Exfoliating: why it's so good for your skin
Every evening I use an exfoliant for my skin, which makes it beautifully glowy and even. I am not blessed with a naturally smooth and shiny skin. If I don't cleanse and care for it properly for a few days, red spots and sebum bumps quickly accumulate on my face. So exfoliating. This gently removes dead skin cells that are floating around on your skin with fruit acids – when they pile up, your skin becomes really dull. A scrub also removes this layer, but if you go a bit too rough with it, you do more harm than good (read: small scars). An exfoliant is applied with a cotton pad or your fingers, much friendlier.
If you haven't used it yet then this is your starting signal, because it not only helps with preventing impurities and dullness, it also prevents skin aging. Your skin needs to get used to it, so the advice is to use it a few times a week at first and then build up to every day. Does your skin react very sensitively? Then stick to those few times a week or look for another variant with a lower concentration of acids that contains an exfoliant. The most well-known types are AHA’s, BHA’s, and PHA’s, but for all types it applies: take your time, then you will reap a lot of skin benefits in the long run. Which one matches your skin best? Check the list below and shop them today.
Alpha Hydroxy Acids: AHA’s
If you have a sensitive skin with impurities and blackheads, this one is not so suitable for you. It is perfect for a dry skin with sun damage (have this checked by a skin specialist once) and fine lines. It is water-soluble so it does not penetrate deeply and only exfoliates the surface against dead skin cells, sebum, and further improves the moisture balance.
Beta Hydroxy Acids: BHA’s
If you have an oily or acne-prone skin, then this is your best friend. BHA’s work anti-inflammatory and antibacterial and that is what you need when your skin is restless. It is an oil-soluble acid that can penetrate slightly deeper into the skin layer and thus cleanses pores and dissolves sebum as much as possible. Perfect if you have clogged and large pores around your nose and other impurities on your face or on the rest of your skin like your back.
Poly Hydroxy Acids: PHA’s
Somewhat less known than the first two, but absolutely indispensable. The PHA’s and AHA’s are quite similar and have almost the same effect on the skin, only PHA’s are a bit softer and friendlier for your skin. Perfect if your skin reacts strongly to AHA’s or BHA’s, then try a product with this fruit acid and perhaps build it up to AHA’s in the long term.
Which texture will you go for?
Regarding the substance, you can rely on your own preference, but sometimes certain textures also fit just a bit better with one skin type than with another. For dry skin, it is best to use a lotion. If you have combination skin, then a gel is ideal and for combination to oily skin, you shop for a thinner liquid exfoliant.
Source: dr. Jetske Ultee and Paula’s Choice
