Taking A Look At Alpha Hydroxy And Beta Hydroxy Acids
Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) creams are great for gentle exfoliation of your skin. Salicylic Acid which is a Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) on the other hand behaves more like a systemic on the skin. These can aid in reduction of acne and the bacterial growth that contributes to it.
However, there are divided camps on the use of Beta Hydroxy Acids due to their ability to penetrate deep into the pores, breaking through the oily barrier which helps to break apart sebum buildup and unclog the pore. With this ability this ingredient can be a cause for some concern for it aging the skin despite the benefit to it helping to clear up acne.
Since Salicylic Acid, otherwise known as a Beta Hydroxy acid, acts like a systemic, it continues to work deep inside the skin which is why it can cause damage to the cell renewal process. Using this ingredient on a consistent basis may be less desirable and will in the long run cause damage to collagen reproducing cells which in turn can cause premature aging.
Alpha Hydroxy Acids on the other hand help to exfoliate surface cells and are far more gentle to sensitive skin types, except in the case of Glycolic Acid which is a derivative of sugar cane. This is typically found in higher levels of 10% and this is where one's skin experiences the burning or stinging sensation. Although this works well for therapeutic treatment of acne it is also a major stress factor on skins delicate mantle.
Repeated use of this concentration will create an ongoing inflammation (redness) of the skin, preventing skin from actually healing. If you must use these ingredients, try to limit them to once per week so skin can calm and heal in between applications.
We want to calm and soothe our acne not create more damage. A daily use of a blend of fruit acids in lower concentrations can have similar benefits through a cumulative effect without the irritation. Also, when using AHA or BHA products, you must watch your sun exposure since your skin is more prone to burning.
Our ONATI Skin Care products using the cumulative effect will fit the bill for taking gentle care of your skin, through the use of a wonderful blend of fruit acids (AHA's) in our cleansers, facial toner, and facial serum without creating that ongoing pinkish irritation. In fact, our best skincare regimen for irritated skin has the perfect advice to follow for being kind and gentle to your face.
A Much Better And Gentler Solution To Acne Treatment
People with acne should only wash their face twice a day, maximum, unless doing so after extreme exercise, and even then, a simple rinsing of the skin with warm water may be all that is needed.
Use all natural facial creams and cleansers without pore clogging ingredients with a Micro Fiber washcloth. We offer a velvet soft waffle weave for aiding in gentle exfoliation of your skin. Even if you suffer with extremely sensitive skin these face towels are quite gentle to fragile skin. Our micro fiber towels will exfoliate and buff skin to a lovely healthy shine without any irritation that is typically caused by a standard terry cloth towel. The results are actually quite amazing.
Benzoyl Peroxide can be another great acne medication and works very well in concentrations as little as 2-5%. It creates oxygen within the skin so the Propionibacterium Acnes can not survive since the bacteria lives in an anaerobic environment and oxygen being aerobic, kills it.
Again however, those with mature skin may not find it beneficial based on how dry it can make their skin. We prefer a gentle solution of hydrogen peroxide once in awhile after washing. This can contribute greatly to healing acne or the occasional pimple and its concentration is perfect for doing it very gently, plus it oxygenates and then it is gone. Other peroxide treatments in ointment form tend to be systemic until washed off. Also remember, you must moisturize even if you have oily skin since acne treatments will tend to cause severe dryness to the face creating an environment for more sebum to be produced.
What Can Happen When Changing Your Skin Care Regimen
Now this might be difficult to believe for some; a pimple takes 3-6 weeks to form under the skin. You will not even know it is there until it pops up of its own accord over time. This is why our faces will get the occasional zit or several pimples here and there. It is all about timing and how and when the pimple began to form. One day of not cleaning our face, wearing a pore clogging makeup, perspiration under a headband left on too long. The pimple forming was created by something we missed or did to our skin several weeks back.
Please realize that the use of any acne treatment may result in a few more blemishes due to the cell proliferation which occurs in removing dead skin cells from the face, can take up to several weeks before you notice an improvement and can make it seem as though your acne is getting worse. A similar reaction can occur when starting a new organic skin care or acne regimen with a massive breakout due to the toxins within the pores are now being drawn out and the regeneration of new skin is occurring much more rapidly.
These pimples were already there hiding under the skins surface, only now being exposed because of ingredient profiles which enhance the ruptures and then begin the healing process. So be patient and allow the new regimen of skin care time to help detox your skin and correct your acne problem. Be kind to your face with the proper skin care and preferably use products that will be gentle to already fragile skin. While going through this transformation, our mineral makeup products, which include our 3 formulas for different skin types in our mineral foundation, can help soothe the irritation while providing gentle coverage to delicate skin.