Fact – nothing will instantly improve the overall look and feel of the skin as well as a good dose of AHA’s in your skincare will.
The environment and our current day lifestyle patterns can be really tough on our skin. Too often, its assaults cause our complexion to be dull, lacklustre, unbalanced and dehydrated. Add the natural ageing process onto that, whereby the process of cellular turnover becomes slower, and left is dead skin lingering on the surface of our skin longer. Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA’s) work to combat this by exfoliating and resurfacing the skin.
Initially used professionally as the basis of chemical peels, modern day skincare has picked up on the numerous benefits of AHA’s and incorporated them into many of our everyday skincare products. The best thing about AHA’s is that their benefits are almost immediate. They make you look instantly younger, fresher and brighter.
What are Alpha Hydroxy Acids and where do they come from?
Mostly found in foods, the most common AHA’s come the following sources:
✓ Glycolic acid (sugar)✓ Malic acid (from apples)
✓ Citric acid (citrus fruits)
✓ Lactic acid (from milk products/lactose)
✓ Tartaric acid (from grapes and wine)
How do Alpha Hydroxy Acids work on the skin?
AHA’s work on the very top layer of the skin. They are natural water-soluble acids that exfoliate your skin by gently and evenly removing surface dead skin cells by breaking down the glue that holds the cells together.
A way to think about it is this: think of skin cells as ‘bricks’ – AHA’s would break down the ‘cement’ keeping those ‘bricks’ together. Being water soluble only, they can’t penetrate too deeply (through oil) so they are quite safe to use regularly.
Who should use Alpha Hydroxy Acids?
Most skin types can tolerate AHA’s very well except for very sensitive, aggravated or open wounded skin.
All skin types can effectively reap the flexible and wide ranging benefits of AHA’s for e.g. they rebalance the skin’s slightly acidic PH level.
When it comes to skin conditions, they are known to be particularly beneficial for sun damaged skin. The following list is a breakdown of skin conditions that will respond best to routine AHA use. You will see how they can almost benefit everyone!
✓ Dehydration and dullness✓ Pigmented and uneven skin tones
✓ Dry fine lines
✓ Wrinkles
✓ Rough patches and uneven skin texture
✓ Congested and blemish prone skin (with acne scarring)
The 10 results of using Alpha Hydroxy Acids:
The effects of using AHA’s are numerous and almost immediate:
1. Exfoliating and smoothing (skin texture and flakiness)2. Circulation boosting and cellular renewing
3. Brightening
4. Plumping and Hydrating
5. Breakout preventing
6. Pore minimising
7. Even skin-toning
8. Smoothing the appearance of superficial dry and fine lines
9. Firming
10. Allowing of enhanced absorption of other topical skincare products
In short, AHA’s leave the skin looking and feeling fresh, hydrated and incredibly smooth and soft.
In terms of how often you should use AHA’s it really all depends on what products they are found in. In an at-home facial peel like Origani Manuka Honey Peel, once to twice a week is recommended. Follow all product usage instructions for all other products. One thing to keep in mind though is now that AHA’s are found in many daily serums and moisturisers for all-day freshness, be sure to wear a daily sunscreen!
Discover our relevant products that contain AHA’s:
Erda Green Apple Mask
Origani is an Australian luxury organic skincare brand. We proudly formulate and produce cruelty-free, certified organic, vegan skincare and makeup.
