Glycolic Acid 15% Body Lotion

No two glycolic acid products are the same. That’s because only the skin chemist who formulates the product knows for sure how much active glycolic acid is available to do the work for your skin. Yes, active is not always what is written on the front of a product. Labels tell you the ‘absolute’ glycolic acid content first added. Then the chemist adds the other ingredients in a product, some of which will ‘inactivate’ that absolute amount. The ‘active’ amount is what’s left. You need over 10% active glycolic acid to get the results you expect in a body lotion. This glycolic acid lotion has that and more.

Yes, the formulation chemistry of glycolic acid product is tricky.  Consumer friendly products usually inactivate a lot of the glycolic acid because it can irritate skin. Professional products like this don’t sacrifice results in favor of consumer appeal. We dermatologists know that only active glycolic acid works to change skin for the better. My Glycolic Acid Lotion contains well over that minimum 10% active glycolic acid necessary to do the job – and this means you need to read my use instructions to help balance your desire for results against the risk of glycolic acid skin irritation.

Glycolic Acid 15% Lotion is a professional product, like those I’ve used for my patients in 30 years of dermatology practice.  This light texture lotion also helps fight skin damaging free radicals this high tech professional lotion also contains liposome-encapsulated antioxidants including Vitamins A,C,E, CoQ10 and Green Tea Extract.

Glycolic Acid 15% Body Lotion is paraben free, oil free and fragrance-free.

Apply after cleansing skin in the bath or shower. Towel dry and apply within 3 minutes for best results. Use once or twice daily or as directed by your physician. Application frequency will depend on your skin’s tolerance. If the lotion stings your skin significantly then wash it off and skip a day or more as continued application of glycolic acid may result in skin irritation. 

Because Glycolic Acid Face and Body Lotion is extremely strong it may be irritating to sensitive or damaged skin, skin folds and other sensitive skin sites. If irritation develops, discontinue use and consult a physician.

Tips For Success with glycolic acid products

•  Always start with lower strength products and work up in strength as your skin is able to tolerate the glycolic acid.

• Glycolic acid is by definition an ‘acid’ and can irritate sensitive or injured skin. When or if there is stinging or irritation, you can lower the concentration of the glycolic acid in the product by diluting it in half with a non-glycolic acid product and gradually work towards full strength.

• Mix equal portions of a glycolic acid product and a similar non-glycolic acid product that you know your skin can tolerate in your palm before applying them to the skin.
• In a week or so, add less of the non-glycolic acid product as you mix the two products in your palm.
• Slowly continue this process until you can tolerate the full strength glycolic acid product.

• If your skin becomes irritated, take a break from your glycolic acid treatment for a few days, or until the skin returns back to normal, before resuming therapy.

• Avoid or use less glycolic acid in areas of your skin that are more sensitive. This means diluting the glycolic product as above or avoiding glycolic acid on the area all together. Examples of sensitive skin areas on the body include the décolletage area of the chest and the skin folds of the groin or under the breasts. On the face this would include the eyelids and central ‘T-zone’ in people suffering from seborrhea.

• Do not get glycolic acid on the lips and of course do not eat products intended for external use only.

• The eyelid folds are sensitive. Of course, do not get glycolic acid in your eyes. This means do not apply it so close to the eyes that it melts in to the eyes as the product warms to skin temperature.

• Sometimes glycolic acid products will sting if you use them after exfoliating with a scrub or rough shower cloth or sponge. If this happens, then apply glycolic acid products on days that you don’t physically exfoliate when washing. Instead apply a non-glycolic acid product after exfoliating and use your glycolic acid product when you don’t exfoliate

• If your skin develops irritation, an injury, a sunburn or windburn or a rash, you must not apply glycolic acid to those areas of your skin. Wait until your skin is entirely healed plus at least 2 weeks. Glycolic acid will further irritate irritated skin, compounding the inflammation, preventing healing and possibly resulting in scarring or dyspigmentation. This includes skin irritated from wind or sun, irritating skin medicines such as acne medicines or tretenoin (Retin A and Renova) or procedures such as electrolysis, laser, chemical peels, waxing etc. Irritated skin can develop permanent darkening in response to sunlight. Do not expose irritated skin to the sun until the skin has returned to normal.

Purified Water, Glycolic Acid, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cyclomethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyacrylamide, Stearyl Alcohol, Ammonium Hydroxide, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Phospholipids, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Squalane, Ascorbic Acid, Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q-10), Superoxide Dismutase, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Laureth-7, Chitosan, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Propyl Gallate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate.