Our cult favourite Liquid Gold has been around for more than 20 years, helping #alphaholics achieve their best skin yet. If you’ve just heard of Liquid Gold for the first time, welcome aboard. We’re so excited to share our cult product with you, and help you discover if it could be the answer to your skincare prayers.
Let’s look at Liquid Gold in some more detail: What it is, what it does, and how to use it, as well as some of the common questions we’re regularly asked by both Liquid Gold newbies and veterans alike. We hope you find them helpful.
What is Liquid Gold, and what does it do?
In the very simplest of terms, Liquid Gold is a 5% Glycolic Acid chemical exfoliating tonic; a skin resurfacing treatment which works as a toner, exfoliator, serum, and a hydrator. Glycolic Acid is an Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) that helps to break down the “glue” which keeps dead skin cells stuck on the outermost layers of your skin. In one simple stroke, it begins to break down these protein bonds so that dead cells will be shed, revealing fresher, younger and brighter skin underneath.
Glycolic Acid is one of the most widely used AHAs due to its small molecular structure which allows it to penetrate deeper into the skin, taking other ingredients with it to boost hydration in your skin by stimulating the natural production of Hyaluronic Acid. As a result, skin is left brighter and clearer, with the reduced appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage and pigmentation.
So, what makes Liquid Gold different to other Glycolic Acid tonics?
The secret to Liquid Gold’s efficacy and global cult following is all in its unique formulation at a low pH. The higher the pH of an Accelerating Acid formula, the less efficacious the exfoliation will be.
Bioavailability refers to the % of an ingredient that’s actually available for the skin to absorb and utilise once applied, so with Liquid Gold sitting at around pH 2.8 – 3.0, it gives us roughly 90% bioavailability of hero ingredient Glycolic Acid.
This means 90% of the Glycolic Acid in our formula is available for the skin to utilise. At a higher pH, this would drop away; at pH 4 it’s only 40%, and at pH 5 it’s just 0.6%.
What other ingredients are helping to work this magic?
At Alpha-H, we believe in fully rounded formulas to support your skin’s health and resilience. Liquid Gold also contains skin loving Licorice Root Extract and Silk Proteins to further enhance your results. Licorice Root works to reduce the appearance of dark spots and pigmentation on the skin, while Silk Proteins help to prevent moisture evaporating from the surface and help to regulate oil production, maintaining natural hydration levels.