Every couple of years, there's a
magical cure-all beauty ingredient to give you amazing clear glowing skin.
Right now those ingredients are acids.
Acids to erase wrinkles, to smooth your
skin, to tighten your skin, to rid your skin of pimples, to make your skin look
like glass.
But with a bunch of acids to choose from, how are you supposed to know
which ones won't leave your face looking like beef carpaccio?
This one says it's
for exfoliation, we've got something for hydration, something for brightening, this
one refines the appearance of pore size, skin texture, and fine lines.
Overwhelmed yet? I know I am. I went to a dermatologist's office to get
some answers.
So chemical peels and skin care acids are pretty much synonymous.
A peel is a procedure, so it's the notion of taking off or peeling a layer of the
skin, but the acid is the actual tool that we use.
Acids that you use in the
over-the-counter market are different and weaker than the ones that we use in
the office for medical procedures.
The popular at-home acids are alphahydroxy,
betahydroxy, and for the sensitive skin folks, polyhydroxy.
AHAs like glycolic
and lactic acid exfoliate the skin on its surface removing layers of dead
cells and reducing the appearance of acne scars, fine lines, and dark
spots.
BHAs or salicylic acid can go beneath the skin surface to clean out
excess oil and has anti-inflammatory properties.
Basically good for those who
are more acne prone.
PHAs are the gentler acids used for exfoliation. They also
attract water molecules which then moisturize your skin. There are other
stronger acids like trichloroacetic acid, but they're considered too dangerous for
at-home products and are only supposed to be used by licensed professionals.
I am here today to get an acid peel of some kind.
I guess I'm a little bit
nervous, because every time I've mentioned to people that I'm going to
get an acid peel they remind me of the infamous Sex in the City scene where
Samantha gets a peel and it's just like, her skin is falling off of her face.
Hi, I've had a chemical peel. I'm Carrie's publicist.
The first
step is the pre-peel cleanser to remove any remaining dirt, oils, or makeup. Next a
low strength glycolic acid is applied. Now, this part is a mix of citric and
mandelic acid along with other ingredients.
The last layer is trichloroacetic acid. Using cotton swabs the doctor goes over
Ashley's problem areas. Face rinse included, the procedure took less than 15
minutes.
I looked in the mirror and I was like, whaaaaat.
Just feels so much brighter
and things that I just kind of thought were freckles I guess are not freckles,
they're skin damage and they're gone!
So . I'm excited to see what happens to my
acne scarring, because I already feel it's a little lighter so I'm pretty
excited to wake up tomorrow morning.
But depending on your skin, how much acid you
use, and the time it's left on, the side effects can be less appealing.
If you use peels too much, whether it's at home or in the office, it is not safe.
Excessive use of peels will weaken your skin. It's gonna slowly peel off the top layer and
make the skin thinner.
When you use stronger acids without medical
supervision, there's a higher risk of accidentally
giving yourself a chemical burn.
The FDA in the cosmetic realm likes to put a
limit at about 10%.
Having said that, you go on any website and you're gonna be
able to find percentages that are higher. Again, if you're just starting out at this,
stick to a product that's around 10%.
Whether you use acids or not,
good skincare routines start with prevention and protection.
The number one
rule is to wear sunscreen. Like, every day.
Although some people will see the
benefits in using acids —
— others won't.
We'll probably always be
fixated on how we present our faces to the world, but if we aren't careful with
the products we use, we risk our choices coming back to burn us in the end.