Alpha Hydroxy Acids



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WHITE PAPER - Alpha Hydroxy Acids (click for full text)

The use of sugar cane derived glycolic acid as a topical resurfacing agent was pioneered by Eugene Van Scott, MD and Ruey Yu, PhD. Their work and the majority of published, accepted, and respected medical literature are based on natural glycolic acid. Some cosmetic manufacturers produce products with citric or lactic acid or combine other AHAs with glycolic acid and claim these will produce the same results because they are all AHAs. There is no accepted clinical literature documenting this to be the case.

Alpha Hydroxy acids (AHAs) such as glycolic acids have been used to enhance stratum corneum desquamation and improve skin appearance. As a group, they also have some antioxidant properties. Glycolic acid is derived from sugar cane and is the smallest molecular AHA.

The stratum corneum, or outermost barrier of the skin epidermis, originates from the cellular layers below and is sequentially sloughed of its outer stratified layers. In aging skin, decreased proliferation of the lower epidermal cell layers result in longer stratum corneum transit time, or longer time for the outermost layers to be discarded. Topically applied glycolic acids induce desquamation, or sloughing of the outermost layers of the stratum corneum, thus inducing proliferation of younger epidermal cells at the base of the epidermis. This begins the process of skin turnover once again as the basilar epidermal cells work their way to the outermost surface. As stratum corneum turnover is increased, skin appearance improves with a decrease in fine lines and fine wrinkles. This is accomplished usually without any increase in trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and with maintaining the normal barrier function of the skin. Thus, by inducing these epidermal changes the skin’s appearance improves but its functionality is still maintained.

If the concentration of the topical glycolic acid is increased, say to 15%, then these substances can affect also the deeper layers of the skin, the dermis, rather than only the superficial epidermis. Higher concentrations and much longer application times will cause changes in the dermis that include functional activation of fibroblasts, increased cell proliferation, and increased collagen production. Improvements in deep wrinkles and secondary scarring from deep photo damage and aging results from this modulation in collagen production.

With aging, production of collagen and other vital proteins decreases by over 50%. The increase collagen production from glycolic acids is mediated through induction of messenger RNA. Hyaluronic acid content of the skin is also increased. These physiologic effects cause the most dramatic improvements in skin appearance and vitality and can be used both in the treatment of aging skin and acne.

REFERENCES
1993 Report Dr. Van Scoot and Dr. Yu. Van Scoot and Yu hold over 40 patents issued or pending on AHAs; “Long Term Effects of Alpha Hydroxyacids,” PW Smith, USA Cosmetic and Toiletries 109/Sep. 1994; “Alpha Hydroxyacids Modulate Stratum Corneum Barrier Function,” F. Beradesca, Distante, GP Vignoli, C Oresajo, B Green; Br J Dermatol 197 Dec 137(g):934-8; “Age-Associated Changes in Human Epidermal Cell Renewal,” GL Grove, AM Kligman; J Gerontol 1983 Mar;38(2): 137-42; “Mode of Action of Glycolic Acid on Human Stratum Corneum: Ultra structural and Functional Evaluation of the Epidermal Barrier,” M Fartasch, J Teal, GK Menon; Arch Dermatol Res 1997 Jun;289(7):404-9; “The Effects of Topical Alpha-Hydroxyacids on the Normal Skin barrier of Hairless Mice,” TH Kim, EH Choi, YC Kang, SH Lee, SK Ahn,; Br J Dermatol 2001 Feb; 144(2):267-73; “The Effect of Glycolic Acid on Phtoaged Albino Hairless Mouse Skin,” SE Moon, SB Park, HT Ahn, Jl Youn; Dermatol Surg 1999 Mar;25(3):179-82; “Epidermal and Dermal Effects of Topical Lactic Acid, “ WP Smith; J Am Acad Dermatol 1996 Sep; 35(3 Pt 1):388-91; “Glycolic Acid Treatment Increases Type 1 Collagen mRNA and Hyaluronic Acid Content of Human Skin,” EF Bernstein, J Lee, DB Brown, R Yu, E VanScott; Dermatol Surg 2001 May;27(5):429-33.

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