Naturally derived from sugar cane and sugar beets glycolic acid is one of the most popular non-invasive skin treatments for acne, pigmentation, dry skin and general anti-ageing. I’ve been trained by Epiderma5 which is a UK company that specialise in professional skin peels, their products are all free of fragrance, parabens, SLS, SLES, mineral oils and are not tested on animals. I use the 40% glycolic acid peel which is buffered with botanicals such as arnica, green tea, chamomile and allantoin to mitigate irritation and aid in soothing and healing the skin. Glycolic acid is the smallest molecule out of all the AHA’s allowing it to penetrate the skin at the deepest level. The top layer of dead skin cells are able to dissolve by the weakening action that glycolic acids have on the binding properties of the lipids holding the dead skin cells together. This reveals the underlying new skin cells which makes the skin look fresh and glowing and also allows your skin care to penetrate deeper into the skin where it can work rather than being absorbed by the top layer of dead skin. This exfoliating action also helps brighten pigmentation and with keeping the pores clear of dead skin cells which helps with acne (excess oil+dead skin cells+bacteria=acne). Glycolic acid also helps with regulating the sebaceous glands balancing both oily and dry skin and with tightening open pores due to ageing. The anti microbial actions help to control acne and the skin resurfacing effects improve fine lines, tone and textural problems. The Epiderma5 peel provides adequate exfoliation without causing any damage to the skin, it’s a buffered peel with a PH of 3.1, as with all peels your skin will be more sensitive to light so SPF is mandatory.
Problem skin conditions can have weekly treatments for 1 month and then move on to monthly treatments. Glycolic treatments can also be combined with microneedling but not within the same session. This is also a popular treatment with brides because your make-up looks exceptionally smooth after having a skin peel but like with microneedling it’s best to start these a number of months before the wedding. There is no down time and no skin peeling but it’s best to avoid make-up for the rest of the day and use the healing creams for the next few days along with sunblock every day.
You can read more about the skin peels that I do here, if you’ve never had a skin peel before and are interested in tryng one it might be worth trying out some home acids first so you can see how your skin reacts and build up a little tollerance to acids. Pixi do a 5% glycolic Glow Tonic and The Ordinary do a 7% Glycolic toner and a 30% face mask, just make sure when you’re ready to try a stronger salon treatment you stop using your home products a week or two before. You can read more about acids for home use here.
It’s never too late to start investing in a good skin care routine, it’s a long term investment so although some treatments can show instant results sometimes the long term benefits can be seen years later in your 50’s and 60’s. As well as professional treatments it’s important to follow a good routine at home, include peptides, rotate vitamins A (retinol), B (niacinamide) and C. Wear SPF every day, regularly exfoliate and use a hyaluronic acid serum under your moisturiser for hydration. During the winter is a good time to add in some professional rejuvenating treatments such as glycolic peels and microneedling. Frequent facial massage is also good as it helps to tone the skin by aiding lymphatic drainage which remove toxins and helps to depuff the skin and eye area. It also increases the blood supply to the skin which carries nutrients and oxygen and relaxes tense muscles which can soften lines. Facial massage can be done by hands or with the aid of jade rollers and gua Sha stones either professionally or at home, the key to seeing results is frequency so if you have salon treatments then thats great for your skin but it’s important to look at what you are doing the rest of the time. Twice a day every day you have the opportunity to do something to look after your skin – apply skin serums and vitamins, SPF every morining, acids at night a few times a week, face masks to suit your skin type (clay masks are good for drawing out impurities while sheet masks drenched in serums are good for normal, dry and dehydrated skins). If you find you dont have time to do a full facial massage routine then spend an extra few minutes doing a second cleanse with an oil in the evenings massaging upwards and outwards towards the lymphatic nodes which are located behind the ears and down the neck at the clavicle.
If you have an queries about hair, make-up or skin treatments then please contact me by email: tina@hairmakeup.co.uk
Tina