Anti Aging Alpha Hydroxy Acids
for Wrinkle Treatment

With increasing research into what causes wrinkles and the effects of photoaging, alpha hydroxy acids have increased greatly in popularity.

AHAs have been used for thousands of years as a skin rejuvenating product.

Cleopatra is reported to have bathed in sour mild (lactic acid) to improve her complexion.

Now hydroxy acids are a common additive to numerous skin care products including moisturizers, cleanser, toners, and masks.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids Defined
AHAs 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 AHAs found in skin-care 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
AHAs work mainly as an exfoliant. They cause the cells of the epidermis to become "unglued" allowing the dead skin cells to slough off, making room for regrowth of new skin.

AHAs may even stimulate the production of collagen and elastin.

AHAs are reported to improve wrinkling, roughness, and mottled pigmentation of photodamaged skin after months of daily application.

AHAs found in skin-care 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 AHAs are irritation and sun sensitivity.

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 AHAs.

The use of AHAs can increase sun sensitivity by 50% causing an interesting dilemma.

It appears that AHAs 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.

It is clear that anyone using AHAs must use a good sunscreen that contains UVA and UVB protection.

FDA Guidelines on Alpha Hydroxy Acids
Because of concerns over the side effects of AHAs, the FDA in 1997 announced that AHAs 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 or warn people to use sunscreen products

Alpha Hydroxy Acids and Chemical Peels
AHAs in various concentrations are used in chemical peels. The concentration determines who can use it.

AHA products sold to consumers must have a concentration of less than 10%.

Trained cosmetologists can use AHA products that have a concentration of 20% to 30%.

These chemical peels give results that are similar to microdermabrasion - 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 AHA products that have a concentration of 50% to 70%.

These treatments also erase fine wrinkles and remove surface scars, but the effects last longer - up to 2 to 5 years.

The higher the AHA 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, flaking, and oozing skin that can last for 1 to 4 weeks.

The Difference Between Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids
There is only one BHA - salicylic acid.

The main difference between AHAs and BHA is their lipid (oil) solubility.

AHAs are water soluble only, while BHA is lipid (oil) soluble.

This means that BHA is able to penetrate into the pore which contains sebum and exfoliate the dead skin cells that are built up inside the pore.

Because of this difference in properties, BHA is better used on oily skin with blackheads and whiteheads.

AHAs are better used on thickened, sun-damaged skin where breakouts are not a problem.

Choosing an Alpha Hydroxy Acid
AHAs 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 AHAs to reduce the likelihood of skin irritation.
  
• Using an AHA in a moisturizer base may be the best combination of products.
  
• Cleansers containing AHAs are not very effective because the AHA 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 AHA and sunscreen, because sunscreen is not stable at the pH required to make the AHA effective.
  
• Sunscreen MUST be applied liberally when using an AHA product. The sunscreen should have an SPF of at least 15 for UVB protection and contain avobenzone, titanium dioxide, or zinc oxide for UVA protection.
  
• AHAs 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 AHA 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.

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