THE MODERN EXFOLIATE
It seems the days of scrubbing at your face with a gritty cream are starting to fade and to be honest I never really loved it in the first place. I’m not a fan of the Clarisonic or anything that feels too harsh or stripping on my skin, so I’m all for these more gentle but extremely effective alternatives.
After years of experimenting and months of reading blog posts by Caroline, I feel like I now have a decent understanding of what my skin needs and something we all need is a bit of acid. The word acid is really scary, but we’re talking acids that are under 10% here, so don’t worry there won’t be any skin burning going on.
As I understand it’s good to keep your skin’s PH towards to more acidic part of the scale so these products help do that. Have you ever heard the words Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) thrown about? Well they’re basically a group of natural acids that are used for all kinds of things, but one we’ve all now heard of is Glycolic Acid which is derived from sugar cane. It’s in a lot of cosmetics such as chemical peels because it’s great for reducing wrinkles, signs of ageing and at improving the skin’s overall look and texture.
The one thing these wonder products above have in common is that they all include Glycolic Acid. I won’t bore you with the science (plus I’m no expert myself!) but in basic terms, the acid exfoliates the outermost layer of skin, producing a smoother texture to follow. It can also increase the collagen in the skin, making it thicker.
I use the Pixi Glow Tonic most nights depending on my skin and how dry it’s feeling. I use it as a toner after cleansing, taking around two pumps on a cotton wool pad and running it over my skin, avoiding my eyes. I use the Alpha-H liquid gold in a similar way, although this one is a bit more intense so I wouldn’t use it more than once a week and it’s more of an overnight treatment. The Nude Miracle Mask is a little different, you gently massage it all over your face (avoiding eyes), leave it for 5 minutes and then remove using a muslin cloth.
I’d recommend them all because they all work, but my favourite has to be the Pixi Glow Tonic because it’s only £16 and feels amazing when you use it. It’s impossible to get hold of because it’s always out of stock and they don’t sell it online, so I usually just pop into the Pixi store when I’m in town but you can also phone them to order one or be added to the waiting list!
Have you tried any of these type of acid exfoliators?
Have you tried any of these type of acid exfoliators?
