Avoid the traffic... take the Ferry
to Martha's Vineyard - '97 Summer Schedule.
Avoid the traffic... take the Ferry
to Martha's Vineyard - '97 Summer Schedule.
Not long ago, the world rediscovered a fountain of youth. Alpha hydroxy acids -- derived from sugar cane, fruit and milk acids, the stuff of Cleopatra's beauty regimen -- seem to persuade skin to shed dead cells faster. This meant younger-looking skin and fewer noticeable wrinkles. Heavy hitters in dermatology agree: They actually deliver.
For about seven years, alpha hydroxy acids -- or AHAs, as they're known -- have reigned supreme, becoming almost as ubiquitous in facial products as fluoride in toothpaste. But there's a whole untapped alphabet out there, people, so it's time for -- ding ding! -- round two. Enter beta hydroxy acids.
BHAs are being touted as the latest magic bullet in the search for wrinkle-free skin and everlasting youth.
Almay Time-Off Revitalizer is the cosmetic giant's answer to the glut of alpha hydroxy products currently available. The company says that Time-Off -- spiked with, among other things, "beta hydroxy acids" -- gives people the benefits of AHAs without having to deal with the red, splotchy, irritated-skin phase, a common complaint with alpha hydroxy acids.
Procter & Gamble makes similar claims about the beta-hydroxy version of No. 1 face cream Oil of Olay.
But for consumers staring at a wall of products, the B-team can make matters even more confusing: If alphas are good, are betas better?
The dermatologists I contacted say it all boils down to marketing.
AHA and BHA are broad, generic descriptions, pretty much devoid of meaning "except to tell a chemist what the stuff looks like," says Dr. Kenneth Beer of West Palm Beach. (Something to do with alpha hydroxy positioning itself in the alpha position on the carbon chain, and beta hydroxy being in the beta position, and so on.)
What really matters in the world of hydroxy skin care, he said, are concentration, pH, formulation.
And those are things a layman can have a hard time determining.
As a general rule, most over-the-counter products contain between 5 percent and 8 percent glycolic acid, an AHA. "But there's no standard," like there is with SPFs in sunscreens, Beer said. "So it's impossible to have a rating. There can be wonderful alpha hydroxy acids and crummy betas. But the converse is also true."
At least one dermatologist, though, takes issue with the new "beta hydroxy" products. Dr. Eugene Van Scott, a hydroxy acid pioneer (he and a partner introduced AHAs 23 years ago) says that what Oil of Olay is calling beta hydroxy acid is actually salicylic acid, the stuff of acne and wart treatments. (Almay press materials refer to beta hydroxy as a salicylic acid, as well.)
And unlike alpha, beta and even gamma, delta and epsilon hydroxy acids (the latter three really do exist; a veritable fraternity of hydroxy acids will find its way to your skin potions), salicylic acid is "a foreign substance, a drug," says Van Scott.
"It flies in the face of scientific nomenclature," he says. "Salicylic acid is not beta hydroxy acid."
Does it matter, in terms of whether it works? Who knows, but it sure ticks off Van Scott.
What if you haven't heard the word "nomenclature" since freshman chemistry? What if you just want lovely skin without forking over big bucks? Do the over-the-counter products deliver?
For starters, in small doses like those in drugstore potions, salicylic acid isn't dangerous, Beer says. "It's been used forever. It can be irritating, but that's about it."
And, Beer conceded, "some of the newer things seem to do pretty decently." He hasn't tried them all, but he did mention Neutrogena's AHA products as being "well-formulated."
Dermatologists say most skin-care products sold over-the-counter -- alpha, beta or otherwise -- are mild compared to the big-gun formulas available in their offices, used for facial peels. In fact, some doctors recommend checking the product's ingredient list to make sure AHAs or BHAs are even listed.
The problem: They likely won't be listed as the generic AHA or BHA, because again, those terms mean very little. What you'll find on ingredient lists are the specific acids: glycolic, lactic, malic, tartaric, citric, gluconic and so forth -- so exactly what you're getting remains confusing. And since concentrations aren't usually listed, there is no sure-fire way for the consumer to find out how strong a product is or what it will do.
Except to try it and see, which is exactly what the cosmetic companies want you to do. So we're right back to marketing.
"These products are not well-regulated and there's so much out there, it's very confusing for the customer," says Dr. Marta Rendon, chief of dermatology at the Cleveland Clinic in Fort Lauderdale.
"The risks are that people are using something that's too strong and irritating the skin," Rendon said. "Or they're using something so weak it won't actually do anything and they're spending a lot of money for nothing."
Spending a lot of money? For absolutely nothing? Story of my life.
My advice? Use the same criteria you should use with any cosmetic: Test any new product on a small part of the skin before slathering with abandon. And if you find something that makes you feel radiant, splurge.
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