What is mandelic acid? There are so many acids out there. Hyaluronic acid, salicyclic acid, trichloracetic acid, hydrochloric acid… you probably don’t want that last one near your face, but besides that it can be hard to tell.

Mandelic acid is an ingredient used in the context of chemical peels. And while the TCA peel is the ingredient of choice for most chemical peels, mandelic acid offers its own advantages.

What Does It Do Exactly?

Chemical peels typically work in the same way that microdermabrasion does. Damage is delivered to the skin in a relatively precise manner (in the case of chemical peels, it’s delivered by affecting the whole top layers of the skin) and collagen production is encouraged by this damage.

TCA tends to be a useful product because it can be delivered at differing depths, is a very gentle chemical, but can achieve effective results over a large swath of skin.

While a mandelic acid peel it doesn’t penetrate as deeply as a TCA peel, it is more gentle even than TCA and adds in one special effect: it increases cell turnover.

Collagen’s the Word

Typically, because chemical peels work by encouraging collagen production, more ‘damage’ causes more collagen production. Hence higher penetration is better.

Lasers offer a challenge to chemical peels because it’s easier to deliver more precise damage. They limit damage, while maximizing collagen production.

Mandelic acid, however, adds in the effect of increased cell turnover by dissolving the bonds between cells. This increases the collagen production effect. Not only that, it thins the stratum corneum–which helps give you the ‘radiant’ look because the thinner surface reflects light better.

In this way, mandelic acid improves effectiveness while also limiting damage–somewhat similar to lasers.

Want to know more about mandelic acid peels in New York? Contact GlamDerm today to schedule your appointment.