Why exfoliate, how to choose the right exfoliant and how to exfoliate safely like a dermatologist
Exfoliation can sometimes be daunting. Firstly, if you see the word “acid”, do not fear. Exfoliating acids are chemical exfoliants and if you want to learn the difference between chemical and physical exfoliants then be sure to check out our Chemical vs physical exfoliants.
Firstly, why exfoliate? Exfoliating has so many amazing benefits for the skin. Exfoliating with ingredients such as a beta hydroxy like salicylic acid, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) like glycolic acid and lactic acid as well as poly hydroxy acids (PHAs) can improve and help address many different skincare concerns or just help you to achieve brighter and more radiant-looking skin. Exfoliating helps to increase skin cell turnover and shed and dissolve dead skin cells on the skin surface or even within the pore to help brighten and even out skin tone, reveal younger and more radiant-looking skin, improve texture for smoother skin, provide anti-aging benefits, improve sun-damaged skin, and help with acne breakouts.
The key is to choose the right chemical exfoliant for your skin type and specific concern/concerns. There are 3 different types of chemical exfoliants and choosing the right exfoliant from each type will help you achieve the most out of your exfoliating. The first type of chemical exfoliants is your beta hydroxy acid (BHA) and there is only one BHA, salicylic acid. If you have oily/acne-prone skin and you want to address and clear your acne, then this will be the right exfoliant for you as salicylic acid works by dissolving the bonds that hold dead skin cells to the skin surface and it is also oil soluble which means it can penetrate the pore and exfoliate all the dead skin cells from inside the pore, making it an effective ingredient for all acne breakouts.
The second type of chemical exfoliants are alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). The most common AHAs found in skincare products are glycolic acid and lactic acid, other ones include malic acid, tartaric acid, and citric acid. AHAs can be used for all skin types except we caution their use for sensitive skin types as it could potentially be too harsh. AHAs work to shed dead skin cells from the skin’s surface.
The third and last type of chemical exfoliants are poly hydroxy acids (PHAs), these commonly include gluconolactone and lactobionic acid. These act in the same way as AHAs to shed dead skin cells but because these acids have the largest molecule structure, they will not penetrate the skin as well as an AHA. This doesn’t mean that it makes the ingredients less effective, it means however that it has the lowest risk of causing irritation and sensitivity which means that PHAs are the recommended chemical exfoliant group for all people with sensitive skin.
And finally, how can you exfoliate like a dermatologist? We recommend starting slowly to allow your skin time to adapt to the new ingredients and the process of exfoliating which increases your skin cell turnover rate. With salicylic acid, which is a beta hydroxy acid, you can use this every day particularly if you are using the ingredient for acne. For other exfoliating acids such as AHAs and PHAs, we recommend using only 2-3 times a week at most.
For an elevated exfoliating tip, put petrolatum jelly around your eyes as the skin in these areas is sensitive and can be negatively affected when exfoliating.
