Want Beautiful Skin? Andrea Has Five Recommendations For Chemical Exfoliation.

Fitness & Health
Written By Karen Wagner

By Andrea Berman

Exfoliation is the removal of dead skin cells either through a product or treatment from the top layer of skin. Along with a consistent daily skincare routine, it is a crucial step to improving the look and health of the skin. I am going to discuss the types of at-home exfoliation techniques and chemical exfoliation specifically. I will also define why it’s an easy game changer, particularly for mature skin, and will recommend a few at-home products depending on your skin needs and type.

Benefits of Exfoliation

Our skin naturally sheds dead skin cells from the skin’s surface. It is estimated that humans shed around 30-40,000 dead skin cells per minute which amounts to millions of cells per day. This is all part of an important renewal cycle: new skin cells are produced in the deeper layers of the epidermis and older cells migrate toward the surface.

But what happens when we age? Our skin becomes slower to exfoliate efficiently on its own, and as a result, skin cells build up, leaving the complexion dull, rough, and dry.

Exfoliation helps speed things up again—to expedite this naturally occurring process. Newer, healthier cells come to the surface more quickly and expose skin that is:

1. immediately more luminous and smooth;

2. better able to absorb additional skincare products;

3. stimulated to build collagen which in turn tightens skin.

Types of Exfoliation

There are 2 main types of skin exfoliation: physical and chemical.

  • Physical exfoliation involves the use of a physical or mechanical means to remove dead skin cells. This method includes scrubs, brushes/sponges, or even microdermabrasion typically performed by a professional.

  • Chemical exfoliation, as its name suggests, involves leveraging specific chemical compounds to dissolve/eliminate dead skin cells.

Chemical exfoliation offers a less abrasive yet highly effective approach to exfoliation that is highly beneficial for thinner mature skin. Let’s discuss this method in more detail.

Chemical Exfoliation

Chemical exfoliants can be broadly categorized into two main types: alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs).

  • AHAs are water-soluble and primarily work on the skin's surface. They also unglue while hydrating and therefore are good for drier more mature skin. Two of the most prevalent AHAs are glycolic and lactic acids.

  • BHAs are oil-soluble and can penetrate into the pores, making them effective for skin with pores that tend to clog including oily and acne-prone skin. The most common is salicylic acid and its lesser-known derivative, betaine salicylate.

Below is an overview of some of the more common chemical exfoliants and their benefits.

Choosing the Best Exfoliant for You.

While chemical exfoliation offers numerous benefits for mature skin, it is not a one size fits all. Consideration should be given to the exfoliant type and concentration based on your skin needs.

If you are just starting out on your exfoliation journey, these guidelines are helpful:

  • Begin with a lower concentration of any chemical exfoliant and increase as tolerated; ramping up too quickly can damage the skin

  • Begin slowly and exfoliate no more than 2 times per week .

  • The exfoliant strength chart below helps gauge where to start:

Glycolic Acid 5-20%

Lactic Acid 5-10%

Salicylic Acid No more than 2%

An AHA/BHA product that is in a cream form vs serum may be less irritating since it will have more emollients in it. Start by choosing a less aggressive exfoliant (i.e. lactic acid vs glycolic) to see how well your skin tolerates it. Know that just because a particular acid is less “powerful” does not make it less effective

Chemical Exfoliant Choices

With many products on the market right now, here are just a few that I have used listed in order of less powerful to more powerful.

Finally, using sunscreen is more critical than ever to preserve your great results and to protect from increased photosensitivity.

Good luck on your chemical exfoliation journey!

Andrea is a beauty expert with a blog, The Beauty Maestra. dedicated to those of us in our fifties and beyond who are interested in transformative insights about our specific skin and beauty needs.

Karen Wagner
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