AHA or BHA? The $64,000 Question

     The title is exaggerating. It's actually not that difficult of a question to answer. What is your skincare issue? Clogged pores and breakouts? Tough uneven skin? Enlarged pores? Use a BHA. There's only one BHA: Salicylic acid. A normal strength would be 2%. If your skin is sensitive to BHAs, use a 1%. If your skin is less sensitive and it tolerates acids well, try going up to a 4 or 5% several times a week. The more severe your skin problems are, the more often you need to use your BHA. If that means using a weaker strength so you can apply morning and evening, do that. You need to be applying it to your face regularly for you to see a change in your skin. I use a 2% gel in the morning and rotate between a 4% and a 9% in the evening. I always purchase my BHAs from Paula's Choice. I prefer the gel formulation when given an option.

     Having problems with dry skin? Signs of premature (or mature?) aging? Dealing with Rosacea or Psoriasis? Dark spots, scars, or hyperpigmentation? AHAs are going to be your product. Y'all are lucky because there are multiple AHAs available, the most common ones being Glycolic acid, Lactic acid, Malic acid, Citric acid, and Tartaric acid. The most studied AHAs are Glycolic and Lactic. You should probably start with one of those. Skincare experts used to say that Glycolic acid was a better choice because it has a higher bioavailability, due to its smaller molecular size, and therefor could penetrate the skin more efficiently. The flipside is that Glycolic acid is more irritating since it penetrates so quickly. Lactic acid is a larger molecule that penetrates slower. This means less irritation. Lactic acid also some added benefits of increasing skin hydration. Lactic acid products are harder to find, and usually more expensive, but it's worth trying to find one if you are struggling with a skin issue and have very sensitive skin. Concentrations of AHAs are going to be somewhere in the 4-10% range. As before, use as high a concentration as you can use without causing dryness or peeling. I definitely "feel" an AHA more than BHA on my skin. There is a tingling and mild burning, even at normal concentrations. The feeling goes away after a few minutes, and it is never painful, but I thought I should warn you.

     The good news is that it won't hurt you to use the wrong one. And if your skin type leads you to a BHA, it's a good idea to throw an AHA on a few times a week. I use a BHA twice a day and I've currently added in a Lactic acid AHA twice a day as well. YOUR SKIN MAY VARY!!!!! Just because my skin handles that much exfoliation does NOT mean that your skin will. And I had to work up to this level. Use as much as your skin can handle and no more. If you are still having the original skin issues (and no irritation from the acid) after a few months of acid treatment, slowly start increasing your concentration. But ONLY if you are still having problems.

     As per my earlier blog post, the most important thing to consider when using an acid is pH! Make sure your acids are well below 7, usually in the 3-4 range. Look online for websites that give you pHs of various products. Acid product reviews on Beautypedia usually list the pH. If it doesn't have an acidic pH, your acid is no longer an acid and you're wasting time and money.

Random Encounters: They Happen All. The. Time.

     So, last Friday I picked up my neighbor and we went to Good Friday Service. Afterwards we stopped by CVS to pick up some meds and my friend wanted to look for a new lipstick. We're standing in front of the L'Oreal products pulling out different lipsticks when a woman approached me and asked if CVS carried bronzers. I said of course! Her response was: "I know you don't work here, but can you help me pick out a bronzer?" "Yep, no problem." We proceed to find a good match from Milani (check them out if you are very fair and have trouble finding a bronzer that isn't too dark) and she said thanks and left. This happens to me frequently. My friend said I must just look helpful. I'm not sure that's it, but I sure enjoy getting to help people find products. Leave me a comment if there's a product recommendation you're looking for and I'll do my best to give you some options.

Cleanser, or, the Skincare Step I Used to Get Horribly Wrong

     Ok, so any skincare routine needs to start with a cleanser. This is pretty intuitive. I mean, come on. First you need to wash all the dirt, sweat, oil, makeup, toxins, and life gunk off your face before you can do anything else. I'd say most people wash their face with something, even if you're one of those people that just uses the soap in your shower, or God forbid, shampoo run-off. So, starting with the premise that most people have one, it's also my opinion that most people have the wrong one. Even if you're spending good money on it and it came recommended from an upscale department store beauty counter, it's still probably wrong. Don't take offense, just keep reading. It gets better. Honestly!
   
     I have oily skin. It used to be extremely oily and I thought that the purpose of a cleanser was to remove every last trace of oil on my skin. I would use incredibly harsh cleansers, sometimes even Dawn dish soap. I would wash my face up to three times a day trying to strip all the oil my skin was making away. Guess what? That does pretty much the opposite. Your skin makes oil to protect itself. If you have oily skin, it makes a bit too much, and if you have dry skin it makes a bit too little. But when you strip all the oil away with harsh detergents you completely dry out the top layers of your skin and this signals your skin to crank out more oil to correct the dryness. This means that if you already have oily skin you're going to make it even oilier. If you have dry skin, your skin is already in a deficit and taking away the little oil it is making is going to exacerbate the dryness. Clear as mud? The take away is that a cleanser should dissolve surface oils, makeup, and sweat so it can be washed away with water. A cleanser that includes a harsh detergent will do much more than that, leading to excess oiliness or dryness, depending on what your skin's default setting is.

     The best way to shop for any skin care product, including cleanser, is to read the ingredient list. I know, sounds easy, until you start tripping over all the 25+ letter long chemical names. That's about as helpful as reading the ingredient list in French. So here's a few tips:

• Stay away from cleansers that contain the following: sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, and ammonium lauryl sulfate. Also SD alcohol, denatured alcohol, or just straight alcohol (cetyl or stearyl alcohol are ok.)
• If the product foams, it's probably too harsh. In general, stay away from foaming face washes.
• Don't use a face scrub as your daily face cleanser. Most scrubs are bad for your skin anyways, and constant physical exfoliation can irritate your skin. If you feel as if you need to use a scrub, just use a warm wet washcloth and gently massage your face to remove your cleanser.
• Balms, creamy cleansers, and cleansing oils are going to be your safest bet, but still check the ingredients.

     A couple of my favorites include the Paula's Choice Optimal Results Hydrating Cleanser, Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm, Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser, Yes to Cucumbers Gentle Milk Cleanser, and Cerave Hydrating Cleanser.

     

     If you're worried that using a creamier cleanser will clog your pores and lead to breakouts, you're probably right. That's why it is imperative to follow your cleansing with a chemical exfoliant if you have problematic skin. Used in conjunction, your skin will stay hydrated without excessive oiliness and your clogged pores will be kept to a minimum.

   
   

Tonight's Shoot

     Had a blast tonight with two of my very dear friends. Did some beautiful makeup on their gorgeous faces and went scouting head shot locations around the neighborhood. Stay tuned for the finished photos, but in the meantime, enjoy some fun outtakes!