At Home Glycolic Peels and Intense Exfoliation

It seems that the weather is finally finding its groove and spring has sprung for this week at least. For most of us this means that not only does our mood and wardrobe change, but also our skin texture changes as well. Long, dry winter conditions reek havoc on your face which can lead to dry, tight, rough and drab looking skin. Its time for serious but gentle exfoliation. There are two types of exfoliants, chemical and mechanical. I use both. Chemical exfoliation with glycolic or hydroxy acid tingles and can sting a bit until you build a tolerance to it and it does not aggravate the mild rosacea on my cheeks. Also, the glycolic acid penetrates deeper into my skin, whereas, the mechanical exfoliants slough off dead skin by essentially scratching at it with fine microbeads. Sometimes you just need to get in there and slough off that dead buildup by hand. Always keep in mind that makeup can cover almost any discolouration, however, it cannot mask bumps, depressed pockets and rough looking skin. We tend to put more makeup on top of this problem but it only makes it worse.

A consistent routine of gentle exfoliation is the key to healthy, glowing, smooth and younger looking skin. In using this approach we don't shock our skin, therefore, we decrease our chances of having acne breakouts. The benefits of keeping our skin exfoliated is that we need less products, such as face creams, serums and body creams because our skin absorbs it quicker and its more effective. Less is more rings true when dealing with face products and the key is to have smooth, fresh skin without any buildup so that the product is absorbed quickly and efficiently. In addition, our fine lines, blackheads, and blemishes are diminished and our overall appearance looks fresh and healthy because when we exfoliate we are promoting new skin growth and repair. I used the following items in conjunction with each other and not all at the same time. There is a bad side effect to over exfoliation such as breakouts, dry patches, and redness, please be aware of this. My top weapons are as follows:


Chemical Exfoliation/Peels (Glycolic Acid): Avon Anew Retexturizing Peel **Won Allure Magazine 2008 Best of Beauty Award**

I have been using this product for about five years now and I won't switch. For an at-home chemical peel this is a serious contender. Avon claims that the results from this peel are superior to a professional 35% glycolic acid peel. One saturated pad does your entire face, neck and chest. I use this every other week for 3-4 days in a row and then I let my skin rest and regenerate. This product makes your skin glow and it has actually lightened acne scars on my face. At $25.00 I think this is a steal, not including the fact that Avon often has special deals on their products. I'm not surprised that this product won an award.

Alyria Exfoliating Cream: Levels One and Two

I've blogged about this product before. Its available at medspas and its excellent. I apply it every night as a face, neck and chest cream and the next morning I can't stop touching my skin because its so smooth and soft. Its $40-$45.00 a jar but a tiny bit spread all over and it lasts quite a long time. I'm lost without this cream. I never have a rough nose or chin anymore since using this product. All the exfoliating is done at night while you are sleeping. Love it!!!

Dermalogica Daily Resurfacer (Hydroxy Acid): Both a mechanical and chemical exfoliant

This product is pricey, I paid $97.00 for the container which has 35 packets of abrasive finger mitts saturated in a chemical peel. This stays with me in my travel makeup bag or my gym back. Its very effective because you scrub away and chemically exfoliate at the same time. I don't use this product daily.

Manual Exfoliants: MAC Microfine Refinisher

This products is more well known to the masses and it retails for $26.00. Its superfine micro beads that do an amazing job at sloughing off dead skin. I keep this product handy in the shower because I use it on my whole body. No more butt zits for me ladies! lol Its also great for elbows, knees and any other rough spots you can find.

Bottom line is we need to exfoliate and the younger you start the better you skin will look its best. By exfoliating and doing chemical peels consistently and by wearing at least an spf 30 on a daily basis, especially if you are using glycolic acid or hydroxy acid peels, you won't have to take drastic measure later and dish out the big bucks that it will cost you. Your makeup will look amazing and your skin will thank you for it. Thanks for stopping by.