The 3 Main Types of Exfoliating Acids in Skincare (And What They Do)

Exfoliating acids have truly been one of the most transformative ingredients to ever enter my skincare routine. Often more more deeply effective than physical scrubs and a bit gentler to the surface of the skin, the acids work by eating through dead skin cells and excess oil to make way for fresher, more plump and glowing skin to rise to the forefront, ready and able to accept all the gorgeous treatments and oils and moisturizers that will be the icing on the cake of our skincare routine, While every exfoliating acid shares this function, each of them approaches it in a slightly different way and has its own unique attributes and properties. The three main types, and those with the greatest amount of differences between them are--

Lactic Acid: Produced as a byproduct of anaerobic respiration (cells generating and releasing energy in the absence of oxygen), lactic acid is naturally occurring within our bodies as well as most all other life forms. This acid is responsible for the stinging sensation you feel after a long run or bout of exercise, and likewise, applying lactic acid to the skin helps invigorate circulation and cellular activity while also encouraging the bonds between dry, dead skin cells and the rest of your face to break. Naturally found in milk but mostly produced synthetically for cosmetic purposes, lactic acid is one of the alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs). These types of exfoliating acids tend to work on the first few outer layers of the skin and will not seep into the pores, and lactic, having the largest molecules, works the closest to the surface of most any AHA. This makes it overall a very gentle resurfacing experience for the skin and is a great place to start when first experimenting with exfoliating acids. Lactic acid is also unique in that it has its own moisturizing properties within it. This makes it an especially excellent choice for dry, dehydrated and/or maturing skin types, but it can be effective for everyone.

Glycolic Acid: Glycolic acid is another type of alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA). It is found in most fruits and can directly be derived from sugarcane. It behaves very much the same way as lactic acid by dissolving connections between the old and newer skin cells, but since the molecules of glycolic acid are smaller than those of lactic, they can usually penetrate deeper and work faster at rejuvenating the look of the skin. Because it can go comparatively further down into the skin, glycolic acid has been shown to be especially effective at fading the look sun damage and age spots as well as helping to address some of the redness from acne scars much more readily than lactic and any other type of acid. Interestingly, while glycolic acid initially thins the skin on the surface (be sure to always use sun protection after applying a glycolic acid or any exfoliating acid product to avoid sun damage) when first incorporated into a routine, it can actually help boost the collagen in and create thicker skin with the younger cells found deeper in the skin over time. Like lactic acid, glycolic acid products are generally good for most any skin type, but because of its collagen boosting benefits, it is a great acid for people worried about fine lines and wrinkles.

Salicylic Acid: Salicylic acid is the lone BHA (beta hydroxy acid) of the exfoliating acids. It is unique in that it is actually oil soluable unlike lactic, glycolic, and any other AHA acid. This means that it can travel the deepest into the skin and even go inside the pores and dissolve and dry up excess oil to unblock them. Unsurprisingly, this makes salicylic acid a tremendous acne-fighter and a great choice for people with oilier skin. The salicin in salicylic acid, naturally found in willow bark, strawberries, broccoli, and other plants, is also a wonderful anti-inflammatory and has been used in wound-healing and in pain-relieving medicines such as aspirin for centuries. This makes salicylic acid a great exfoliator for those with excess redness or more sensitive skin conditions like rosacea because it helps to reduce redness and heat with the skin and works within deeper layers of the skin while leaving the more sensitive surface largely undisturbed.

Whether you choose to go for a product lactic, glycolic, or salicylic acid or any other acid blend, exfoliating is a great way to give your skin a boost of vitality, radiance, and new life. Always listen to your skin as you experiment, but I truly believe there is an acid product out there for everyone to help them get their glow on!