Skincare

Alpha Hydroxy Acid

Written by: Peter Jovanovic

Last Updated: 17 September 2020

Alpha Hydroxy Acids, often referred to as AHAs, are best known for their exfoliating effects. They work by dissolving the chemical bonds holding dead skin cells onto the surface of the skin. AHAs include lactic acid, malic acid, mandelic acid, phytic acid and glycolic acid. Phytic is the gentlest of these and is used more as an antioxidant than as an exfoliant. Lactic, mandelic and malic acids are the sort you will find in the gentler type of acid toners and glycolic acid is the strongest. These acids are used in both at-home skincare products and in skin peels.

ahas

RELATED CONCERNS


Acne

Acne is one of the most common skin complaints out there, and one we’ve pretty much all had to deal with at one time or another. ...

Read More
Acne Scarring

It’s pretty tricky to get through life without picking up a scar or two along the way. Cuts, burns, and surgery can all leave a lasting...

Read More
Crepey Skin

When our faces and necks start looking old, it is a real heartsink. It’s that moment when you realise you aren’t imagining it; ageing...

Read More
Dry Rough Skin

Many people suffer with dry skin on their face and/or body. There are a number of factors that cause dry skin and its severity will vary...

Read More
Frown Lines

Frown lines, also known as ‘eleven’ lines (or ‘glabellar lines’, as doctors call them) are those vertical creases that appear...

Read More
Large Pores

Ideally, we would all like to have skin that’s smooth, firm, pliable, and nicely hydrated, with small, nearly-invisible pores. But some...

Read More
Marionette Lines

Marionette lines are lines that run down vertically from the corners of the mouth towards (or to) your chin.

Read More
Neck Wrinkles

When our necks start looking old, it is a real heartsink. It’s that moment when you realise you aren’t imagining it; ageing really has...

Read More
Pigmentation

Having even pigmentation means that your face looks fresh. This makes a good deal of sense when we think about how much money gets spent on...

Read More
Sagging Skin

Sagging skin is a common sign of ageing but it can also be caused by dramatic weight loss. Sagging skin can be present on the face and body...

Read More
Sun Damage

When I say ‘sun damage’, I don’t mean sunburn or the peeling skin you see when someone has spent too long on the beach. I mean the...

Read More
Wrinkles

People spend billions of pounds every year trying to get rid of lines and wrinkles because they are one of the things we most associate...

Read More

ASK ALICE

Alice answers your question. Want to ask Alice a question? Pop it in here and check back in a few days for the answer.


Can you recommend the best home device for wrinkles and texture for smoothing the skin on the face, please?

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. There aren't really any devices as such for treating texture at home. Aside from DIY microneedling with a roller – which Alice and I rarely advise – your best bet will be a home peel and active skincare, something with smoothing AHAs (alpha-hydroxy acids) to regulate textural issues. This will also help address wrinkles at the same time, as will a retinol product – which you should absolutely be using in your daily routine. If you did want to invest in a device for your wrinkles alone, you could try the NuFace Line Fix Smoothing Device, which is particularly good around the eyes and mouth, but it's not...

I’m breastfeeding, but I have crepey skin on my neck that just seems to be getting worse. What tweakments would you recommend?

Stick with good skincare for the time being (vitamin C serum in the morning, plus hydrating serum or moisturiser, plus sunscreen) then try, with caution, a glycolic acid product like Alpha H Liquid Gold in the evenings once or twice a week (it's great on your face, too. Neck skin is always a bit more sensitive than the skin on our faces, which is why I say try it with caution). Once you're no longer breastfeeding, treatments like laser, broadband light and injectable moisturiser/ skinbooster treatments are great for the neck, but leave those for the time being. And also go easy on yourself, it's exhausting looking after a baby, and fatigue...

What are the best skin products for sebaceous hyperplasia? I am 48 years old. I have taken care of my skin since early 20’s with cleansing, acids, moisturising and then Vitamin C, nicinamide and Retinol 1%. But hyperplasia is difficult to treat.

You're right, sebaceous hyperplasia, where you get lots of little bumps under the skin where oil has become trapped, is an absolute pain. I have lots of them on my face and when I went to see a dermatologist about this recently, he told me that they become more common with age, and to get rid of existing ones you need to tackle them directly with lasers. To reduce the rate at which they're forming, he suggested sticking to skincare that would clean, hydrate and regenerate the skin without adding any extra oil, so that's a glycolic or vitamin-C based wash-off cleanser, an L-ascorbic acid vitamin C serum in the mornings, plus a hyaluronic acid...

Buying from your website post-Brexit – I live in France... will I be charged import taxes?

There's always a chance you'll be charged import taxes but we can't say for certain either way. Please email us at hello@wordpress-867043-3545754.cloudwaysapps.com with details of what you'd like to order and your address, and we will give you a shipping quote which will include any extra costs/ taxes we are informed about.

MORE POSTS ON Alpha Hydroxy Acid


3 ways to get rid of ‘chicken skin’

Keratosis pilaris, affectionately nicknamed ‘chicken skin’, is that annoying rough, bumpy texture that can appear on our arms and legs. It can look and feel like lots of tiny little whiteheads, but these bumps are actually build-ups of keratin,...

Read more
Introducing Michael Van Clarke Haircare onto The Tweakments Guide

I’m so thrilled to announce that we are launching award-winning hairdresser Michael Van Clarke's 'healthcare for hair' products into the shop on The Tweakments Guide.

Read more
How to choose the right skin peel

Peels can treat anything from acne to skin texture problems and pigmentation, but how can you choose which one to go for?

Read more
How to mix your skincare ingredients

You’ll find a lot of people on social media calling themselves ‘skincare gurus’ these days. They tend to be proponents of lengthy routines comprising multiple products containing myriad active ingredients, with a focus on getting the

Read more

WANT TO ASK ALICE A QUESTION?

Pop it in here and check back in a few days for the answer.

single-skincare.php
ASK A QUESTION

Hello, how can we help?

Hi, I’m The Tweakments Guide chatbot.

I’ve been designed to answer your questions about tweakments, skincare, practitioners, or any related concerns (e.g. you can ask questions like “Why do I always look so grumpy”?). I will try to give you the advice you need but I am currently in training so I would love any feedback you might have. If I am unable to answer your question, I could ask one of our team to contact you with the advice you need.

Thank you for using The Tweakments Chatbot. We would like to know how was your experience with us today. Can you spare a minute to share your feedback?

Was the chatbot helpful in finding what you were looking for today?

Yes No

Would you use the chatbot next time you visit the website?

Yes No

Overall, how would you rate your experience using The Tweakments chatbot.

Thank you for your feedback.

Close