dr. dennis gross, will you marry me? (how i exfoliate my face)
If you’ve ever heard of “chemical exfoliants,” and physically had your a$$ cheeks clench at the sound of something chemical going onto your face, please know that you are not alone.❤️
I honestly think that if you’re a beginner with skincare, this is an encouraged reaction when someone mentions something like this to you because not everything out in the market is truly “beginner-friendly.”
WHAT ARE CHEMICAL EXFOLIANTS?
Chemical exfoliants are ingredients that (for lack of a better word) “dig deeper” or “go one step further” with your skin. Examples include BHAs: beta hydroxy acids and AHAs: alpha hydroxy acids. Salicylic acid is an example of a BHA and they’re meant to go deep within the pores and clear debris / excess sebum. Glycolic acid or lactic acid are examples of AHAs and they work on the surface of the skin to remove the dead skin cells. There are definitely other types of chemical exfoliants like PHAs but we’ll focus on these two for today’s post.
For awhile, people thought St. Ives was an exfoliant that works to dig deep in pores or “scrub off” the nasty on the surface of your skin; but, turns out, products like these where there are “hard pieces” in the formulation (St. Ives uses crushed walnut shells) do more harm than good. There’s a reason it’s still a cult favorite, though, and why the class action lawsuit in 2018 was thrown out. So, no shame if you use it and it works. Nevertheless, opting for chemical exfoliants is a more reliable choice given the heavy research to back it up.
DO I NEED TO HAVE IT IN MY ROUTINE?
(*read my disclaimer here, please!)
Um, I would probably say the safest answer is no *.
I will say, though, that they elevate the routine and help answer some questions you might have. For example, salicylic acid is a unique ingredient that truly works deep within your pores. There isn’t much of an alternative that can do this (besides retinol, extractions, other exfoliants and pore strips💀).
When I first started my skincare journey, I accidentally overused The Ordinary’s Peeling Solution. This is a great product that works to unclog pores, resurface the skin and more; but, this product (and other chemical exfoliants) are extremely dangerous if used way too much. When chemical exfoliants are overused, they can wreak havoc on the health of your skin’s moisture barrier. This barrier functions as a “wall” to retain moisture within the skin. When this wall is weakened by strong products like chemical exfoliants, it allows irritants to permeate through your barrier and cause breakouts, flakiness / dryness and overall mess.
So, to answer your question: No, you might not need it in your routine - and - yes, you might find you do need it. It depends on what your goals are and what you need to do to maintain your own skin. If you do decide to include it in your routine, ensure you don’t overuse it.
How can you do this? Well… I’m not a professional so I can’t provide a specific frequency custom to your skin / needs; but, I will give you my routine and how I incorporate it into my week of routines. ⤵
MY EXFOLIATING ROUTINE:
*affiliate
₊⊹⁀➴ click here to watch me do my exfoliating routine!
The Pros recommend that chemical exfoliants be used 2-3x/week if you have dry skin. Other skin types have different recommendations but since I’m a dry skin type, I definitely wouldn’t even attempt to do more than 3 times per week.
My current go-to chemical exfoliant are the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Pads.* Chemical exfoliants come in different forms: serums, toners, pads… So, it’s ultimately up to you which way you prefer (and which chemical exfoliants you want to use). These pads by DDG have both AHAs and BHAs and it works to target uneven skin texture, uneven skin tone and clogged pores (this post isn’t sponsored, lol).
When I’m exfoliating, I know to avoid using both retinol and vitamin C in the same routine. These ingredients don’t mix well with chemical exfoliants, and (you probably can guess), would damage your moisture barrier and cause more harm than good. This is typically why I say I like to reserve my chemical exfoliant usage during the evenings while my vitamin C usage is in the morning.
Since chemical exfoliants are drying, hydration is a BIG KEY for ensuring there’s a good balance when using strong products like this, especially if your skin is naturally dry. Because LESS IS ALWAYS MORE, I try to ensure all the focus is on the chemical exfoliant and then follow up the rest of my routine with basic, hydrating products. I’ll list out the steps of my routine below during exfoliation night; but, remember — everyone’s routine might look different and what works for me might not work for you. Take what I say with a grain of salt and always do your research.
to see a list of all products i’m using in my skincare routines, CLICK ME!DOUBLE CLEANSING
CHEMICAL EXFOLIANT
HYDRATING TONER
HYDRATING SERUM
EYE CREAM
MOISTURIZER
FACIAL OIL
with love,
