Chemical Exfoliation for Dummies: a beginner's guide to the skincare craze

Introduction - The Exfoliation Trend

Skincare-wise, 2013 definitely seemed like the year of exfoliation, more specifically the use of chemical exfoliants. For those of you furrowing your brows in confusion, let me explain: Exfoliation is the process by which you can remove built-up skin cells sitting on the surface of your skin; this can help with unclogging pores, preventing breakouts, improving skin texture and reducing aging effects. In short, exfoliation is an inexpensive skincare addition for any age and skin type! There are two types of exfoliants in skin care:

1. Physical exfoliants: otherwise known as "srcubs" and what is commonly associated with thoughts of exfoliation. Physical exfoliants are a fair option for exfoliating your skin (so long as the scrub is not too abrasive, as these can actually damage you skin's barrier). However, scrubs are also a less effective exfoliant option, given that they are only able to remove the very top layer of your skin, thus not properly removing all of the built-up skin cells clogging your pores. Some examples: cult-classic St. Ives Apricot Scrub + my preferred Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub
2. Chemical exfoliants: these sure took the beauty blogging world by storm this year, though they are really nothing new in terms of ingredients. Basically, chemical exfoliants are a more effective way to reap the benefits of exfoliation as they are capable of removing built-up skin cells that are causing dryness, blackheads, blemishes, wrinkles, etc., when compared to physical exfoliators. I am just about to finish up my first long-term chemical exfoliant, which was the Neutrogena Acne Stress Control 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment (gosh, what a mouthful) so more on that later...

Honourable mention: Exfoliating washcloths can also serve as physical exfoliants. Although these may help prevent abrasive scrubs from tearing into your skin, you should still always be gentle with a washcloth (especially around you eyes).

Chemical Exfoliation

As I mentioned, chemical exfoliants are all the rage in skincare these days, so I'll break it down for you. For credibility purposes, I'll leave the fancy scientific terminology to my skincare guru Paula Begouin (also knows at "the cosmetics cop"), who frequently reviews chemical exfoliants (and all other cosmetics) on the BeautyPedia reviews section of her website paulaschoice.com, and also sells some great options from her own line! 

Essentially, there are also two main varieties of chemical exfoliants:

1. Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs): According to Paula, "AHAs are preferred for sun-damaged and dry skin because they exfoliate on the surface of skin and have the added benefit of also improving moisture content."* Some common forms of AHAs that are featured in many anti-aging cosmetics are glycolic acid, lactic acid, and citric acids. Note: glycolic acid has the smallest molecular size of any AHA, and therefore penetrates the skin most easily. AHAs are often used in professional chemical peels, though at higher levels than what you'd find in widely-available cosmetics. Although AHAs are usually found in products that target the anti-aging market, I (a nineteen year old) still went through an entire bottle of the popular Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner, and will be reviewing soon.
2. Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs): BHAs are most commonly used in products targeted at the acneic/teenage market, especially in spot treatment gels, oil-absorbing toners, or prescription acne medication. The most common form of beta hydroxy acid is salicylic acid, which is fortunately widely available in well-priced drugstore products (good AHA products tend to run more expensive). Paula cites many great reasons to use a BHA exfoliant:

• "BHA is preferred for oily, acne-prone skin and for treating blackheads and white bumps because BHA can get through the oil that's clogging your pores, normalizing the lining of the misshapen pore that contributes to acne."*
• "BHA has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial action. Those are two more reasons to use a BHA exfoliant if you have acne or sensitive, reddened skin."*
• "BHA is preferred for those struggling with rosacea. Not everyone with rosacea can tolerate an exfoliant, but it is wise to experiment with a BHA product to see how your rosacea responds. It is quite likely you'll see less redness and a smoother, more even skin with fewer breakouts."*

The Nitty Gritty

Personally, I have experimented with using an AHA exfoliant and a BHA exfoliant daily, though not at the same time (i.e. I first used my AHA toner daily until completion, and then moved on to a BHA exfoliant daily which I am about to finish). I also like to use a gentle scrub once every week or two, and I am currently using an Olay Definity one (now discontinued). There have definitely been some noticeable improvements in my overall skin texture since I have been exfoliating daily, though I will describe my personal experiences with AHA vs. BHA and more detailed opinions in an upcoming review.

Caution: There are some minor risks that come with the use of chemical exfoliants, namely that using AHAs and BHAs increase your photosensitivity, making your skin more vulnerable to sun damage. Therefore, it is essential that you use a sunscreen of at least SPF 15 (ideally higher) with UVA+UVB protection daily, although hopefully you are doing this already. Sun damage = aging skin, so listen to Mr. Luhrmann and wear your sunscreen! Additionally, it is advised to spot test any new chemical exfoliant first, as sensitive skins could experience irritation/bad reactions. Finally, you should always couple exfoliation with moisturization, either with a separate moisturizer applied afterword or within the same product.

I know that people who frequently read about skincare online will probably already know what chemical exfoliation is. Even if you haven't heard of chemical exfoliants, there's a significant chance that you've used a product that contained some form of salicylic or glycolic/citric acid. The reason that AHAs and BHAs are starting to receive some major hype in the media is because they really do work, overnight and long term. Everyone should benefit from exfoliation, especially in the winter season (since aint nobody got time for extra dead skin cells on your face), so I would highly recommend exfoliating chemically at least once a week if you aren't already. The key is really finding what works for you/your skin type: finding the right chemical (+ concentration), the proper exfoliation routine (AHA vs. BHA vs. both) and frequency. If chemical exfoliants seem too daunting for super-sensitive skin, or if they simply don't float your boat, I would still recommend using a gentle physical exfoliant weekly. There are some great options available at the drugstore, such as the ones listed here.

Wrap Up

In conclusion, chemical exfoliation is good and you should be doing it (assuming you want all of the fabulous skincare benefits). Unfortunately, I can't tell you exactly the right exfoliation regime for you, but I would recommend doing some research online and try to start with low chemical concentrations, read ingredients for any well-known irritants (you may want to research those as well), and try to avoid lots of fragrance. Also, you must always wear some form of SPF, regardless of your exfoliation mmkay? As for myself, I plan on keeping chemical exfoliation in my skincare routine for a long time, and will soon review the AHA and BHA exfoliants that I have tried thus far.

Wishing you all the best,

Megan

*Disclaimer: source for much info; all opinions are my own.