There are really many chemicals in skin care products, sometimes we may think that there are too many. However, many of these chemicals are quite common and harmless ingredients. You can find skin care raw materials also in your kitchen or garden. You just need to know where to look. Glycolic acid is such an ingredient. Glycolic acid sounds like a very chemical compound by name. In reality, regular cane sugar is rich of it. How can you utilize glycolic acid on your skin? Keep on reading to learn more.
Sugar cane is a miracle stuff in skin care
Ordinary home sugar is made from sugar cane. It is cultivated in over 100 countries as one of the most important crops. Unprocessed sugar cane is very high in minerals but also in a fruit acid called glycolic acid. Glycolic acid is an amino acid, a component of proteins.
Synthetic glycolic acid is produced in factories and involve the use of chemical process. Glycolic acid in mass production cosmetics is never a pure natural product. Formaldehyde, which is a carcinogen, is usually also involved in the manufacturing process. That is why glycolic acid of cane sugar is natural, non-toxic healthy choice we can use in skin care.
The glycolic acid content of the cane sugar is very moderate. That’s another reason why cane sugar is good for regular skin care at home.
Honey also contains glycolic acid. It can be used in cosmetics instead of cane sugar. Honey also contains many other skin care ingredients.
How glycolic acid affects the skin
Glycolic acid has an incredible number of skin-care effects. It is one of the most versatile skin care products.
- Glycolic acid brightens the skin. It has been used to treat skin’s uneven pigmentation with very good results. A home-made sugar-based product cannot cure severe pigmentation disorders. However, it clearly brightens the skin.
- Glycolic acid is effective in exfoliating the skin. Many commercial skin scrub products contain glycolic acid.
- Glycolic acid is a moisturizing ingredient for the skin. It is used to treat dry skin. Dry skin is usually sensitive. That’s why it’s best to choose a homemade sugar-based product instead of a strong, factory-made glycolic acid product.
- Glycolic acid penetrates the skin and promotes skin cell renewal. This process makes the skin cells younger and the whole skin looks younger. At the same time, small lines are lost from the skin. Glycolic acid is especially recommended for aging skin.
- Glycolic acid helps to keep pores clean. That is why it is recommended for skin that gets easily clogged. But glycolic acid is not precisely the right product for the treatment of acne. If you use sugar-based products on your skin, acne can even get worse. Bacteria use sugars as food.
- Glycolic acid is also very often used to treat sun-damaged skin. Glycolic acid regenerates the skin. It also stimulates the skin’s natural collagen production.
- Glycolic acid is especially good for surface-dry skin. It has the ability to penetrate deep into the layers of the skin. Although the surface of the skin looks flaky and dry, the problems can be deeper in the skin. Glycolic acid also treats deeper areas of the skin.
- Glycolic acid is one of the most effective products against air pollution. Because glycolic acid promotes the removal of dead skin cells, it also removes impurities from the skin.
Products containing glycolic acid are easy to make by ourselves
It is a good idea to make natural and skin-friendly glycolic acid products by ourselves. Ordinary sugar contains just the right amount of glycolic acid for diy-products. If you want really effective glycolic acid treatment for a particular problem, you might want to have an appointment with a beautician.
You can make many products from sugar. If you use sugar for facial scrubs, you should dissolve it in the liquid. You can also use run honey, syrup or molasses, which are liquid enough.
I’ve told sugar’s other skin treating features here.
You can find recipes for sugar here. You can try the therapeutic effect of glycolic acid on your skin right away since most of the ingredients you can find in your kitchen closet.
At its simplest, you can enjoy glycolic acid treatment in the form of a honey mask. You can try honey for your whole body in the form of sauna honey. It really rejuvenates, moisturizes and brightens your skin. But please make sure you have prepared the sauna first, just to avoid any mess.
Have you tried glycolic acid treatments? Please tell us about your experiences in the comments section!