Acne and dark spots can be correlated. Acne breakouts occur and they themselves are so frustrating but some acne can stay behind and turn into pigmented spots. This leads to the formation of dark spots. These acne marks often take months to fade and stay longer than actual acne.
It can be difficult to deal with as these marks don’t fade away on their own. Using a cleanser with active ingredients like AHAs can be useful. Glycolic acid in one of the AHAs that is most suitable for this problem.
Glycolic acid face wash is one of the best choices to deal with stubborn acne and dark spots. It is unique from regular cleansers because regular cleansers just help in cleansing the surface impurities while glycolic acid helps in exfoliating the impurities along with cleansing.
It makes glycolic acid stand out and a more suitable choice of ingredient for acne control and fading dark spots. It helps in achieving a clear and smoother skin which is free from rough texture and spots with consistent use.
Why do acne and dark spots occur?
Acne is a common skincare concern among many that can occur due to several factors. Generally it occurs due to clogged pores. Pores of the skin often get congested due to excess sebum secretion that might mix with dead skin cells and cause the pores to clog.
This kind of environment becomes suitable for acne causing bacteria to grow. When dead skin cells do not shed and get accumulated on the face then also pores get clogged and lead to acne. Another reason for acne is dirt and environmental changes.
Dark spots are also known as hyperpigmentation. These spots appear due to triggered excess production of melanin in some spots. Melanin is the pigment in skin which is ideally responsible for skin color. Dark spots are sometimes an after effect of acne. This happens when acne gets inflamed and as a result the skin starts producing more melanin as a protective mechanism.
This is called post-inflammatory pigmentation. Dark spots also occur due UV exposure that triggers melanocytes to produce more melanin. Any change in hormonal health can also trigger excess melanin production in some areas that appear as dark spots. Dead skin cells get deposited and also make the skin appear dark in some regions.
Role of glycolic acid as an AHA
Glycolic acid is a part of the alpha hydroxy acid family. These are chemical exfoliants. Glycolic acid is a water soluble alpha hydroxy acid which is obtained primarily from sugarcane. It performs as a surface exfoliant. This AHA is unique from the rest because of its smaller molecule size which makes it easily penetrate and perform exfoliating action. It works majorly by dissolving the bonds of dead skin cells that get accumulated on the skin. After clearance it helps in achieving a clearer skin.
Glycolic acid face wash in dealing with acne
Glycolic acid is helpful in dealing with acne by clearing the surface and clogged pores majorly. It helps in reducing acne breakouts by-
- Pore cleansing: Glycolic acid can reach the pores of skin because of its small sized molecule. It truly helps in clearing the impurities that clog the pores. It also helps in wiping off the surface impurities that can clog the pores and prevents acne.
- Clearing dead skin cell buildup: Glycolic acid helps in clearing the buildup from the face excellently by cutting the cellular bonds that hold the dead skin cells together. This helps in shedding the dead skin cells from the skin.
- Smoothening rough texture: Glycolic acid helps in improving the uneven textured skin that can occur due to frequent breakouts.
Glycolic acid face wash for dark spots
- Reduces surface pigmentation: Glycolic acid helps in breaking down dead skin cells that are pigmented. They are bound together and glycolic acid breaks down their bonds and reduces the pigmentation.
- Skin renewal: Glycolic acid removes the dead skin cells from the skin and this leads to appearance of new skin cells. It fastens the shedding process which promotes new pigmented skin cells.
- Improves skin radiance: With continuous use of glycolic acid it helps in improving the overall skin radiance and enhances it with time.
- Fades away PIH: Glycolic acid helps exceptionally well in fading the dark spots that occur due to post-inflammatory pigmentation,
Selecting ideal formulation
A non-sticky and light textured formulation provides the best results without causing any buildup on the skin. So a foaming face wash becomes the top choice of formulation. It is a gel or liquid based formulation that produces lather upon application. It helps in clearing the impurities effectively by exfoliation through foam which goes into the pores and delivers ingredients.
How to use a foaming cleanser with glycolic acid?
- Firstly wash your face with water.
- Take the right amount of face wash in your hand.
- Apply it to the face and rub it all over the face with soft pressure.
- Rinse off your face.
Incorporate in AM and PM routine according to suitability. During the day, use sunscreen while moving out.
Last thoughts
Glycolic acid is a powerful alpha hydroxy acid and becomes more suitable because of its small sized molecules. This makes it penetrate the skin and perform more effectively. Using a glycolic acid face wash in daily routine can be perfect for removing dark spots and reducing the signs of acne with time. It helps in achieving a clear and even skin with time.
