Objective To analyze the efficacy and safety of intensive pulsed light combined with glycolic acid in patients with mild to moderate acne. Methods A total of 100 patients with mild to moderate acne admitted to Hangzhou Yixing Medical Cosmetology Hospital from January to December 2023 were selected as the research objects. They were divided into control group and experimental group by random number table method, with 50 patients in each group. The control group was treated with intensive pulsed light, and the experimental group was treated with intensive pulsed light combined with glycolic acid on the basis of the control group. The clinical efficacy, quality of life, severity of acne and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. Results The total effective rate of treatment in the experimental group was 98.00%, which was higher than 88.00% in the control group (P <0.05). After treatment, the DLQI score of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group (P <0.05). After treatment, the ACSI score of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group (P <0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (P >0.05). Conclusion Intensive pulsed light combined with glycolic acid is effective in the treatment of mild to moderate acne, which can effectively reduce the acne symptoms of patients, improve their quality of life, and will not increase the risk of adverse reactions, with high application safety.