Glycolic Acid Toner

For my next foray into the world of handmade beauty products, I decided that I wanted to make a facial toner.  Now I realize that this may sound a bit boring, especially since most facial toners are made quite simply with witch hazel and alcohol, but I had something more complex in mind.  I really wanted to formulate a toner that would include glycolic acid as its active ingredient.

Glycolic Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid that penetrates our skin easily, and loosens the glue like bonds between skin cells in the top layers of the skin. This allows dead and dying skin cells to be sloughed off more easily, and helps to prevent dead skin cells from clumping together and blocking pores.  It also makes the surface of your skin feel smoother and softer, and can help overcome a dull or lifeless appearance. Several studies have shown that daily use of 5-10% glycolic acid solution over time can help with acne, photo-damage, melasma, and possibly even wrinkles [1]. In one study done on mice, the use of a 15% glycolic acid solution for 10 weeks decreased wrinkles, increased dermal thickness, and increased collagen synthesis [2], and in a second study glycolic acid actually had a somewhat protective effect against the development of skin tumors caused by UV radiation [3] Of course I’m not claiming that my toner will do these things, but one can hope.

If you do a search for glycolic acid on google, one of the first companies to come up is Peter Thomas Roth.  They make many products with glycolic acid, but the one that appealed to me the most was the Max Complexion Correction Pads which you see here.  The active ingredients in this product are glycolic acid 10%, and salicylic acid 2% which is what I am going to aim for in my toner.  I didn't duplicate this product exactly, but I did use some of the same inactive ingredients such as green tea extract, allantoin, aloe vera juice, and witch hazel extract.  To my version I also added Rose Hydrosol, and Tea Tree Oil.  Let's take a closer look at what each of these ingredients do.


Salicylic Acid is a beta hydroxy acid that is approved by the FDA as an acne treatment, antifungal, corn/callus remover, dandruff treatment, analgesic/skin protectant for poison ivy/oak/sumac, and a wart remover [4]  Salicylic acid has been used for thousands of years in the form of willow bark which was used as far back as 460B.C. in the time of Hippocrates to treat headaches, pains and fevers [5]. Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is actually a derivative of salicylic acid which explains why the bark had the effects that it did. Salicylic acid works on skin as a comedolytic, keratolytic, and mild antiseptic. This means that it helped to open up clogged pores, and penetrates deeper into the skin to help kill bacteria within pores.  It also has a similar effect to glycolic acid by helping to loosen the glue like bonds of the uppermost cell layers and promoting cell turnover [6].

Green Tea Extract is loaded with polyphenols, antioxidants that help to eliminate free radicals that could damage your skin, and may help to maintain collagen and elastin production in your skin.  There have also been studies done that show green tea extract may promote wound healing, and reduce inflammation [7].  These are all excellent reasons to want to add this to my toner.

Allantoin is a fairly common additive in skin care products. It helps to protect our skin’s natural water barrier by increasing the capacity of corneocytes to retain water. It is also a keratolytic, helping to loosen the bonds of skin cells on the upper skin surface. Most importantly, it is an anti-irritant and helps to counteract irritation caused by other ingredients it is formulated with [8].  This is why I’m adding this to my toner, to help buffer the skin against the irritating action of the glycolic and salicylic actions.

Aloe Vera has been used for hundreds of years to treat wounds such as burns. It has compounds in it that may stimulate skin growth and repair while decreasing pain and inflammation, and several studies have shown it to increase wound healing time [9]. This can be used in place of water in most recipes, and I like the idea that I can add another healing ingredient like aloe to my toner to help counteract the harshness of the glycolic and salicylic acids.

Witch Hazel Extract is an astringent and anti-inflammatory extract that is commonly used in facial toners. It is approved by the FDA for use as a skin protectant and for anorectal purposes (think hemorrhoid wipes). Witch Hazel extract is also an anti-oxidant that could possibly help with wound and bruise healing, and to increase circulation [10]. It’s a good all-around toner component, which is why it is often used as a toner by itself.
Now, on to the toner recipe…

Glycolic Acid Toner

Oil
Polysorbate 20- 5 grams
Wheat Protein- 3 grams
Tea Tree Oil- 2 grams
(You want to use equal parts oil and polysorbate 20)

Water
Rose Hydrosol- 30 grams
Aloe Vera Juice- 20 grams
Witch Hazel Extract- 18 grams

Green Tea Extract- 5 grams
Glycolic Acid 70%- 14 grams

Dry Ingredients
Allantoin- 1 gram
Salicylic Acid- 2 grams

Directions
Because I’m making such a small amount at a time, I did not add preservative to this, nor did I use the “heat & hold” method.  I simply heated the Rose Hydrosol, Aloe Vera Juice, and Witch Hazel Extract in a microwave safe container for 1 minute.  To this, you add the dry ingredients and mix well.  Mix the polysorbate 20 with the wheat protein and tea tree oil in a separate container.  Then once the witch hazel/rose hydrosol/aloe vera mixture is cool to the touch, add the polysorbate 20 mixture, along with the green tea extract and the glycolic acid. Mix this all together well, then package in your container of choice.  I used a squeeze tube as you can see here. 

I have been using this toner for a little more than a week now, and I really like it.  It does sting a little bit because of the glycolic acid, but you get used to it. Enjoy!

Works Cited

[1]	"Alpha hydroxy acid," 07 March 2012. [Online]. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_hydroxy_acid.
[2]	D. Surg, "The effect of glycolic acid on photoaged albino hairless mouse skin.," 25 March 1999. [Online]. Available: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10193963.
[3]	M. Carcinog, "Inhibitory effect of glycolic acid on ultraviolet-induced skin tumorigenesis in SKH-1 hairless mice and its mechanism of action.," 31 July 2001. [Online]. Available: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11479924.
[4]	"OTC Active Ingredients," 07 April 2010. [Online]. Available: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/CDER/UCM135691.pdf.
[5]	M. Bellis, "About.com Inventors," 2012. [Online]. Available: http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blaspirin.htm.
[6]	"Salicylic Acid," 2012. [Online]. Available: http://www.kaviskin.com/info/salicylicacid.html.
[7]	"Green tea extract: Proanthocyanidins and procyanidins," Point of Interest!, 24 January 2010. [Online]. Available: http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/search?q=green+tea+extract&updated-max=2011-11-29T06:57:00-08:00&max-results=20&start=20&by-date=false.
[8]	"Allantoin An Impressive History...," DSM Nutritional Products, 2005. [Online]. Available: http://www.dsm.com/en_US/downloads/dnpsa/Allantoin_Brochure.pdf.
[9]	"Aloe," University of Maryland Medical Center, 31 12 2010. [Online]. Available: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/aloe-000221.htm.
[10]	"Witch Hazel," Point of Interest!, 07 March 2010. [Online]. Available: http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/search?q=witch+hazel.