BACK to products page       Alpha-hydroxy Acid

BACK to beautiful skin      BACK to men's skin

Chemically speaking, an alpha-hydroxy acid is a low molecular weight organic acid. Most people associate the word "acid" with potent and dangerous acids like hydrochloric and sulfuric. These acids are called mineral acids and are indeed potent and dangerous. Most are strong enough to dissolve metals. An organic acid however, differs greatly from a mineral acid. Organic acids are much, much milder than mineral acids and occur quite commonly in everyday life. Acetic acid, for example, is the organic acid that gives vinegar its characteristic sour taste.

Alpha-hydroxy acids are commonly found and isolated from fruits of all sorts. That is why they are referred to as fruit acids.

 Long before the existence, of alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA's) were known, they were unknowingly being used as an ingredient for improving the condition of skin. Egyptian women took baths in sour milk in order to improve their skin. French women in the court of Louis XIV washed their faces with old wine for the same reasons. Old fashioned facial masks made from fruit, honey or yogurt were also unknowingly taking advantage of AHAs as their active ingredients.

When applied to the skin, these hydrated AHAs act to increase the water content of the skin and thus moisturize the outer layer of the epidermis (the stratum corneum) and consequently make the skin softer and more flexible.

 Additionally, AHAs act by reducing corneocyte adhesion and accelerating cell proliferation within the deeper basal layer of the skin (4,5,6). This exfoliating action of AHAs occurs as a result of their ability to break the bonds between dead skin cells that form at the surface of the skin. Skin normally has a dead layer of cells at its surface (the corneocyte layer), and AHAs can speed up the normal process of skin cell regeneration and sloughing.

Anti-Aging Clinic’s AHA cleanser:

AHA 10% Cleanser: Specially formulated to work with our skin care program. Use of this product is the first step in preparing your skin for our special treatment products. This cleanser deeply cleans blocked pores, to remove excessive oils and dead skin cells.

Ingredients: Distilled Water, Olive Oil Castile, Glycolic Acid, Vegetable
Glycerin, Rose Hip Seed Oil, Essential Oils and Seaweed Extracts.