AFAs Are Potent Antioxidants
AHAs are generally viewed as exfoliants, although they have some antioxidant qualities due to single carboxyl group that is part of their molecular structure. The carboxyl group has the positively charged hydrogen ion that has the ability to combine with the singlet oxygen that is responsible for the damaging oxidation of the skin. AFAs are Tri-carboxylics; they have three carboxyl groups rather than the single group of the AHAs, and thus have three fold the anti-oxidant qualities. We feel that this may account for the dramatically enhanced anti-oxidative effects of AFAs compared to other cosmeceuticals.