DIY AHA Body Gel: Safe Starting Formula

Thank you for your question about making an AHA gel for your body to help with dark spots and scars, and for sharing your proposed formula. It's great that you are being cautious, especially as a beginner.

The advice from the staff is very important: using Glycolic Acid at high concentrations, such as the 50% you initially considered or even 10%, can cause significant skin irritation, redness, peeling, and sensitivity, particularly for someone new to AHA. For home use by consumers, the recommended maximum concentration for AHA products is generally 10%, and for Glycolic Acid specifically, it's often advised to start much lower, around 5%, with a pH not lower than 3.5.

Therefore, your proposed formula with 50% or even 10% Glycolic Acid is too strong and not recommended for a beginner or for general body application. It's best to follow the staff's recommendation and start with a lower, safer concentration.

A suitable starting formula for a Glycolic Acid gel for body use, based on the ingredients you mentioned and the safety recommendations, would be:

• Glycolic Acid (AHA) 100% Powder: 5%
• Pro Polymer (Gel Maker): 2%
• Phenoxyethanol (Preservative): 1%
• Water: 92% (to make up the remaining percentage)

Here's a breakdown of the ingredients and their roles:

• Glycolic Acid (AHA) 100% Powder: This is the active ingredient responsible for exfoliation, helping to improve the appearance of dark spots and scars by promoting skin cell turnover. Starting at 5% is much safer for beginners.
• Pro Polymer (Gel Maker): This ingredient is used to create the gel texture of your product, making it easy to apply.
• Phenoxyethanol (Preservative): This is essential to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi in your water-based gel, keeping it safe to use.

Important Considerations:

1. pH Level: For Glycolic Acid to be effective and safe, the final product's pH is crucial. For consumer products with up to 5% AHA, the pH should ideally be between 3.5 and 4.0. You will need to measure the pH of your final gel and adjust it if necessary using a suitable pH adjuster (like a weak base) to bring it into the recommended range.
2. Patch Testing: Before applying the gel to large areas, always perform a patch test on a small, inconspicuous area of your skin to check for any adverse reactions like excessive redness, itching, or burning.
3. Sun Protection: AHA increases skin sensitivity to the sun. It is absolutely essential to use broad-spectrum sunscreen daily on areas where you apply the AHA gel, even on cloudy days.
4. Gradual Increase: If your skin tolerates the 5% formula well after consistent use, you can consider gradually increasing the Glycolic Acid concentration, but it is generally not recommended to exceed 10% for home use, and always ensure the pH is appropriate (above 3.5).

This revised formula provides a safer starting point for you as a beginner.