My Skin Barrier Journey: Reintroducing Lactic Acid

 

Gentle AHA chemical exfoliant

Hello my beauties!!!

So today, as promised, I've got an update on reintroducing actives and where I'm currently at. As previously mentioned in my last post I've successfully reintroduced ascorbyl glucoside into my routine except I've swapped to using it daily in the AM, whereas before I was using it 4 times a week in the PM. I haven't noticed much of a difference from changing it to my morning routine but it makes sense as it's meant to help boost the effects of your sunscreen. Maybe after a longer period of time I'll see more noticeable results. For those of you who don't know what lactic acid is, it's a form of AHA (alpha-hydroxy acid) which is a chemical exfoliant that increases cell turnover by getting rid of dead skin cells. There are a few other types of AHA but lactic acid is known to be one of the most gentle forms of it. I have fairly sensitive/reactive skin so I picked the 5% solution over the 10% one because I wanted something that would cause the least amount of irritation. It worked really well for my skin before so I'm really keen to get back on the lactic acid wagon!

Anyways, I'm getting side tracked! The main reason you're reading this is to find out how I got on with TO Lactic Acid 5%, right? Below I've described my experience of reintroducing it over 2 weeks...


Week 1 (once):

Day 1- When I applied it I experienced a slight tingling sensation, however it went way after about 15 minutes. I also noticed that there was minimal redness and irritation other than a few red spots. Afterwards I applied Cicaplast Baume to calm and soothe my skin.

Week 2 (twice):

Day 2- This time there was a slight flush of redness and some red spots of irritation. My left cheek was redder than my right cheek because I accidentally put more serum on that side. However after about 30 seconds my skin started to calm down. I then applied the Cicaplast Baume again.

Day 3- I noticed there was minimal redness but with a few red spots on my cheeks. I think my skin is still adjusting to using acids again as it's been used to very gentle products for the last month. I think I'll stick to exfoliating 2 times a week so as not to irritate my skin and will keep an eye on how my skin reacts to it. 


So far so good, I'm just hoping that my skin will get used to using lactic acid again and be just as effective as it was before. Eventually I want to be able to use it with my Cerave Moisturising Lotion as I think the Cicaplast Baume is a bit too heavy for me. I've also noticed that I get very oily the next morning which might be a sign that the formula is too thick for my oily/acne prone skin. The Cerave one has definitely been a brilliant moisturiser for my dehydrated skin as it has both ceramides and hyaluronic acid. These ingredients are really good for repairing your barrier and providing much needed hydration and moisture to the skin. 

I also have a few other chemical exfoliants that I want to try out, therefore I really hope my skin heals enough so that I can use them... fingers crossed! I've previously used the La Roche Posay Micro-exfoliating Astringent Lotion and Pixi Glow Tonic. They both worked really well at clearing and preventing breakouts however I preferred the overall experience of the Glow Tonic. It's alcohol free and has a lovely musky scent, like sandal wood or something. I also loved how it kept my skin breakout free for 4 weeks! My skin had literally never been better! I didn't experience any purging with it either, like I have with other chemical exfoliants. I'm only halfway through my 100ml bottle because I swapped to TO Lactic Acid 5% but I plan to finish it by the end of summer. I also have a 250ml bottle that I got on offer in Boots so I'll have to try and make a start on that as well.

The next step is to reintroduce niacinamide in the form of the Purito Centella Unscented Serum next week. I'm abit nervous because I'm worried my skin has become sensitised to it due to using too much a few weeks ago. However I need to add it back in to help balance out my oil levels which have gone abit crazy recently haha. If things go well I should be able to incorporate it into my evening routine and my oil levels will be reduced. It should also calm and soothe my skin as that's when my skin is the most reactive. Watch this space for my update on adding niacinamide back into my routine...!

Who Cares, We Care, Skincare :)

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