It is common for our skin to give us trouble, especially when dealing with emotional stress, weather changes, new diets, sleeping habits, and… maybe MORE? Life can be a lot, and our skin will not hesitate to let us know what its thinking. And as the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, change is the only constant!
Luckily, skincare is a science. While there can be a lot of trial and error in finding the right products for us, learning about the right ingredients for you will help keep your skin healthy throughout all the chaos. Today we’re going to learn a little bit about chemical exfoliants.
AHAs, BHAs, PHAs… What are they?!
These are the chemical exfoliants that have been buzzing around the skincare world for some time now. It may sound a little scary… chemicals? on your face?!
Lets start there: chemicals makeup everything we consume and experience, so there are many different kinds! All skincare products will be made with chemicals- don’t be fooled my “chemical free” marketing, because… there’s no such thing. AHAs and BHAs are generally plant derivatives, and are safe and natural ways to exfoliate. Chemical exfoliants can penetrate a bit deeper than physical exfoliants, and can be more gentle on the skin if used correctly.
New to this? Here are some tips:
If you are new to using chemical exfoliants on your skin, start slow! You’ll want to start with lower percentages, and using maybe up to three times a week. Scale back if your skin is feeling like it’s too much- sometimes our skin will tell us to slow down by becoming more sensitized or developing redness and irritations more easily. If this starts to happen, scale back and focus on soothing ingredients until it’s healed, and then start again with caution.
With time, you can work your way up to using some stronger percentages, or using chemical exfoliants daily. The more often you use products with chemical exfoliants, the more you will notice their effects.
Practice Safe SKIN!
Protection is KEY here! When using active ingredients like chemical exfoliants during the day, you MUST wear sunscreen to protect the skin. I mean, you really should be wearing it daily regardless, but it is especially important when using active ingredients. These ingredients can make our skin more sensitive to light and susceptible to burning, which will not only cause unsightly irreversible damage, but can also be life-threatening.
It is absolutely alright to use products with chemical exfoliants during the day, as long as you apply sunscreen. Stay tuned for more posts about navigating sun protection! In the meantime, feel free to browse the shop to see some highly rated sunscreens.
You may be wondering where to start… We’ve highlighted some products from the shop that are great products to start with for beginners, AND for experienced skin-care lovers!
