Got to start 2020 off good (even though I cannot usually keep it up until end of the year but have to have a great start anyway I decided!).
I have been reading about chemical exfoliating for quite a long time but had not given it a try until recently. I did not want to try it out before I have done enough research about it. The thing is, I can never be prepared until I have gotten the products themselves and want to dig into trying them out. So I placed an order online getting my first Glycolic Acid toner.
The do not know a lot about chemical exfoliating but I do know some generic stuff, for example the most common chemical exfoliators are AHA and BHA.
Chemical exfoliator vs Physical exfoliator
Physical exfoliator is commonly known as scrub, it is the most widely known exfoliator to the public I guess. It is usually made of something rough like walnut shell, sugar, rice grains, etc, and it takes away the outer layer of our skin leaving our skin super soft and smooth. This is the only exfoliator I have been using my whole life, I thought this is the only way to get rid of dead skin.
Unlike physical exfoliator, chemical exfoliator does it's own job, you do not have to physically scrub your skin to get rid of the dead skin. Chemical exfoliators are usually acids, they help take away the outer layer of dead skin in order to initiate the regenerating of new skin layers. Your face will appear to look brighter after exfoliation due to new layer of skin being pushed forward.
What is AHA & BHA?
AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) and BHA (Beta Hydroxy Acid) are both acids. The difference between the 2 is, AHA is water-soluble and BHA is oil-soluble, which means BHA is more effective in getting rid of sebum in the pores, helping to unclog the pores. In other words, AHA is less irritating that BHA and BHA tends to be more drying.
Examples of AHA: Glycolic Acid (Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum) & Lactic Acid (Sunday Riley Good Genes All-in-one Lactic Acid Treatment);
Examples of BHA: Salicylic Acid (Innisfree Bijia Trouble Gel Cream) & Benzyl Peroxide (Mario Badescu Acne Facial Cleanser)
Skincare products that contain BHA are introduced to people who suffer from acne and blemish problems due to its oil-soluble nature of able to penetrate through deeper skin layer to get rid of excess sebum. Example of products that contain BHA are the and
Glycolic Acid is the most common AHA for its effectiveness. It is derived from fruits for example sugar canes and apples. A very close alternative to Glycolic Acid is Lactic Acid. Lactic Acid is derived from milk and is often opted by people who is irritated by Glycolic Acid ad Lactic Acid tend tend to be milder and less irritating.
How do AHA & BHA work?
AHA and BHA work rather differently. AHA needs time to react to your skin in order for it to penetrate through your skin to do its job, therefore AHA needs to be introduced in skincare products like moisturizer or serum where you could leave the products on your skin.
BHA is different, BHA could react with your skin very quickly. BHA could be introduced in cleansers or makeup remover and still it could do its job. A good example of BHA cleanser is by Cosrx, the Salicylic Acid Day Gentle Cleanser.
Do & Don't
AHA and BHA works the best under a low pH environment, therefore in order for them to work best you should prep your skin with a low pH cleanser or toner. I have not seen a lot of low pH cleansers in the market other than the Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser. Alternatively you could prep your skin with low pH toner before using any chemical exfoliator.
It is not recommended to use AHA and BHA with vitamin C. For your information, a lot of brightening skincare products contain Vitamin C, therefore avoid using AHA and BHA together with any brightening skincare. I am not too sure about them being together causing irritation but in my knowledge, AHA and BHA tend to break down Vitamin C causing it to lose its effect and rendering it redundant. Brightening products are not cheap, do not waste your money!
How I introduce AHA & BHA to my skincare routine?
To avoid irritation, I decided to start off by introducing just AHA to my skincare at the moment. I was contemplating between the Pixi Glow Tonic (5% Glycolic Acid) and The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toning Solution (7% Glycolic Acid). People have been raving about these 2 products all over the internet. In the end I go for the Pixi Glow Tonic, hoping to start with a product that has lower content of Glycolic Acid. Another alternative is the Cosrx AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid which contains 7% of Glycolic Acid as well.
Why I prefer an AHA toner over an AHA solution is because I want something light and refreshing. It is just my personal skincare routine actually, I love layering my skincare products. Since both toner and solution contain the same main ingredient, of course I am going after the lighter version.
I have switched my skincare quite a bit a few months back, instead of washing my face with cleanser twice a day (once in the morning and once in at night) I only use it once a day now, which is during night time. I have replaced the literal cleansing step in the morning with using the Pixi Glow Tonic. The reason why I used to wash my face with cleanser in the morning is because, first, I do not like the skincare residue on my face from last night, especially when I use facial oil or sleeping mask the night before, my skin does not feel fresh and clean without a cleanser. Second, I feel like I have to have a fresh canvas in the morning for my morning skincare products to really sink in and work.
It takes some time to get used to my new skincare routine honestly and Pixi Glow Tonic works really well to my skin. It does tingle a little when I first started using it, in a good way of course. I actually love the tingling sensation, it gives me the impression that the product is really working on my skin. I have been using it for nearly a month now and I am loving it. My skin hasn't been so smooth and soft in a very long time. I have noticed some of my acne scars have faded and my skin is literally glowing
I am thinking of introducing BHA to my skincare later on and I am keen of trying the Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid.
I am loving this whole acids journey and can't wait to try more, for example salicylic acid. You guys should give it a try, you just have to be more patient, give it a little time to work, try and error and it should be alright.
I am loving this whole acids journey and can't wait to try more, for example salicylic acid. You guys should give it a try, you just have to be more patient, give it a little time to work, try and error and it should be alright.
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