Ingredient Spotlight: Glycolic Acid

Ingredient Spotlight · Cosmetic Active

Glycolic Acid

The smallest of the fruit acids, and the most effective. Derived from sugar cane, glycolic acid penetrates the epidermis to smooth, refine and restore its radiance.

The portrait of the benchmark active for at-home peels.

PeelSmoothingAnti-WrinkleRadianceRefining
Shop our glycolic acid treatments
Common name
Glycolic acid, hydroxyacetic acid.
INCI name
Glycolic Acid.
Family, type
Alpha hydroxy acid (AHA); chemical exfoliant.
Found in nature
Sugar cane, beets, green grapes, pineapple.
How it's obtained
Extraction from sugar cane or synthesis, followed by purification to obtain a cosmetic-grade acid.
Typical concentration
4% to 10% in consumer cosmetics (pH ≥ 3.5); 20% to 70% in a dermatologist's office for professional peels2,3.
Organoleptic properties
Appearance: colorless crystals, highly water-soluble; Scent: neutral.
Physical characteristics
Water-soluble; the smallest AHA molecule (two carbon atoms), hence its fast penetration; its effectiveness increases as pH drops1.
Benefits
Exfoliating, smoothing, anti-wrinkle, brightening, refining, collagen-boosting.
Cosmetic indications
Dull, thickened skin marked by wrinkles, dark spots or blemish scars. As a course, with sun protection. Avoid on very reactive skin.

Did you know?A little history

While trying to treat ichthyosis, a condition that thickens the skin, dermatologists Van Scott and Yu discovered the power of glycolic acid in 1974.

Ten years later, they showed it also softens the wrinkles and dark spots of photoaging: the glycolic peel was born, and by the 1990s it had become one of the most performed procedures in aesthetic dermatology2.

Glyconight, our overnight peel mask, offers a 10% pure glycolic acid version, softened by brown algae and organic apricot oil.

General useWhy size matters

All fruit acids work on the same principle: they dissolve the bonds that hold dead cells on the surface. But their effectiveness depends on their ability to penetrate the outer layer of skin. With only two carbon atoms, glycolic acid is the smallest and most mobile: it acts faster and deeper than lactic or malic acid1.

That effectiveness comes with a trade-off: increased sun sensitivity and a risk of irritation on reactive skin. That's why it's applied in the evening, as a course, and never without sunscreen the next day, such as our SPF 50+ Mineral Fluid.

Cosmetic useIts properties on skin

  • ExfoliatingIt removes built-up dead cells and unclogs pores1,2.
  • SmoothingThe outer layer thins, skin texture evens out, skin feels soft to the touch.
  • Anti-wrinkleUsed as a course, it stimulates collagen and hyaluronic acid production in the dermis1.
  • BrighteningIt fades dark spots and evens skin tone by speeding up renewal2.
  • PurifyingOn blemish-prone skin, it limits clogged pores and fades marks.
  • BoosterExfoliated skin better absorbs the actives applied afterward.

FormulationGlycolic acid at Yon-Ka

10% pure glycolic acid

Glycolic Acid

Glyconight is our most concentrated treatment: 10% pure glycolic acid in an overnight mask, for a gradual peel while you sleep.

Glyconight 10% Masque · Glyconight 10% Masque 15 ml

Boosting the fruit complex

Glycolic Acid + fruit extracts

In Alpha-Peel, glycolic acid reinforces the fruit acid complex (lemon, orange, sugar cane, maple, bilberry). See the fruit acids spotlight.

Alpha-Peel

In cosmeticsUses

  • Overnight peel masks;
  • Rinse-off peels;
  • Exfoliating serums and lotions;
  • Dark spot and mark treatments.

The Yon-Ka approach

A powerful active deserves a gentle setting. In Glyconight, glycolic acid is carried by a mask texture that slows its release, and paired with brown algae and organic apricot kernel oil to nourish and soothe. The effectiveness of a peel, the gentleness of a night's sleep.

The science of the active, the sensoriality of the plant.

How to useAdding it to your ritual

  1. In the evening, on cleansed skin
    Glyconight in a thin layer over the face, avoiding the eye area. Don't rinse; leave on overnight.
  2. Gradually
    Start with one night a week, then two if your skin tolerates it well. A 4-week course, to repeat at each change of season.
  3. In the morning
    Rinse, mist with Lotion Yon-Ka, then apply your cream and SPF 50+ Mineral Fluid.

Good to knowStorage and precautions

A stable active, it needs no special storage.

Tingling and slight redness on application are normal and temporary. Glycolic acid increases sun sensitivity: sunscreen is a must during the day, and avoid courses during periods of intense exposure3. Do not apply to the eye area, lips, or broken, irritated or freshly waxed skin. Don't combine on the same evening with a retinol-like active or another exfoliant. Not recommended during pregnancy, as a precaution, or for very reactive skin.

Go furtherSources

  1. Tang S.C., Yang J.H. Dual Effects of Alpha-Hydroxy Acids on the Skin. Molecules, 2018; 23(4): 863. PubMed
  2. Sharad J. Glycolic acid peel therapy – a current review. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2013; 6: 281-288. PubMed
  3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Alpha Hydroxy Acids. fda.gov
  4. COSMILE Europe (Cosmetics Europe), cosmetic ingredient database, Glycolic Acid. cosmileeurope.eu
Selection

Our glycolic acid treatments

The Yon-Ka formulas where glycolic acid is a key ingredient.

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