In order to have glowing, radiant skin, exfoliation must be a part of your skincare routine. Typically, when you think of exfoliators, you think of physical exfoliators. These exfoliators can contain little abrasive particles to physically scrub the dead skin cells off your skin. Other forms of physical exfoliation could be tools like brushes, sponges, and dermaplaning. Physical exfoliators can cause irritation when too much pressure is applied during scrubbing or if the particles are too big. Chemical exfoliators can also give you fresh skin but these products use gentle acids to remove the dead skin cells. It works on a deeper level than a physical exfoliator. Alpha hydroxy acid and beta hydroxy acid (AHA and BHA) are commonly known chemical exfoliators. These ingredients are best known for their anti-aging effects, smoothing texture, and removing dead skin cells for the overall complexion. It is important to slough off dead skin cells in order to promote cell turnover. This helps promote collagen production and clear out pores.
Although they are both chemical exfoliators, they serve different purposes. AHAs are water-soluble and BHAs are oil-soluble. AHA is short for alpha hydroxy acid and is derived from plants and food. These act as exfoliating acids and are actually hydrating to the skin, in addition to being exfoliating, which makes them great for sensitive and dry skin types. They can be more aggressive which can lead to better results when it comes to combating sun damage and improving overall complexion. BHA is short for beta-hydroxy acid. BHAs are best for acne-prone skin as they penetrate deeper into the skin. They are primarily used to treat blemishes and visible sun damage, and absorb oil, making them great for oily, blemish-prone skin. Since BHAs are oil-soluble acid compounds, they can easily be absorbed into more oily skin types. The most popular BHA is salicylic acid, which is best known to fight bacteria and release clogged pores to fight blemishes. BHAs have anti-inflammatory and photoprotective properties.
Chemical exfoliants can be beneficial to help with cell turnover in order to give you brighter skin, less signs of aging, and better penetration of skincare products. They are best known for their ability to improve sun damage. Luckily, you can use both simultaneously! They work magically together to create youthful, brighter-looking skin. They have also been found to help with Keratosis pilaris (KP) which is a common long-term chronic skin condition. It causes small, scaly bumps on the skin where there are hair follicles. We suggest trying our AHA/BHA cleanser. This foaming, exfoliating cleanser comprised of glycolic acid, salicylic acid, hibiscus petals, and jojoba spheres allows for gentle sloughing of superficial, dead skin cells. This unique formulation has proven to enhance cellular turnover, diminish pore size, smooth the complexion and refine skin tone, color, and texture. While the skin is left tighter and brighter, the natural concentrations of essential skin oils remain, leaving the skin hydrated and bright.
