Can Fruit Acids Treat Acne? What Should Sensitive Skin Users Be Aware Of When Using Fruit Acid Products?

Fruit acid products are no strangers to many, as they have become a recent favorite in the beauty industry. Many beauty enthusiasts rave about their exfoliating effects, making them a "must-have" item in skincare routines! While fruit acid products can improve skin conditions, do you really understand what fruit acids are before using them? In this article, we will share important information about fruit acids, such as their benefits, usage methods, and application steps. If you're interested in fruit acids, don't miss the following details!

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Fruit Acid Facts: What Are Fruit Acids?

Fruit acids (AHA), are natural acids extracted from various fruits and vegetables. Since most of them come from fruits, they are referred to as fruit acids. There are many types of natural fruit acids, including glycolic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, and lactic acid, with glycolic and lactic acids being the most commonly used. Due to their small molecular size and low pH, fruit acids can easily penetrate the dermis, purify pores, promote cell renewal, and stabilize skin conditions. Additionally, the benefits of fruit acids extend to cosmetics, primarily helping to reduce wrinkles, delay aging, and improve skin, offering a good cosmetic option for women with poor skin conditions.

When purchasing fruit acid products, you should pay attention to their concentration and pH value, as these factors will affect the degree of impact on the skin. Low concentrations of fruit acids can only provide basic moisturizing effects, while higher concentrations are more effective at breaking down the bonds between skin cells in the stratum corneum, promoting skin metabolism, and exfoliating. However, as the concentration increases, the potential for skin damage also rises. The higher the concentration of fruit acid, the deeper it can penetrate the dermis and achieve a chemical peel effect. Therefore, the higher the concentration, the more noticeable the results, but also the higher the risk of side effects.

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Fruit Acid Facts: The Benefits of Fruit Acids on Skin

Depending on the concentration, fruit acids can have varying effects on the skin:

1. Low Concentration Fruit Acid (<10%): Reduces the adhesion of corneocytes in the epidermis, removes dead skin cells, improves roughness, dullness, and enhances hydration.
2. Medium Concentration Fruit Acid (10-30%): Penetrates into the dermis, effectively treating acne, lightening spots, and smoothing wrinkles.
3. High Concentration Fruit Acid (>30%): Has strong permeability, rapidly exfoliating dead skin cells, accelerating spot and wrinkle reduction, but also increases the risk of skin burns.

In addition to exfoliating, fruit acid treatments can also help with:

• Unclogging pores and improving acne problems
• Metabolizing dead skin cells, improving roughness and dullness
• Strengthening skin hydration
• Improving skin texture and restoring smoothness
• Delaying skin aging

Fruit acid treatments can be divided into medical-grade and at-home options, primarily distinguished by the concentration of fruit acids. Medical-grade products have concentrations ranging from 20% to 70%, allowing the fruit acid molecules to penetrate deeper into the dermis, stimulate collagen production, and show faster results. At-home fruit acid products typically have lower concentrations, ranging from 5% to 10%, focusing on speeding up epidermal cell metabolism, with noticeable effects often taking 3 to 6 months.

Generally speaking, the higher the concentration of fruit acids, the longer the treatment time, and the amount of neutralizing agents used will also affect the outcome. Women should pay close attention to the care and maintenance after fruit acid treatments.

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Fruit Acid Facts: The Difference Between Fruit Acids, Mandelic Acid, and Salicylic Acid

On the market, there are various fruit acid products. For those new to fruit acids, you may have heard of fruit acids, mandelic acid, and salicylic acid. While all three are acid-based products with exfoliating and acne-improving properties, they have distinct characteristics and are suitable for different skin types. Let's take a closer look at the features of each and the key differences.

Fruit Acid Products: Fruit Acid, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid

These acids are the smallest in molecular size among all acids. Because fruit acids can quickly penetrate the skin's deeper layers, they disrupt the bonds between skin cells, which makes them effective in brightening and lightening scars. However, for those new to fruit acid products, you may experience an instant "stinging" sensation, so it is recommended to start with a lower concentration and gradually increase it. Typically, a 5% concentration of fruit acid provides a noticeable exfoliating effect.

Fruit Acid Products: Salicylic Acid, Mandelic Acid

Compared to fruit acids, glycolic acid, lactic acid, and citric acid, the larger molecular size of salicylic acid and mandelic acid results in slower skin penetration. Therefore, the irritating components of these acids do not immediately reach the skin's deeper layers, and the stinging sensation is lower. These fruit acid products are primarily effective at clearing pores, metabolizing acne, preventing the clogging of sebaceous glands, and have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects, making them ideal for those with acne-prone skin.

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Fruit Acid Facts: How to Choose the Right Fruit Acid Product for Your Skin

For women who are new to fruit acids, it can be overwhelming to choose from the many available products. Since the efficacy of fruit acids is directly related to their molecular size—smaller molecules penetrate the skin more easily—if you have never used fruit acid products and are concerned about potential irritation, you may want to start with salicylic acid, followed by fruit acid.

When purchasing fruit acid products, you should also consider the ingredients, formulation, concentration, and application method. It is difficult to say which fruit acid product is the best, so it is recommended to choose based on the specific skin issues you want to address.

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Fruit Acid Facts: How to Choose Fruit Acid Products for Sensitive Skin

In general, it is not recommended for sensitive skin types to use fruit acid products. If you decide to use them, extra care is needed. Since fruit acids can be quite stimulating, it is advisable to start with a low concentration and limit usage to once a week to avoid skin irritation and redness.

Acidic products accelerate the shedding and renewal of aged skin cells, making them suitable for women troubled by acne or acne scars.

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Fruit Acid Facts: When Is It Suitable to Use Fruit Acids?

If you want to address the following skin problems, you may consider using fruit acids:

• For Acne Scars: Acne scars are often more bothersome than the acne itself. Fruit acids can speed up skin cell turnover and help fade dark spots faster.
• For Rough Skin Due to Sun Exposure: Long-term sun exposure can cause the skin to thicken as a defense mechanism. Fruit acids help to exfoliate and brighten the skin, improving rough and dull skin.
• For Deep, Hard Acne: If you feel a hard lump under the skin (like an acne bump) when pressing the skin, it could be an inflamed acne cyst. Fruit acids help speed up the process of bringing the pustule to the surface.

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Fruit Acid Facts: When Is It Suitable to Use Mandelic Acid or Salicylic Acid?

If you are dealing with the following skin issues, you might consider using mandelic acid or salicylic acid:

• Fear of Stinging from Fruit Acids: Mandelic and salicylic acids are less irritating and more suitable for beginners who are concerned about the stinging sensation from fruit acids.
• New Acne: If acne has just formed but hasn't fully healed, salicylic acid or mandelic acid can help metabolize the scars and continue to provide anti-inflammatory effects.

In summary, both fruit acids and salicylic acid are effective at softening the skin and accelerating cell turnover, improving acne, dullness, and roughness. Fruit acids are better at exfoliating, while salicylic acid excels in antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

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Fruit Acid Facts: How to Use Fruit Acid Products

The fruit acid products available for purchase usually have lower concentrations and can be used as a face mask. After applying according to the instructions, rinse with water. It is recommended to use them once or twice a week for deep cleansing and cell renewal.

Medical-grade fruit acid peels are riskier due to their higher concentrations. These procedures must be done by a doctor or professional beautician, who will select the appropriate concentration based on your skin type and needs. After applying, a neutralizing solution is used to reduce acidity, and soothing masks or cold compresses are applied to alleviate discomfort and redness. Six to eight sessions usually lead to noticeable results.

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Fruit Acid Facts: Five Potential Side Effects of Using Fruit Acid Products

Whether it's fruit acids, mandelic acid, or salicylic acid, they are all acidic products that can cause a burning, stinging, or itching sensation. Redness is also normal after use. However, improper use can lead to side effects, and in severe cases, permanent skin damage. Here are five potential side effects to consider:

Side Effect of Fruit Acids 1: Scabbing

If you have sensitive skin or open wounds, scabbing can occur. Scabbing usually falls off within a few days, but it can be inconvenient for those who wear makeup.

Side Effect of Fruit Acids 2: Hyperpigmentation

Rarely, especially for people of East Asian descent, scabbing may lead to post-inflammatory pigmentation, which can persist for weeks or months.

Side Effect of Fruit Acids 3: Worsening Acne

During the initial use of fruit acids, some people may experience a temporary worsening of acne as dead skin cells move to the surface, revealing more pimples. This is usually temporary.

Side Effect of Fruit Acids 4: Reactivation of Herpes Simplex Virus

This side effect is quite rare, but there have been a few cases where individuals who had previously suffered from herpes experienced an outbreak after using fruit acid products. For such individuals, it is recommended to take antiviral medication for two days prior to using fruit acid products to prevent reactivation of herpes.

Side Effect of Fruit Acids 5: Chemical Burn to the Cornea

When using fruit acid products, it's important to avoid contact with the eyes, as the cornea is very sensitive to fruit acids. If the acid gets into the eyes, it may cause a chemical burn to the cornea. While most cases of this kind do not result in permanent damage, the pain and temporary blurred vision can be quite inconvenient for the patient.

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Better Acne Treatment than Fruit Acids! Perfect Medical Acne Treatment

Acne is a problem for many women, and after trying various acne treatment products, their acne still persists. To effectively treat acne and prevent it from returning, one must choose the right acne treatment products and procedures. However, many acne products can only treat mild acne and have little effect on more severe types of acne, such as cystic acne, stress-related acne, and hormonal acne.

The Perfect Medical Acne Treatment does not irritate the skin and uses advanced medical research theories to instantly deliver serum to the skin's deeper layers, activating collagen production and repairing damaged tissues. At the same time, it employs vacuum dermabrasion technology to gently exfoliate and painlessly remove oils and dirt from the skin, cleaning and unclogging pores, dissolving and removing blackheads, and improving acne from the deeper layers of the skin. This makes it suitable for most skin types.

Perfect Medical also provides professional consultants who analyze the skin condition of women with acne problems and create personalized treatment plans for those looking to improve their acne.