AHA'S

Hi everyone,today's topic will be AHA's(Alpha Hydroxy Acids). What they are and the purpose of these acids in skincare. 🌱Alpha-Hydroxy Acids (AHA'S) are a type of chemical exfoliant that helps loosen the bonds that hold the skin cells together thus exfoliating the skin. They are usually derived from plants. There are different types of AHA'S in skincare: Glycolic Lactic Malic Tartaric Mandelic Citric. 🪴Not all AHAs have the same exfoliating effect. The amount of exfoliation is determined by the type of AHA you use.Each AHA has unique benefits because of its molecular weight which determines how penetrative it can be. 🌲Glycolic has the lowest molecular weight out of all of them which means it is more penetrative whereas Citric acid has the highest molecular weight making it the least penetrative. 🌳Lactic acid has additional benefits of boosting hydration on the skin, which results in plumper skin. That's why there's a lot of products with Glycolic acid and products with a combination of Lactic acid and some other AHA. What are the benefits of using AHA'S ? 🌴They exfoliate the skin Exfoliation is a process where the skin cells on the surface shed off. This helps remove dead skin cells but also makes way for new skin cell generation. 🌵They help stimulate collagen production by destroying old collagen fibers to give way for new ones to form 🌾They help with discoloration(darkspots) By exfoliating the surface of the skin this encourages cell turnover and the new skin that is revealed is much brighter and evenly pigmented  🌿Side effects of AHA's on the skin. Because of the way they penetrate the skin, alpha hydroxy acids can sometime cause irritate the skin and cause stinging and burning. It all depends on how sensitive your skin is. Another common side effect of alpha-hydroxy acids is photosensitivity. When you exfoliate with acids, your skin becomes more sensitive to sunlight and more prone to sunburn.This can be prevented by wearing SPF regularly. I hope this helps with any confusion.