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Glycolic acid

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Glycolic acid

Glycolic acid gently dissolves surface buildup to clear stubborn pigmentation, smooth away acne scars, and calm active blemishes. It suits both dry skin and oily skin best, and appears in gentle exfoliators, toners, serums, and cleansers, usually at 7% and 20% strengths. This ingredient fits smoothly into a routine alongside panthenol, ferulic acid, and glycerin, while remaining separated from adapalene, benzoyl peroxide, and retinol.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019

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Glycolic acid exfoliators

What reviewers say about popular glycolic acid products

The highlight reviewers mention most for each popular glycolic acid product on Lovi.

Glycolic acid toners

Glycolic acid serums

Glycolic acid cleansers

Glycolic acid masks

Other glycolic acid products

Glycolic acid for dry skin

All glycolic acid products

See all 145 glycolic acid products

What to combine glycolic acid with

IngredientTogetherHow to use them
Panthenol Works well Use them together in the same routine by applying glycolic acid first and following with panthenol, because they balance each other out. Glycolic acid and panthenol
Ferulic acid Works well Use them in the same routine, applying glycolic acid first and ferulic acid right after, because antioxidants protect freshly exfoliated skin. Glycolic acid and ferulic acid
Glycerin Works well Use glycolic acid and glycerin together by applying the acid first and following with glycerin, because glycerin helps keep the skin hydrated. Glycolic acid and glycerin
Vitamin E Works well Use glycolic acid first, followed by vitamin E, because antioxidants help protect freshly exfoliated skin from damage. Glycolic acid and vitamin E
Linoleic acid Works well Use them together by applying glycolic acid first and linoleic acid right after, because lipids help comfort skin after exfoliation. Glycolic acid and linoleic acid
Silk amino acids Works well Use them together by applying glycolic acid first and silk amino acids right after, because they balance each other out nicely. Glycolic acid and silk amino acids
Arginine Works well Use them together in the same routine, applying the glycolic acid first and the arginine right after to keep skin comfortable. Glycolic acid and arginine
Allantoin Works well Use them together by applying glycolic acid first and allantoin right after, because allantoin helps calm any redness from the acid. Glycolic acid and allantoin
Taurine Works well Use them together by applying glycolic acid first and then taurine, since this helps keep your skin balanced and hydrated. Glycolic acid and taurine
Gluconolactone Works well Use them together in the same routine, applying glycolic acid first and gluconolactone second, because they work nicely as a team. Glycolic acid and gluconolactone
Cholesterol Works well Use them together by applying glycolic acid first and cholesterol right after, as cholesterol helps soothe skin after exfoliation. Glycolic acid and cholesterol
Lactobionic acid Works well Use them together in your evening routine, applying glycolic acid first and lactobionic acid second, for gentle exfoliation and soothing care. Glycolic acid and lactobionic acid
Betaine Works well Apply glycolic acid first and betaine right after to keep skin calm and hydrated. Glycolic acid and betaine
Sodium lactate Works well Use them together in the same routine by applying glycolic acid first and sodium lactate right after, because they balance the acidity nicely. Glycolic acid and sodium lactate
Bisabolol Works well Use them together by applying glycolic acid first and bisabolol right after, because soothing bisabolol calms acid-induced redness. Glycolic acid and bisabolol
Lauric acid Works well Use glycolic acid and lauric acid at different times of day, applying glycolic acid first, because they work best when layered separately. Glycolic acid and lauric acid
Tromethamine Works well Use them together in the same routine by applying tromethamine first and glycolic acid second to keep the skin comfortable. Glycolic acid and tromethamine
GABA Works well Use them together in the morning, putting glycolic acid on first and GABA right after, because they help each other keep the skin balanced and comfortable. Glycolic acid and GABA
Theanine Works well Use them together, applying glycolic acid first and then theanine, because they help keep skin hydrated and balanced. Glycolic acid and theanine
Niacinamide Depends Use them at different times of day with niacinamide in the morning and glycolic acid at night, because strong acids can clash with niacinamide. Glycolic acid and niacinamide
Hyaluronic acid Depends Apply glycolic acid first, wait ten to fifteen minutes, and then use hyaluronic acid to soothe and restore moisture. Glycolic acid and hyaluronic acid
Adapalene Keep apart Use them on alternate nights, with glycolic acid on one evening and adapalene the next, because combining them causes skin irritation. Glycolic acid and adapalene
Benzoyl peroxide Keep apart Use glycolic acid and benzoyl peroxide on alternate nights to prevent severe dryness, redness, and irritation. Glycolic acid and benzoyl peroxide
Retinol Keep apart Use them on alternate nights to avoid skin irritation from layering strong ingredients. Glycolic acid and retinol
Azelaic acid Keep apart Use them on alternate nights, applying glycolic acid first and azelaic acid next, because combining them causes too much irritation. Glycolic acid and azelaic acid
Salicylic acid Keep apart Use them on alternate nights to avoid double exfoliation and protect your skin. Glycolic acid and salicylic acid
Tretinoin Keep apart Use them on alternate nights because they are both strong and should not go on together. Glycolic acid and tretinoin
Bio-placenta peptides Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying glycolic acid in the morning and bio-placenta peptides at night, because the strong acid ruins the peptides. Glycolic acid and bio-placenta peptides
Hexapeptide Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying glycolic acid in the morning and hexapeptide at night, because acid ruins peptide strength. Glycolic acid and hexapeptide
Carnosine Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying glycolic acid first and carnosine later, because acids break down this peptide. Glycolic acid and carnosine
Pro-retinol Keep apart Use them on alternate nights because they are both strong and can irritate the skin if used together. Glycolic acid and pro-retinol
Retinal Keep apart Use them on alternate nights because they are both strong and can irritate your skin when mixed. Glycolic acid and retinal
Acetyl hexapeptide-3 Keep apart Use them at different times of day with glycolic acid in the morning and acetyl hexapeptide-3 at night because acid ruins peptide strength. Glycolic acid and acetyl hexapeptide-3
Retinoid blend Keep apart Use them on alternate nights because combining them in the same routine causes skin irritation. Glycolic acid and retinoid blend
Granactive retinoid Keep apart Use glycolic acid and granactive retinoid on alternate nights to prevent skin irritation. Glycolic acid and granactive retinoid
Hydroxypinacolone retinoate Keep apart Use them on alternate nights because they are too strong to put on your face at the same time. Glycolic acid and hydroxypinacolone retinoate
Collagen peptide Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying glycolic acid in the morning and collagen peptide at night, because the acid is too harsh. Glycolic acid and collagen peptide
Copper peptide Keep apart Use them at different times of day with the acid first, because the acid cancels out the peptide. Glycolic acid and copper peptide
Hexapeptide-9 Keep apart Use them at different times of day with the acid first, because the acid breaks down the peptide and stops it from working. Glycolic acid and hexapeptide-9
Peptide-rich plasma Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying glycolic acid in the morning and peptides at night, because the acid ruins the peptides. Glycolic acid and peptide-rich plasma
Tri-ceramide complex Keep apart Use them at different times of day with the acid first, because the acid can disrupt the ceramide barrier when mixed together. Glycolic acid and tri-ceramide complex
Triple peptide blend Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying your glycolic acid first and your peptide blend later, because acids break down peptides. Glycolic acid and triple peptide blend
Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 Keep apart Use them at different times of day with the acid in the morning and the peptide at night, because the acid breaks down the peptide. Glycolic acid and palmitoyl pentapeptide-4
Palmitoyl tripeptide-1 Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying glycolic acid in the morning and the peptide in the evening, because the acid cancels out the peptide. Glycolic acid and palmitoyl tripeptide-1

From the ingredient rules behind the "Works well with" and "Don't mix with" notes on every product in the Lovi app.

Questions and answers

What does glycolic acid do for the skin?

Glycolic acid helps improve epidermal melasma, acne scars, and overall skin texture.

How do you use glycolic acid?

Glycolic acid can be used in your routine for exfoliation, but certain partner ingredients and strong actives should be layered separately or used on alternate nights to avoid skin irritation.

Should you use glycolic acid in the morning or at night?

You can use glycolic acid at night, but certain partner ingredients like niacinamide or specific peptides should be used at different times of day such as in the morning to avoid irritation or reduced efficacy.

Can you use glycolic acid every day?

You can use glycolic acid regularly, but certain strong partner ingredients like retinoids or azelaic acid should be used on alternate nights to avoid irritation.

Does glycolic acid cause purging or irritation?

Glycolic acid may cause irritation, particularly when combined with strong ingredients or used too frequently.

Which skin types is glycolic acid best for?

Glycolic acid is best for oily, combination, sensitive, acne-prone, and mature skin types, with Lovi rating products like Pixi Glow Tonic as a superior fit across several of these categories.

Can you use glycolic acid with panthenol?

Yes, you can use glycolic acid and panthenol together in the same routine by applying glycolic acid first and following with panthenol, because they balance each other out.

Can you use glycolic acid with adapalene?

You should keep glycolic acid and adapalene apart. Use them on alternate nights, with glycolic acid on one evening and adapalene the next, because combining them causes skin irritation.

Research on glycolic acid

Behind this ingredient guide

Lovi checks every ingredient with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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