Acetyl Glucosamine

Acetyl Glucosamine, or more precisely, N-acetyl Glucosamine, is a body-natural amino-saccharide that serves many functions in our skin, mainly concerning the formation of hyaluronic acid.

Acetyl Glucosamine is used as an anti-pigment ingredient in skincare products, with studies confirming its ability to prevent the synthesis of skin pigment melanin, especially when combined with niacinamide.

The studies also stress that since Acetyl Glucosamine is very water-soluble and so requires a special delivery system in order to ensure that it gets properly absorbed into the skin. In a clinical study, a 30% reduction of dark spots was seen in some of the test subjects.

Some other scientifically confirmed benefits of Acetyl Glucosamine include improved skin moisturization, decreased flakiness, improved exfoliation (comparable to that of alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs)), improved wound healing, and even a slight reduction in facial wrinkles.

The last benefit was confirmed by a randomized double-blind study in human female volunteers using topical 2% N-acetyl glucosamine, which revealed an improvement in facial wrinkles, particularly around the eye area.

Another small thing to note is that there are also studies that indicate it might be a good idea to take Acetyl Glucosamine as a food supplement. It may be able to improve the quality of the skin and connective tissues.