13 13. Exfoliation(I)
We are getting to an important and quite confusing(I personally think so) skincare step...that is exfoliation.
Exfoliation is a process of recovering your skin from dead skin cells to let the active cells come upto the surface and give your pores enough room to breathe. Exfoliation can be done to every part of your body and we use different means to do it. Exfoliating your face, neck and hands should be done in a gentle way.....on your hands you can use a scrub either natural or the store bought one. There are two kind of exfoliators that you can use on your face/neck...physical and chemical ones.
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Physical exfoliators:
These are the scrubs with tiny exfoliants that help remove flaky patches on your skin. They are generally full of beads so if you have any skin problems such as acne it can be extremely UNHELPFUL and damaging to your skin(face)...skin barrier can be compromised due to it(if you're harsh). It also causes micro-tears on your skin, you may be irritant to certain compounds in the mixture...so be extremely careful when using it(do not use it if you have any skin problems on face....ACNE)...I recommend not using the physical exfoliators. Gentle scrubs that don't contain microbeads can be used to exfoliate your body.....and no you can't use these scrubs on your face that you're using on your body.
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Before I explain about chemical exfoliation.....don't have any misconceptions about using chemicals ...I'm not telling you to lather chemicals on your face.
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Chemical exfoliators: Acid toners
Chemical exfoliation is using chemicals in necessary concentrations on your face to give it the benefits(many....but smooth skin) of exfoliation.....the thing with chemical exfoliation is that you're not using any beads, harsh grainy particles so it's not harsh on your skin( unless you're not using it right...ex: chemical peels....they should be done by a professional )....so it doesn't cause any tear, so people with acne are good to go.
Mostly used exfoliants used are AHA's(alpha-hydroxy-acids), BHA's(beta-hydroxy-acids) and PHA's(Poly-hydroxy-acids).
AHA's do not penetrate as deep into your skin as BHA's.....so if you have acne, blackheads then go with BHA's(great for oily/combination skin) as they provide deep exfoliation while PHA's are mostly used by people with sensitive skin (they provide additional benefits such as hydration and strengthen skin barrier). PHA's are great for people with dry-itchy/ eczema/rosacea skin problems.
If you have dry/damaged/aging skin then you can go with AHA'(8--10 percent) as they retain your skin's natural oils.
You can use AHA's(8--10 percent) and BHA's(1--2 percent) at the same time as the effect they provide(what they do) is different...mixing them with PHA's is not a good idea as you lose gentlenessit provides.
salicylic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid are some of the common exfoliants that are used as chemical exfoliators for acne prone skin. Using AHA's in the evening would be better as they make your skin more sensitive and BHA's can be used either morning or evening.
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Acids according to needs:
Glycolic acid(10%~15%)- gentle acid that penetrates deep into skin- proven anti aging properties, promotes collagen levels------great for starters
Lactic acid(5%~10%)- gentle acid that exfoliates and moisturizes skin at the same time---its very mild so it may not give as much effect as others-----but its perfect for sensitive skin
Salicylic acid(1%~2%)- it has anti inflammatory properties---great for unclogging pores, acne------perfect for acne prone skin----but may not work for everyone as penetration is not that deep or may cause irritation if used in higher concentrations (please be careful with this....if used less may not work...used more skin irritation,patches and other problems)
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Things to know before using chemical exfoliators:
1. Before starting on acid toners, if you're on any prescribed medicine then contact your doctor to make sure if its okay for you to be using acid toners
2. Always patch test before trying out a new product....espl with acids as they make your skin more sensitive to sun
3. Research before starting on acids.....see if the acid is the one you should be going for, check if there's no problem with the concentration/ works well with the other products you're already using
4. Starting your regimen with less concentrated acids(or you could dilute the product) would be better so as to build tolerance....if you're nervous about including acids in your routine you could incorporate them in your face-wash first .....but make sure to follow up with good moisturizer and SPF.
5. If you want to try chemical peels then get them done by professionals.....it's a pain to get rid of chemical burns.....they make your skin so sensitive and I feel like all other problems are just waiting to attack
6. There may be a slight tingling sensation for a brief period of time....but not too long
7. Be sure not to over exfoliate...exfoliating once a week for sensitive/dry types is enough and atmost twice a week for oily/combination types is good enough
8. Don't wash your face after using acid toners as they stop exfoliating after a while....instead continue with your next products(serum/moisturizer)...but do remember acid toners should NOT be layered as you do for hydrating toners
9. Always use SPF after the treatment ..... some acids should not be exposed to sun else your skin becomes really sensitive and might cause burns
10. You can't really feel whether the acids working for you or not but after a period(atleast 2 months)of use you can notice that tiny bumps are gone, even skin tone, skin brightening.
