Can Glycolic Acid be Used on Darker Skin Tones? A Collab with Esther Olu (@themelaninchemist)

The skincare community is honing in on skincare ingredients like a ballistic missile. We’re more aware of what we put on our skin than ever before. So much so that AHA/BHA, Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, and Retinol rack up hundreds of thousands of searches online per month. While many of these ingredients are helping people bask in the glory of good skin, there is one chemical exfoliant steeped in debate around its use on people of color. Glycolic Acid ring a bell?

Recently, influencers and some dermatologists on social media platforms like Instagram, Youtube, and Tiktok are encouraging people with darker skin tones to refrain from using Glycolic Acid, relaying that it may cause “hot spots'' in the skin, which can trigger inflammation, and result in post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Let’s just cut to the chase: The ongoing dialogue that people of color should avoid Glycolic Acid is another example of what happens when ingredient information is taken completely out of context, and then rolled over backward in flight as it travels through the social media grapevine. Like most things in beauty, context is everything.

The quick 411 on Glycolic Acid

Glycolic Acid is part of the AHA or alpha hydroxy family, and is renowned for its keratolytic (ability to dissolve dead skin cells) properties and its ability to reduce fine lines, spots, hyperpigmentation, and atrophic acne scars as a peeling agent. It dissolves the bonds between corneocytes (dead skin cells) on the skin’s surface and disperses basal layer melanin.

This organic acid has the smallest molecular weight of all the AHAs, hence penetrates the quickest and the deepest. Because it is fast-acting and can travel far, this skincare hero can be sensitizing for any person.

What are your baseline skin characteristics?

First things first, let’s not forget we all have melanin in our skin. Many of us experience post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, across skin tones. That said, it can affect darker skinned people with greater frequency and severity. While individuals with brown or black skin produce more melanin, there are no known studies proving that the mechanism of action of Glycolic Acid differs in melanin-rich skin versus non melanin-rich skin.

Second, and aside from skin type, if you have a compromised skin barrier, or proclivities to stress, rosacea, acne, atopic dermatitis (eczema), perioral dermatitis, and the like, how you react to a skincare product with Glycolic Acid, or any other active ingredient for that matter, depends on many factors — one of which includes the foundational qualities of your skin.

Formulation & the “dose makes the poison”

When formulating products, intensive research is done to understand the efficacy of ingredients alone and how they are effective in formulations. While some ingredients may not be tested on all skin types (i.e. white skin, black skin, etc.), formulations created by experienced chemists are not designed to exclude consumers based on their skin color or skin type.

And because of cosmetic regulations and research, ingredients are used in concentrations that are effective and safe at those concentrations. Glycolic Acid (or a combination of AHA's) should be used at a maximum concentration of 10% or less and the final product should have a pH of 3.5 or greater. (Higher percentages of up to 30% Glycolic Acid or AHA’s are safe for use in professional products by trained experts). Toxicology reports and HRIPT (“Human Repeat Insult Patch Test”) are also conducted to understand if formulas cause irritation and or sensitization to the skin.

The problem here is over-exfoliation

Given our predilection for exfoliation — and tendency to over-exfoliate (which we highlighted in our first newsletter) — chances are that many of us are not using Glycolic Acid correctly, and that may be the sole reason you’re experiencing skin sensitization and or inflammation. It’s one of the more potent exfoliants out there, so stride carefully when using, and listen to your skin.

If you like Glycolic Acid, don’t avoid it — just use with caution

It’s always important to see the forest for the trees when it comes to skincare, and equally important to understand that at the end of the day, what may work for one person may not work for another. Blanket statements around ingredients made by influencers, or even medical professionals, without highlighting scientific evidence or providing context, is highly misleading.

Use caution when introducing new products or active ingredients such as Glycolic Acid into your routines, especially in terms of usage or frequency, and when using it alongside a Retinoid or Vitamin C. This applies to everyone, no matter your skin color or skin type. When in doubt, always patch test on a part of your body, especially if you have sensitive skin. Avoid using Glycolic Acid near the eyes, lips, or on broken skin, and use sunscreen during the day and a good moisturizer at night.

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