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Ready to feel more confident when reading your beauty products' ingredient labels?

Model Akon poses backstage against a white wall with bedazzled silver eye makeup and radiant skin

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Enter, theAllure Ingredient Index.

Board-certified dermatologists helped us break down the basics.

What exactly is glycolic acid?

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How does glycolic acid benefit skin?

Need something to smooth and brighten your skin stat?

Glycolic acid will do the trick.

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As a result, you’re left with a clearer, more radiant complexion.

Also, by lifting away pore-clogging dead skin cells, other skin-care products penetrate more readily.

“Glycolic acid works on fibroblasts to stimulate new collagen, resulting in firmer, tighter-appearing skin.”

SkinCeuticals Glycolic 10 Renew Overnight on white background

Michelle Lee and Jenny Bailey try a product that proves how powerful acids can be.

Who should use glycolic acid?

However, it’s not out of the question.

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Frequency of use comes down to the specific product you end up adding to your skin-care routine.

Some can be applied daily while others are for only once a week, he adds.

Which products should be avoided when working with glycolic acid?

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The same goes for physical or manual exfoliants, such as scrubs.

Instead, reach forvitamin Cin the morning and glycolic acid at night.

Michelle Lee and Jenny Bailly called upon dermatologist Marie Jhin to share some hard-and-fast rules for skin-care layering.

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What are dermatologists' favorite products spiked with glycolic acid?

Dr. Zubritsky and Dr. Kim are both fans of the Best of Beauty Award-winningSkinceuticals Glycolic 10 Renew Overnight.

The lightweight cream works its magic overnight without causing irritation by sunrise evenour testerattests to its gentleness.

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It’s joined by aloe juice to ensure it doesn’t cause redness or dryness.

This gentle elixir has a relatively short ingredient list, so its star ingredient can truly do its thing.

However, itissupported by a soothing fermented algae and a hydrating hyaluronic acid derivative.

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The dermatologist also wears by theRose Ingleton MD Blemish Control Booster Serumfor efficiently unclogging pores and banishing breakouts.