Have you ever heard “AHA” thrown around in a beauty convo and thought WTH is that? Alpha hydroxy acids (or AHAs, for short) are an incredible way to soften your skin and give you a five-star glow up.
There are two kinds of skin exfoliators, physical and chemical. Physical exfoliators are scrubs- think walnut, almond, and those little plastic balls that we know are bad for the oceans. These scrubs can cause tiny tears in the skin. Bacteria, irritants, and desert dust can enter and cause breakouts. We’ve had enough to deal with in 2020 so this is one big #nothanks!
Chemical exfoliators give us baby-smooth skin, too. Yes, the name sounds scary, but trust us, there is nothing to be afraid about. AHAs are one type of chemical exfoliator. These fruit-derived acids unglue the dead skin cells on our face and slough them off. The skin underneath is as fresh as Drake rapping in Arabic.
There are two main types of AHAs. If your skin is normal, combo, or oily, try out the strongest type, glycolic acid. If your skin is dry, choose lactic. Lactic acid also stimulates the production of natural moisturizers in our skin. As an added benefit, both of these AHAs also help to firm your skin, fade fine lines, and even out your skin tone. What’s not to love!
The next time you play your favorite video game, try out a glycolic mask or lactic acid serum. Use it on your neck and chest too! Remember, you HAVE to use sunscreen the next day (even if you’re a black woman)!
Cosmo recommends:
Biossance Squalane + Glycolic Renewal Mask (Dhs274, www.cultbeauty.co.uk)
The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA Serum (Dhs42, www.aspirebeautyco.com)