Glycolic acid is one of those ingredients you see on plenty of skin care labels. Brands like Chanel , Mario Badescu , Drunk Elephant and millennial favorite Glossier all sell products containing the ingredient, but how do you know if its right for you?

We wanted to find out all about this acid, a word that can seem a little intimidating at first. But once we learned more about it, it sounded like a pretty magical ingredient; its said to be great for clearing the skin, evening out skin tone and anti-aging, among other things. We spoke to dermatologists to find out about glycolic acid and whether we should be adding it to our skin care routines.

What is glycolic acid, anyway?

Glycolic acid, typically derived from sugar cane, belongs to the alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) family along with malic and lactic acids and is a common ingredient in many skin care products. According to Loretta Ciraldo , board-certified dermatologist and co-creator of Dr. Loretta Skincare , glycolic is also the most popular and most studied AHA.

Chemically, its a really nice, small molecule, which means when you put it on the skin, it can penetrate pretty readily, she said, adding that dermatologists have been using it in their practice for decades. (For instance, chemical peels commonly use a glycolic acid solution.)

Its main function is to exfoliate the skin, or, as Ciraldo explained, its ungluing dead cells from each other.

Its really great for acne-prone skin.

Ciraldo said that acne, whether youre talking about a little blackhead or a big acne cyst, if you look at it under the microscope on a skin biopsy, [it all] starts from dead cells getting plugged up within our pore. And since glycolic helps to loosen those dead cells from each other, it can help reduce acne.

Dr. Melda Isaac , a board-certified dermatologist based in Washington, D.C., added that glycolic has the ability to really get down into the hair follicles and loosen up any built-up sebum and proteins that could otherwise lead to blackheads and breakouts.