric acid, which comes from grapes and citric acid, which comes from citrus fruits.
Okay, so alpha-hydroxy acids are basically a weird fruit salad but how does that help your skin. Well, alpha-hydroxy acids act as mild exfoliants. They penetrate the upper layer of skin and dissolve the protein bonds that hold the skin cells together. This forces the dead cells to come off and allows the new, healthy cells to shine through.
Alpha-hydroxy acids improve the appearance, texture and color of skin but only while you are using it. As soon as you stop using alpha-hydroxy acids, your skin will start to revert to its former dull state.
The other down side of alpha-hydroxy acids is that if you use them, you must use sunscreen. The newly exposed healthy cells have no dead skin cell layer to protect them from the sun. The new skin cells will burn if no extra UV protection is applied.
Despite the downsides, alpha-hydroxy acids are a great way to get a facial pick-me-up. Look for alpha-hydroxy acids in products like facial washes or moisturizers and look forward to a happier, healthier looking skin.
To learn more about Alpha-hydroxy acids in the FDA report.