It is this natural, feel good origin of alpha -hydroxy acids that make them so appealing. Couple this with the genuine hi-tech biochemistry that they exhibit and it is no mystery as to why they are so popular today. These acids are called mineral acids and are indeed potent and dangerous. Most are strong enough to dissolve metals. An organic acid however, differs greatly from a mineral acid.
Organic acids are much, much milder than mineral acids and occur quite commonly in everyday life.
Acetic acid, for example, is the organic acid that gives vinegar its characteristic sour taste. Beta -hydroxy acids are thus molecules where the hydroxy group is on the second carbon next to the acid group. Because of its small molecular weight and size, it is presumed to have a better capacity to penetrate skin. It should be noted that neither salicylic acid nor retinoic acid are alpha -hydroxy acids. They are also finding more and more use as anti-aging ingredients to combat the loss of smoothness and skin elasticity associated with chronological aging.