Exfoliation And Peeling Ingredients -

Polyhydroxy acid

Exfoliation via chemical means — Polyhydroxy acid

polyhydroxy acid ingredients include gluconolactone and lactobionic acid. They are supposed to be as effective as AHAs but less irritating. Gluconolactone and lactobionic acid are chemically and functionally similar to AHAs. The significant difference between them and AHAs is that gluconolactone and lactobionic acid have larger molecular structures, which limits their ability to penetrate into the skin, resulting in a reduction of irritating side-effects. Supposedly, this reduced absorption into the skin does not hamper their effectiveness. Does that mean gluconolactone and lactobionic acid are better for your skin than AHAs in the form of glycolic acid or lactic acid? Research on gluconolactone demonstrated only a “6% decrease in dermal penetration” in comparison to glycolic acid, which “isn’t a dramatic improvement.” Gluconolactone may be slightly less irritating for some skin types, but this isn’t the magic bullet for exfoliation that beauty magazines and some cosmetics companies have been extolling. There is no independent research information available about lactobionic acid.

NeoStrata is the company that holds a patent on glycolic acid as an antiwrinkle agent, as well as a patent for gluconolactone for reducing the appearance of wrinkles.