Facial Exfoliants - What to Use and Avoid

Which Exfoliant Should I Use?

The key to deciding which exfoliant is right for you is to make sure it is the least irritating to your skin while being the most effective at producing the optimum results you desire.

Alchemilla's recommendation for at-home exfoliating from the neck up, is a gentle, natural, mechanical facial exfoliant with smooth and uniform exfoliating granules, such as Exfoliating Face Wash Cream.

During a professional facial treatment, Alchemilla recommends a natural enzyme mask (speak to your facialist about Alchemilla’s Fruit Enzyme Exfoliating Mask).

Which Exfoliants Should I Avoid?

Any at-home exfoliant that tingles, warms, itches, burns or causes redness it is irritating your skin, regardless of how the product is marketed or what the department store assistant says! This is not good for the short- or long-term health and beauty of your complexion!

For the face and neck, we suggest avoiding any exfoliant that contains gritty abrasives that are not uniform in shape, such as those made with nut particles, seeds, shells, grains or similar. As lovely and natural as they sound, these gritty exfoliants are not ideal for the sensitive skin of the face. They can cause micro-lesions (microscopic cuts) to the skin’s surface, which can lead to further skin problems.

Alchemilla does not endorse the use of AHA's (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) on the skin. AHA's are an aggressive chemical treatment than often cause temporary inflammation of the skin and increase its risk of allergic reactions. In addition, there is an ongoing study by the FDA over the long term effects of using AHA's as a skin exfoliant. A full statement can be found at the FDA website.

As the long term effects of AHA treatments are still uncertain and their potential to significantly irritate skin and cause a dramatic increase in photosensitivity, we do not recommend this type of aggressive chemical exfoliation.

Next Article: Facial Exfoliants - How to Exfoliate ->