We stock a 70 % Glycolic acid, which is a potent formula.
Glycolic acid is a member of the alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) family, and is the smallest AHA molecules, allowing it to penetrate deeper into the skin.
It is commonly used as a toner and chemical peel in concentrations of around 10% for home use, and 20-80% for use by a dermatologist.
Glycolic acid can improve the texture and appearance of skin, exfoliating the top layers of the epidermis, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, scarring, hyperpigmentation and various other skin conditions.
Now you have this potent 70% glycolic, how can you go from 70% and reduce to a 10 or 20% formulation??? Dilutions, concentrations and percentages are commonly found in chemistry, however you need not be a chemist to work with them! Just remember to work safely!
The equation for safe formulation is:
C1V1 = C2V2,
C is the concentration (%)
V is the volume (ml, or in grams)
Example: We have 70% Glycolic acid, how to attain a final peel of 20% glycolic acid?
Known C1 = the starting concentration: Glycolic acid is 70%.
Known C2 = The final concentration, Glycolic Acid 20%.
Unknown V1 = This is the value we require
Known V2 = Assume you are attaining 100g final
* If you want a different amount you can simply change it to whatever you want (V2).
Solving for V1 by rearranging the formula:
V1 = C2*V2/C1
Ensure to convert % amounts into decimal form for ease of calculation, eg. 10% = 0.1
Therefore
V1 = (0.2 x 100)/0.7
V1 = 28.57g
Hence you will dilute 28.57g of glycolic acid 70% with 71.43g (100g - 28.57g) of water (Purified) or other ingredients if you are making a hybrid peel (Only advisable to professionals).The above mix formula will yield a 20% glycolic peel.
The C1V1 = C2V2 equation can be used for any concentration that you want to convert into a different concentration
Recommended AHA concentrations for different products
Facial moisturizer, spritz, toner, serum: 0.5-2.5%
Body exfoliating products: 4-7%
Peel: 8-15%. Professional peels do go much higher than this but are performed under the supervision of a qualified dermatologist or skin care professional. We don’t recommend going higher than 10-15% if you are simply doing a peel at home.
Please go through the Fitzpatrick skin types and always approach types 4 - 6 with extra caution.
