Women's Dry Skincare Alpha Hydroxy Acid Exfoliants | Anti-Aging Moisturizers and Treatments

Dry Skincare AHAs

For dry skin, AHA's can help to improve the surface appearance, by getting rid of flaking or scaling. Lotions and creams with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) have become common in recent years.

AHAs in moisturizers

A lot of times AHAs are added to dry skin moisturizers. AHAs act as exfoliants; that is they speed up the process of shedding or sloughing off the upper layer of skin cells. How do you know if a cosmetic, lotion or cream contains an AHA? You can look on the list of ingredients. AHA ingredients may be listed as any of the following:

• glycolic acid (one of the most common)
• lactic acid (also very common)
• malic acid
• citric acid
• L-alpha hydroxy acid
• tri-alpha hydroxy fruit acids
• triple fruit acid
• sugar cane extract
• mixed fruit acid
• glycolic acid + ammonium glycolate
• alpha-hydroxyethanoic acid + ammonium alpha-hydroxyethanoate
• alpha-hydroxyoctanoic acid
• alpha-hydroxycaprylic acid
• hydroxycaprylic acid
• alpha hydroxy and botanical complex
• glycomer in crosslinked fatty acids alpha nutrium (three AHAs)

How much exfoliation you'll see depends on the type and concentration of the AHA, plus its pH (acidity), and other ingredients in the product. Most cosmetics sold to consumers contain AHAs at levels up to 10 percent. This can be useful for dry skin, because it removes dead skin cells and can result in a smoother look to the skin's surface.

Products with AHAs are marketed for a variety of things:

• to smooth skin texture and tone, which is important for dry skin
• to help get rid of the flakiness associated with dry skin
• to improve the look of lines and wrinkles
• to help clear acne
• to improve skin condition in general

If you have dry or sensitive skin, it is important to follow the use instructions on the label. Do not exceed the recommended applications or you will really dry your skin out even more. Make sure you test any product on a small area of skin to see if it causes irritation, and if it does, don't use the product.

AHAs may make users more sensitive to sunlight and especially to the ultraviolet (UV) radiation component of sunlight. UV exposure can damage the skin and at high doses, especially over a long period, can cause skin cancer and other problems like premature wrinkling and age spots. That's why sun protection is essential if you are using AHA lotions or AHA creams on your skin. Use a good sunscreen or wear sun protective clothing and hats to protect your skin from sunburn. FDA says it is important to use sun protection, including a sun screen, if you use an AHA product, even if you haven't used the product that day. If you use the AHA at bedtime, be sure to apply an additional sunscreen the next morning before going into the sun.

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Updated June 2009

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