October 8, 2020

“Brows are one of the most noticeable face-framing features we have and frequently one of the facial characteristics people notice on first glance,” writes Jenny Jin. “On that note, acne between the eyebrows is quite annoying—but it’s also incredibly common.”

The skin between the eyebrows is a hot spot for acne, thanks to a high concentration of sebaceous glands in the area. But, for consumers tired of highly visible breakouts between the brows, glycolic acid is a fast-acting and highly effective ingredient to banish those pesky blemishes.

The skin between the eyebrows, or the glabellar area, is ripe for potential breakouts because it forms the top area of the T-zone. The T-zone is an area of skin that begins at the forehead, runs down the nose, and ends at the chin. The T-zone is notoriously prone to acne, thanks to its high proliferation of sebaceous glands.

“The glabellar area is actually a very common place for people to break out. Sebaceous glands empty into your pores and can clog your hair follicles causing inflammation,” Dr. Sandra Lee told PureWow.

When the duct between the oil gland and the skin surface becomes blocked from excess sebum or dead skin cells, as frequently happens on the skin between the brows, blackheads, whiteheads, and pimples are highly likely to occur.

In addition to being a naturally oiler area, the skin between the eyebrows is also likely to become irritated and break out due to waxing or tweezing hair.

When hairs are plucked, waxed, or threaded out of the skin between the eyebrows, the root of the hair is pulled out. When the hair eventually begins to grow back, it typically grows under the skin. This can create a bump or ingrown hair, along with increased chances for redness, irritation, or partnering blemishes.

However, giving up eyebrow grooming is not necessary for banishing breakouts between this small, but highly visible, patch of skin. Instead, gentle chemical exfoliation with glycolic acid can help treat current blemishes and minimize future breakouts between the brows.

Glycolic acid is the key to treating and preventing blemishes between the eyebrows because it helps to keep pores clean and clear.

As the smallest, most lightweight molecule in the alpha hydroxy acid family, glycolic acid is most adept at penetrating the skin cell walls. Once topically applied, glycolic acid is then able to dissolve the built-up oil and dead skin cells that clog pores and create the telltale bump of a blemish.

By efficiently cleaning and “sweeping” out the pores, glycolic acid helps to reduce the size and appearance of current blemishes fast.

In addition to effectively treating current breakouts, glycolic acid is also ace at preventing future blemishes because it drives new skin cells to the surface of the face.

By prompting skin cell turnover, glycolic acid helps to ensure the outermost layer of skin is healthy, able to exfoliate regularly, and less prone to inflammation and blemishes.

“One of the main contributors to acne is an abnormal shedding of stuck skin cells within the hair follicle and oil gland. Glycolic acid helps to normalize this cellular shedding, not allowing stuck skin cells to cause inflammation that leads to an acne blemish,” Dr. Melanie Palm, dermatologist, told Yahoo Lifestyle.

Acne between the eyebrows can be especially embarrassing for consumers, thanks to its high visibility. 

But consumers don’t need to suffer from eyebrow breakouts or give up waxing, tweezing, or threading to reduce blemishes. Instead, consistent use of glycolic acid can provide a gentle way to exfoliate the skin, tame excess oil, and minimize breakouts between the brows.