Glycolic Acid and why it’s so AMAZING!!
WONDERFUL NEWS! You can still take care of your skin at home. It’s a sad time right now for all of us not being able to go to External Affairs. We miss being at work just as much as you miss coming for your favourite treatments but as we try to flatten the curve we need to make adjustments and do what we can from home. This includes keeping up with proper skin care.
If you haven’t read Becky’s blog on Derma Rollers or seen Carol’s video about the Retinol peel on our Instagram channel you need to go do that right after reading this because we may not be able to do your toxins, microneedling, photofacials or filler right now but we can give you information about the best products to be using at home until we are able to re-open our doors. This blog is all about Glycolic Acid and why everyone needs to include this ingredient in there at home regime.
What is Glycolic Acid?
Glycolic acid is a type of acid that comes from the sugar cane plant. It is one of many Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA’s) that are derived from different animal and plant sources and used in a variety of skincare products.
How does it work?
Glycolic acid is an exfoliant and will help to shed off the dead skin cells, it does this by dissolving the “glue” that holds our skin cell layers together allowing them to shed off. Sometimes we use the analogy of your skin being like bricks and mortar. The “glue” is the mortar between the bricks and the bricks are your skin cells. We want to dissolve and break down that mortar so we can get those bricks off and replace them with new bricks.
Why should you use it?
With the simple job of exfoliating off that top layer of dead skin cells it’s doing so many amazing things for your skin all at the same time.
Making it brighter - dead skin cells give us a dull grayish appearance so exfoliating them off leaves your skin looking brighter and more radiant. Who doesn’t want a more youthful glow!
Making it smoother - by removing that layer some of the SURFACE lines may be more diminished. This is not to say all your lines and wrinkles will be gone BUT some of the more subtle surface lines will be less apparent.
Minimizing discolouration - this would include acne scars, post inflammatory hyperpigmentation and in some cases melasma (if using in conjunction with other proper melasma fighting ingredients.) Long term use of glycolic acid can help reduce pigmentation in the skin by having those cells that are discolored come off and be replaced by newer cells that are more evenly pigmented.
Increasing product absorption - Removing the barrier of dead cells allows for not just glycolic acid to penetrate farther into the skin but all your other wonderful EA products.
Who benefits from glycolic acid?
Everyone.
Anyone can use glycolic acid, it comes in different strengths and forms so it can easily be added to your personal skin regime in some form or another. We recommend that if you are 35 or younger you should have a glycolic acid product and if you are over 35 we can include glycolic in our routines alongside retinol.
Wondering what you should be using? Email us at eabeautyadvise@gmail.com and one of our skin specialists will get in touch with you, it’s always best to ask an expert if you're unsure of what you need.*This product is not recommended to use while pregnant.
FUN FACT: Out of all the AHA’s, glycolic acid has the lowest molecular weight so due to it’s small molecular size it can easily penetrate the skin. That is why glycolic acid is so effective.
What are the different strengths in the EA line?
Glycolic acid is an ingredient, therefore it is found in many different products with varying percentages. External Affairs line has 4 different products in the EA line with Glycolic Acid that can be found on our online store. We carry the Dual Action Toner (5%), Glycolic Gel (10%), AHA Clarifier (12%) and AHA Marine Moisture (15%).
Some people may want to jump right into the highest percentage after reading this article or when first starting because everyone thinks more is better but that’s not the case with this type of ingredient. We have a variety of strengths and products so we can customize a skincare regime to each client.
To really find out what the best product choice for your skin is, we encourage you to contact us at eabeautyadvise@gmail.com so we can gather proper information about your skin before a recommendation.
How should it be used?
Glycolic can be applied both AM or PM. Every client’s product line varies a little bit so in some cases we have clients use it only AM or only PM, other times we have them use it both. If you are a first time glycolic user we recommend that you start on it more gradually, so instead of using it daily we would recommend they use it every 2-3 days for 2 weeks to allow for the skin to get used to it.
How often you use it and when you use it is dependent on what other products you are using as well as the overall appearance and health of the skin.
IMPORTANT: If you are using a glycolic product in the morning then an SPF 15 or higher MUST be applied overtop…but that shouldn’t be a problem because you are already wearing sunscreen 365 days a year anyways right?!?!
Why choose the EA product line?
We carry medical grade products, meaning the PH balance of all the products is low (which is what you want for better absorption,) the active ingredients are high quality and there are less filler additives in the products. We pride ourselves on training and being knowledgeable in the services and products we offer and we know all the details about every single product on our shelves.
"The best foundation you can wear is glowing healthly skin."
At the moment of writing this, as our business is currently closed due to trying to flatten the curve of COVID-19 it’s more important now than ever before to support all the local and small businesses you can.
