A picture of a woman pulling away her “bad” skin.
Ideally, we would all have completely clear, baby-soft skin. However, as we grow older, that’s not so much the case for everyone. Aside from the truly lucky ones, most of us suffer at least the occasional breakout, if not more. Skin concerns can range anywhere from hyper-pigmentation, sunspots, dark circles to wrinkles, or fine lines and cystic acne. There are plenty of different possible reasons behind each of these issues. People hit teenage years and suffer hormonal breakouts, and often times, even after the acne has faded, it leaves scarring or hyper-pigmentation: uneven skin tone due to the darkening of an area of skin. Some things, like dark circles or puffy eyes, can be a result of genetics or poor sleeping habits. Also, as we grow older, the elasticity of our skin becomes weaker, causing aged-looking skin. Unfortunately, as these skin problems are some of the most common, they are not the only ones out there. Therefore, it’s important to be proactive and knowledgeable about what exactly we put on our skin. Even to those who only get the occasional zit, being preventative towards future breakouts and aging can only help. Thankfully, there are a few key ingredients to keep the skin as healthy as possible.
Glycolic acid. Glycolic acid is one of the most common alpha hydroxy acids; it is a natural exfoliating ingredient that comes from sugarcane and shows up in several skincare products. This chemical strips the outermost layer of dead skin cells, increasing cell turnover and removing blemishes from the surface of the skin. This ingredient is best for acne-prone and aging skin and can also help to lighten uneven skin tones. This is ingredient is my personal favorite, and I have experienced its miracles firsthand. The best way to benefit from this ingredient is to schedule an appointment at your dermatologist’s office for a glycolic peel, usually done by an esthetician. Treatments in the office are most advantageous given that a greater concentration of glycolic acid will likely be used, and the higher the concentration, the more effective the exfoliation is. Most products that work best will have at least a 10% concentration, but it’s harder in moisturizers, creams and cleansers to get such a high percentage. In my opinion, glycolic acid is most effective in peels and spot treatments. Kinerase Clear Skin Blemish Dissolver ($39 but can be found cheaper on eBay) is a great spot treatment for overnight.
Salicylic Acid. This is probably the most talked about ingredient when it comes to acne-prone skin. It shows up in many cleansers and dermatologist-recommended products to clear breakouts, and it has been proven to be pretty helpful to the skin. Salicylic acid comes from willow tree bark and is a natural beta hydroxy acid. Salicylic acid is actually related to aspirin, and many people don’t know that in addition to being a good medicine, uncoated aspirin pills can make a great face mask by mixing it with water and honey.
Like glycolic acid, it also can be used as an exfoliator. Further, it helps in fading scars and stretch marks and strengthening aging skin. For people with acne-prone skin, glycolic acid and salicylic acid work very similarly; salicylic acid opens up pores and removes dead skin cells from the surface, bringing forth a new layer of skin. In addition, it is also able to dissolve the natural oils our skin produces, which can sometimes accumulate bacteria and be a leading cause of breakouts. In-office peels at a dermatologist are also available for higher concentrations with this acid, and it has been proven to balance skin pigmentation (for those with dark spots), reduce aging signs (fine lines) and scarring. It also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, therefore decreasing redness. Kate Somerville’s ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment–available in many department and cosmetic stores in samples–is a great, abrasive scrub for the face. It may feel a bit harsh, but it leaves you with soft and supple skin, and it truly feels as if you’ve scrubbed the dirt straight away from your face. A more inexpensive option is Clinique’s Exfoliating Scrub. Both have small, yet rougher exfoliating beads that work magic for the skin. I wouldn’t recommend either for extremely sensitive skin –a rice-based exfoliator may be better– but cleanse the skin gently, and you will see beautiful results.
Benzoyl Peroxide. Another common name amongst those with oily, acne-prone skin, benzoyl peroxide is used to tame oil production and treat mild to more severe acne. Usually, oily and acne-prone skin comes as a combination because as the skin produces more oil, our pores or hair follicles becoming increasingly more clogged and dead skin cells begin to build up. The more dead skin cell build-up, the more irritated the pores become, and they can eventually turn into blackheads or whiteheads. Here starts the vicious cycle of acne without taking appropriate measures.
Benzoyl peroxide is also an antibiotic and works to fight inflammatory properties and acne-causing bacteria, Propionibacteria (P. acnes). P. acnes cannot survive in an oxygenated atmosphere whereas benzoyl peroxide oxidizes the skin, or moves oxygen into clogged pores, and kills the bacteria. As someone who deals with blemishes sparingly, my favorite product with this ingredient comes in the form of a face cream, and it is La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo, marketed as a “dual action acne treatment” for oily and acne-prone skin; even those with consistent breakouts have tried and recommended this product. With a 5.5% concentration of benzoyl peroxide, this product has won an award from allure magazine and has recently become available to stores–definitely Walgreen’s–in the US.
Every person is different, and none of these ingredients are ultimately better than the other; however, often times, people find that one of the three works best on their skin for their personal concerns. It’s also important to note that too much of anything is never the perfect solution. Often times, your skin will get used to a particular ingredient and become accustom to its effects, so it’s normal to see weaker results after a long period of sticking to a skincare regimen with one ingredient that may have worked wonders at first. Try switching up one of these main ingredients, and your skin may react pleasantly. If you’ve never tried some of these harsher chemicals, don’t be afraid if you breakout after using it for about a week. By exfoliating the skin, it increases turnover of new skin cells and thus brings acne that may have been in deeper layers of the skin to the surface. To put it simply, if you’re experiencing a “freak-out” period with your skin shortly after switching to a new acid, it’s normal. It’s bringing all bacteria and such to the surface in order to get rid of it faster. Wait it out, and you should be in the clear–literally.