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Question

Posted on: March 22 2017

A patient asks if I can make a "gentle" peeling for her face.

She thought of a small% salicylic acid as an active ingredient. Maybe another active ingredient is more suitable? I would like to have obtained a well-founded formula

Answer

As you have already been informed, alpha-hydroxyacids are the products, which one uses for a peeling. The acid that is used very much is glycolic acid.  

I would opt for an emulgel, which is pleasant to use. This described in the booklet Galenisch Formularium has the following composition:

Hydro-Alcoholic Carbomeergel FN 6 80 g

Base Cream DAC                                     20 g

The composition of the base cream DAC is: glycerol monostearate 4.0 g; Cetyl alcohol 6.0 g; Miglyol 7.5 g; White petroleum jelly 25.5 g; Cetomacrogol 1000 7.5 g; Propylene glycol 10.0 g and water up to 100 g.  

In This emulsigel I would process 6% glycolic acid. This is a low concentration but the preparation must be applied to the face. If the operation is insufficient, the concentration can be increased to 15%. This is not yet the highest concentration used! But I think we should stay sober here. Valid for all concentrations is that the pH should not exceed the value 4.