Many people can go to any length to always ensure they stand out and always look great. This has revolutionized the beauty industry as different treatments keep materializing. Unfortunately, some of these treatments are unfavorable for skin safety and health. It is essential to exercise caution when picking products to use on the delicate facial skin area.
The good news is that there are treatments that can help you achieve the look you want safely. However, most treatments need patience and consistency to achieve desired results. This is where cleansers, moisturizers, and serums come in. But how does a glycolic cleanser work, and is it different from other cleansers? Keep reading to know what this is and how to maximize its benefits.
What is a Glycolic Cleanser?
Before you introduce a new product into your skincare regimen, it is vital to understand what it is. Learn about its active ingredients and appreciate its impact on your skin. Besides that, you also need to know how it works to prevent being caught off guard.
A glycolic cleanser is a facial cleanser that uses glycolic acid as an active ingredient. This glycolic acid, on the other hand, is an alpha hydroxy acid ( AHA), a well-known chemical exfoliant.
Recently, the skin care industry has experienced a rise in the use of AHAs and other chemical exfoliants. There has been a significant shift from rough physical exfoliants to chemical peels, which are more effective and safe for facial skin.
The glycolic acid works on the skin by breaking down the part holding dead skin cells together. As such, this simplifies the removal of all dead skin cells and promotes skin resurfacing. As a practical and helpful ingredient for skin care, it is not surprising that it is featured in many products, including cleansers.
All one needs to do is understand how best to maximize its use for better results. It starts by choosing the correct percentage of glycolic acid and observing the right frequency to prevent overuse. Finding the best product for your skin is not enough and only serves as the first step. Below are a few tricks that can improve your glycolic cleanser experience.
Choose the Right Time to Use it, preferably in the P.M
Glycolic acid in the cleanser is an active ingredient. It is, therefore, best to use it at night as this allows the product’s active component to work with the slightest disturbance. Usually, sunlight exposure and other environmental factors can affect the products you use on your face.
However, the impact of such elements is significantly reduced at night. Consequently, your skin gets ample time to recover and absorb some of the best ingredients from your products.
As professional skincare experts recommend, glycolic acid products are best used at night. Besides that, always wear good sunscreen before stepping out in the morning. Choose a sunscreen that has SPF 30 and above.
Look at the Percentage in the Product
Always focus on the ingredients list when picking a glycolic acid product from the shelves. Since your face wash is a daily-use product, it should have a low percentage of glycolic acid. In most cases, toners and face masks with glycolic acids will have a higher percentage than face washes.
Your facial cleanser should have 8 to 10 percent of glycolic acid, which is low enough to use daily safely. Pay close attention to these details to ensure that you are picking a safe product. The last thing you need is to start rectifying a mistake that could have been avoided.
Follow up with a Moisturizer
All active skin care products can easily irritate sensitive skin. As such, it is best to follow up with a good moisturizer after using them. This also applies to glycolic products such as cleansers. Going for a skincare check to verify your skin type before using glycolic products is best.
Always use a rich moisturizer to counter the sensitivity. Remember that glycolic acid will leave your skin bare after exfoliation, which means it is prone to a lot of dryness and general skin irritation. Using a good moisturizer serves as a barrier that not only protects the skin but rehydrates it and gives you the plumping effect you may want.
Stay Away from Direct Sunlight Exposure
As with all other active ingredient products, limit sunlight exposure if you cannot avoid it altogether. If you must go out, use good quality sunscreen with a high SPF. The goal is to protect the exfoliated, more exposed, and sensitive skin. Such skin is prone to sun damage and can interfere with the progress that you have already made.
Stay Away from Exfoliating Scrubs
Once you begin using glycolic acid products, discontinue the use of all other exfoliates. You should stop using physical scrubs such as coffee, sugar, and salt scrubs. It doesn’t matter how effective they were before. Don’t over-scrub your skin, as this can cause more issues instead of doing you good. Secondary breakouts and other skin sensitivity issues could result from over-scrubbing.
Final Thoughts
Take advantage of glycolic acid cleansers whenever you can. However, be sure to do it safely and ensure that you choose quality products you can trust. Be sure to liaise with a skin professional if unsure about the product. Only introduce it to your regimen when you are confident about its effectiveness and use.