Length / 3 minutes
I think we can all agree we want to be getting every last drop of skin-loving goodness out of our skincare routine, so our skin is reaping up all the benefits. I mean, we aren’t investing in our skin for nothing, right? Well, today on another episode of Tailor Talks, we’re going to have a look at exactly how we can do this. Spoiler, it has something to do with boosting our skin’s cell turnover...
So, what is skin cell turnover?
A great starting point, so skin cell turnover is a continuous process of exfoliation whereby our dead skin cells are shed off, to allow for new, younger (& more youthful) skin cells to come through to our skin’s surface. It’s like a natural anti-ageing component of the skin. As we age, natural cell turnover slows down and if you don’t remove the top layer of dead skin cells, it hinders your skincare ingredients' effectiveness. Don’t worry, there’s a silver lining, we can utilise key ingredients in our skincare routine. So, keep reading to find out which ingredients are responsible for boosting our skin cell turnover.
What ingredients are responsible for boosting skin cell turnover?
Ok, it really comes down to exfoliators, specifically using an AHA or BHA, as this is what’s going to help keep your skin clear, bright and radiant.
AHA
An AHA stands for “alpha-hydroxy acids”. This exfoliator type is “water-soluble acids made from sugary fruits". It works to gently peel away the surface of your skin (AKA dead skin cells), to make way for new, young, and more evenly pigmented skin cells to make their way to the surface of your skin. This is how an AHA stimulates and boosts skin cell turnover in your skin, but it also actually creates a positive domino effect for each product in our skincare routine. This is because, by removing the top layer of dead skin cells, you’re allowing your skincare products to effectively penetrate into your skin. This ensures you’re getting the most out of your routine, by allowing your skin to absorb every last drop of skin-loving goodness from each product, so it can reap all the benefits each ingredient has to offer.
BHA
A BHA stands for “beta hydroxy acids”. This exfoliator type is “oil-soluble” and is the reason why BHA’s can penetrate deeper into your pores, compared to an AHA. A BHA works by taking a deep dive into your pores to absorb excess oils, clear congestion, and exfoliate your skin to remove dead skin cells. However, what’s actually responsible for these amazing benefits in our BHA, is an acid, AKA your chemical exfoliant, which actually works to break this all down and exfoliate your skin to remove these dead skin cells. Our acid of choice is salicylic acid, found in Tailor Polish. We’ve chosen salicylic acid as our chemical exfoliant for its effectiveness in carrying out a BHA’s benefits for the skin. A side note, salicylic acid is very good for reducing large pores and blemishes. By exfoliating and removing this congestion from our skin, we are kick starting the process of the natural shedding of our dead skin cells, which supports stimulating skin cell turnover. Hello, skin radiance.
Our top 5 exfoliation tips:
- If you have mature skin, we’d recommend exfoliating every 2-3 days. Whereas, if you have young skin, we’d recommend exfoliating every 3-5 days.
- Avoid over-exfoliating, because yes this is a thing. With an AHA and BHA both formulated with acid like ingredients, if overused, they can be too active for your skin and this can lead to redness, sensitivities and a damaged skin barrier.
- If you want to use both AHA and BHA ingredients, for best results we recommend you alternate. You can use one for a week, then switch to the other the next week.
- If you use a retinol, vitamin C serum / powder at night, or any other active ingredient-based products, opt to exfoliate with an AHA or BHA in the morning. This will avoid any redness, sensitivities or a damaged skin barrier by using too many active ingredients at once.
- For optimal results with boosting your skin’s cell turnover, opt to use your AHA or BHA at night, when skin repair is at its best.
Who knew our skin cell turnover decreases dramatically by the days as we age? Thank goodness for topical AHA and BHA skincare, it really saves the day, and our skin. You’ve heard me say it before, and I’ll say it again. Knowledge is power in the skincare world, so stick with us and we’ll make sure the next one’s well-educating (as always).
Talk soon,
Tailor x
References:
Le , C. (2024, March 8). Decoding Cellular Turnover: Unveiling the Secrets to Youthful Skin. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/decoding-cellular-turnover-unveiling-secrets-youthful-carolynn-le-t1mkc/
Cherney, K., & Cobb, C. (2023, May 5). AHA vs. BHA: What’s the Difference? Healthline. Retrieved March 15, 2018, from https://www.healthline.com/health/aha-vs-bha#key-differences