Tag: exfoliation

08
Apr

The difference between AHAs and BHAs.

Since launching Go-To, and including AHAs in the range, I have had a mountain of questions from dames regarding them, and BHAs, and is the range safe for pregbots and suitable for blemished faces and so on.

So, I thought I would conduct a small, cute lesson on these compounds, both of which WILL make your skin better. Now please pop on your learning beanies or at the very least just skim to the bits that are succinct and dot-pointed so you can get back to filing your nails.

As an introduction, Hydroxy Acids, (which are in both BHA and AHAs) are active skin care ingredients that improve acne and congestion, reduce pigmentation and brighten/even the skin tone,  help reduce discolouration, and reduce the look of wrinkles and fine lines. Plus, they give glow. Lots of lovely glow. 

ALL ABOUT THE BHAs

Starts with a ‘B’ not an ‘A’

Short for Beta Hydroxy Acids, and derived from man-made sources. The most common BHA is salicylic acid, but there is also benzoic acid and buteric acid.

BHAs are the best option for acne, oily skin types, blackheads, blemishes and breakouts. (BHAs don’t have a direct effect on acne bacteria, but they DO clear mild to moderate acne nicely without over drying.)

BHAs’ chief job and skill is deeply cleaning out that nasty oil and build-up in your pores, and limiting the oil on the surface of the skin

Mostly used for clarifying, de-oiling, deep-cleaning the skin, and hugely popular in anti-acne skin care

Oil-soluble (making them terrific for cutting through all that oil and mess in your pores)

Also great at whipping up scrambled eggs for lazy sundays

Less irritating than AHAs

BHAs work best in lower concentrations, so ideally the sally acid should be listed as one of the final ingredients on your product

BHAs are not suitable for pregnant women

BHAs won’t increase sun sensitivity

Use in this order: Cleanser then toner then BHAs then serums then face cream then sunscreen (during the day).

Good BHA prods: Clinique Clarifying Lotion, Mario Badescu Anti-Acne Serum, Dermalogica Clearing Skin Wash, NeoStrata Clear and Smooth anti-blemish pads … which also has some AHAs – not uncommon in acne prods; many combine AHAs with BHAs.

 

Dermalogica Skin Clearing WashClinique Clarifying LotionMario Badescu Anti-Acne Serum

 

AND NOW THE AHAs

Starts with an ‘A’ not a ‘B’

Short for Alpha Hydroxy Acids, AHAs are derived from plant, fruit and milk sugars, and are most commonly: glycolic, lactic, citric and mandalic acids.

AHAs are a chemical exfoliant (as opposed to a physical one, such as a face scrub)

AHAs are excellent for dry, dull, aged or uneven-toned/sun-damaged skin

Will walk the dog if asked nicely

Mostly used for anti-ageing and skin refining due to their excellent exfoliation properties, e.g: their ability to diminish lines and wrinkles, retexture the skin, fade pigmentation and brighten the skin

Water-soluble

AHAs break down the ‘glue’ that holds dead skin cells together, allowing rank, dull, old skin cells to fall off and new, fresh skin cells to come through

Like the good, thorough exfoliant they are, AHAs allow the products you use next (serums, masques, creams) to penetrate better and do a better job.

AHAs can be irritating and cause sensitivity and are definitely stronger than BHAs. Always start off with low doses and usage and build up a tolerance. Or, better yet, play it safe (but still get great results) by sticking to one AHA product, used 3 x a week.

AHAs can turn on you if you’re not careful. Layering AHA products each day and night is stupid and extremely short-sighted. Be careful. I have friends who unknowingly use an AHA serum, cleanser and face cream daily and while their skin looks great today, in a short time, if this level of multi-tiered chemical exfoliation is maintained, skin sensitivity and photosensitivity of the irreversible nature will set in. This is both the beauty and the curse of AHAs… people get addicted to the glow and start to overuse, an altogether terrible idea as your skin has only finite layers and you can’t just exfoliate and exfoliate forever – skin ends up raw and sensitised and prone to rosacea etc etc.

AHAs make your skin sensitive to the sun. If you use AHAS you MUST USE SUNSCREEN EACH DAY. Must! And please try to ensure it is photo-stable also. (So, use a physical/mineral one with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide ideally. And avoid avobenzone, which is not photo-stable.)

Use in this order, and preferably save your AHAs for the PM: cleanser then toner then AHAs then serums then face cream then eye cream.

Some good AHA prods: Alpha-H Liquid Gold, Go-To Exfoliating Swipeys, MD Formulations Facial Cleanser with 12% Glycolic Acid, Olay Regenerist Night Resurfacing Elixir.

 

md-formulations-facial-cleanser-with-glycolic-250mlGo--Exfoliating-Swipeys-50-wipes-4995olay-night resurfacing elixir


Of course, many people use both BHAs and AHAs and that’s perfectly fine (and a lot of products incorporate both, especially skin-clearing products) I just recommend the slowly, slowly, gently gently approach, both when you first dive in, and just always and forever, really.

Responses to this drivel: 47 Comments
26
Jun

Q&A: Is the Clarisonic worth it?

Zoe, do I need a Clarisonic? Everyone is talking about them but I don’t know if really just a cream cleanser will do (and a bi-weekly scrub). Have you written about them before? I have dry, sensitive skin, prone to a little patchy eczema in winter, but otherwise manageable. I also get the occasional break-out around my chin, which I’m told is hormonal. Meg

Oh, Meg. Silly, silly Meg. I will never tell someone they “need” something, unless it is to wear sunscreen or to fill in their brows or to try pink lipstick or lash extensions or gradual tanner or this awesome pimple drying lotion that really works or dry shampoo.

What a hilarious joke! I am the biggest and most loving beauty bully this side of a revolving door.

Now, in fact I have written about the Clarisonic before, and I use one myself – the original Clarisonic Mia, $140-ish (there is a Mia 2 now, $179-ish, and it has cool colours and cool beeps that tell you when to move on to the next part of your face) – on occasion. I do get lazy, I must admit. I used about 5x a week when I first got it, but too much travel makes falling in love with appliances tricky.

I like the Clarisonic for the reasons most people do:

Skin feels more smooth.

Makeup seems to go on better, and you get a better application.

Skin care products used afterwards seem to penetrate deeper. Terrific news for those spending serious clams on serums.

It is gentle, and after using it, the skin feels extra clean, and glowing, and debris is thoroughly removed.

These are all good things. Especially if you’re dry-skinned, or the type to work outdoors in grime, or wear, say, sunscreen, primer and foundation and then colour makeup each day. (Like I do sometimes, and when one round of cleanser won’t cut it.)

Let me not be your guide, though, because I know at least six women personally who LOVE and SWEAR by and WANT TO THIRD BASE their Clarisonic. One of them is a girl called Gwyneth Paltrow, with whom I do jazz ballet with on Tuesdays.

 ClarisonicMia

 

But is it for you, Meg? Let’s see. Obviously I can’t see your skin, and double obviously I am a writer, not a beauty therapist, but I’ll have a crack:

You currently cream cleanse and bi-weekly scrub – this sounds like good practice to me. And great job on the cream cleanser for dry/sensitive skin. Anything too foaming and scratchy will irritate you. You may even like to switch to a chemical exfoliant, something with lactic or citric acid, say rather than a physical exfoliant (“scrub.”) I prefer these because they exfoliate evenly, and feel more thorough. Personal choice. (I especially enjoy exfoliating “peely” wipes, like these Philosophy Microdelivery Pads.)

philosophy-microdelivery-multi-peel-pads

 

 

The hormonal breakouts? The jury is out, but a few bloggers seem to think it helps lessen the anger of the breakouts and the number of blemishes (I would put this down to the basic fundamental of your skin being cleaned properly, and the treatment products being used up next being able to sink in real good and do their job.) Some say it makes it worse.

So, bottom line, yes, you might love it. You might love it a lot. A deep clean is paramount to Great Skin, and the Clarisonic certainly ensures that. If you’re not getting it from the Clarisonic, then that 2-3 weekly exfoliation will do the trick.

Responses to this drivel: 51 Comments