Dahlia Magazine

BEAUTY
Normal
Normal skin is not oily, dry and rarely breaks out. It usually
tolerates most skincare products and has a smooth, even texture.
In essence, taking care of normal skin requires addressing and
getting in front of the skin problems you don’t currently have on
your face. Look for ingredients serums/products with ingredients
such as vitamin C, AHA’s, hyaluronic acid or niacinamide. We
suggest the C15 Super Booster from Paula’s Choice ($49) with
15% pure Vitamin C to help brighten skin and maintain a smooth
complexion.
AHAs
Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) are water soluble,
meaning they exfoliate the surface of your skin,
drawing in moisture while they work to keep
your face hydrated. They’re superheroes at
“ungluing” dead cells to make skin brighter and
smoother with consistent use.
AHAs come in a few forms, like lactic, mandelic,
glycolic, and tarteric acid. If you have sensitive
skin or are new to chemical exfoliants, start
with lactic acid, which tends to be the gentlest
of the AHAs. Apply it every three nights on
clean, dry skin, waiting 10 full minutes before
applying the rest of your skincare. If your skin is
pretty “normal” with no real sensitivity issues,
try glycolic acid or salicylic acid since they’re
stronger and faster-acting.
Krave Beauty’s
Kale Lalu
yAHA: 5.25%
Glycolic Acid
Treatment ($25)
Sunday Riley
Good Genes
All-In-One Lactic
Acid Treatment
($122)
BHAs
Beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) are oil soluble,
meaning they break down oil-clogged pores to
treat blackheads, whiteheads, and zits. They’re
also anti-inflammatory, meaning they’ll help
mitigate some of the irritating effects BHAs
can cause. And to make it all easier, there’s
really only one common BHA: salicylic acid, a
longtime favorite acne spot treatment.
Oily
Oily skin is often shiny, has large pores and is prone to blackheads,
milia and breakouts. The upside: oily skin usually ages better as
the sebum helps to keep the skin supple and lubricated. But with
the right cleanser — one meant to stop excess oil in its slick tracks
— minimizing your shine can require far less work. And many of
them also address one of the most common byproducts of oily
skin: clogged pores and acne breakouts. Even though they’re
giving their all to undo excess oil, you can expect the right cleanser
to respect your skin and not overdry it. Our current favorite is
CeraVe’s Foaming Facial Cleanser ($13).
The Ordinary
Glycolic Acid
7% Toning
Solution ($9)
Paula’s Choice
Skin Perfecting
2% BHA Liquid
($30)
If your skin is super tough, you can use your
BHA interchangeably with AHAs, but they
tend to be irritating and drying if used in high
concentrations over the entire face. So stick
with only one chemical exfoliant at a time at first,
and use your BHA every three nights on clean,
dry skin, waiting at least 10 minutes before
applying the rest of your skincare.
Sensitive
Sensitive skin flushes easily and can often react to skincare with
a stinging or burning sensation, bumps, pustules and erythema.
Choose products more carefully, because overly aggressive
products can rapidly inflame and irritate your delicate skin. It’s
best to avoid harsh, perfumed cleansers too. Give DermaDoctor’s
Calm, Cool & Corrected Calming Tranquility Cleanser ($32) a try.
This hypoallergenic, milky, non-drying medicated daily cleanser
works to control redness, flaking, irritation, and itching. This
formula gently lifts away and removes dirt, debris, and makeup
while leaving your skin hydrated and soothed.
Chemical exfoliators
are not only gentler
and more effective
than physical formulas,
but they also come in
two different forms,
depending on what
your skin needs.
How do I exfoliate?
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