Everyday exfoliation is the key to glowy, baby skin.
Exfoliation was one of those skincare chores I did haphazardly once or twice a week to combat my dull-looking skin but didn’t know how much my skin really needs it. I would grab my favorite exfoliating products—Vitamin C Exfoliating Face Scrub from The Body Shop or Caryl Baker’s Micro Scrub—and go to town on the dead skin cells that had built up on my face over the last week. I would notice an immediate glow, a little sensitivity around my lips and nose from the scrubbing, and a brief moment of satisfaction with the overall look and texture of my skin. But, then I’d forget to do it a couple days later and I was back to where I started the week before.
Why Exfoliate?
Our skin renews itself every 28 days but slows down as we get older. Boo. This can lead to the buildup of dead cells sticking to the outer layer of skin which causes the skin to become dull, rough and flaky. It also becomes harder for skin to absorb those expensive skincare products we love to use.
When this happens, the best thing to do is remove the dead cells through exfoliation and reveal the fresh new cells and glowy, smooth skin. And, while I love physical exfoliants and consider them one of my workhorse skincare staples, I just can’t use them everyday nor am I meant to. They’re too harsh for the skin because of their abrasive texture and personally, I find they can also be extremely drying.
Over-exfoliation is a thing
We’re really only supposed to exfoliate a couple times a week and we actually need a few dead cells to help protect the skin. The difficult part is finding out what your skin will benefit from. Maybe you only need to exfoliate once a week or a couple times a week. For me, I found that two or three times a week was enough to keep my skin soft and glowy without irritating it too much. My problem was that I’d often forget to do it altogether.
Enter Beautyrx.
Beautyrx uses chemical exfoliation and specifically glycolic acid. I didn’t know that chemical exfoliants could be a great alternative and, if you found the right products, you could use them everyday. Other popular acids are lactic acid and salicylic acid but they all act a bit differently on the skin.
What is Glycolic Acid?
Glycolic acid is an alpha-hydroxy acid or AHA that’s derived from sugarcane and the crème de la crème of chemical peel ingredients. Because of its teensy molecular structure it can penetrate deeper into the skin to break up dead cells. Lactic acid, by comparison, is a bit bigger and won’t travel as deeply into the skin. It’s actually a great alternative for people with more sensitive skin.
Too many acids in the kitchen.
Acids are really powerful and when used together, can be too much of a good thing. Skin can become extremely sensitive and dry if multiple acids like retinol, vitamin C, and AHAs are used together. If you’re going to use acids, use them at night and counteract the negative side effects by protecting the skin with sunscreen and using hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid.
Skincare experts will tell you to incorporate glycolic acid or any acid slowly. Overtime your skin will be able to tolerate higher percentages of the acid and that’s where the magic happens. But, that initial introduction phase can be a hit or miss if you can’t find the right product. I chose to experiment with the Progressive Peel System because the treatment was easy to follow and the results looked promising.
Beautyrx’s exfoliating treatment
According to Beautyrx, you should be exfoliating the same way you wash your skin—everyday.
For the first two weeks of the treatment, you’ll pat the Essential Exfoliating Serum into your skin all over your face and décolleté. The percentage of glycolic acid is only 8% and will get your skin used to the acid without irritating or destroying your skin.
On the third week, you’ll start using the Advanced 10% Exfoliating Pads and alternate between the two each night. By the sixth week skin will be at its best and you can continue using them. The kit lasted me almost four months.
The benefits of glycolic acid
It’s important to note that this system is specifically labeled as progressive, meaning you’ll slowly up the dosage and the amount of product you to avoid irritating the skin. Beautyrx’s treatment helps to perfect the skin in a variety of ways:
- improves texture and creates smooth, soft skin
- generates collagen and decreases fine lines
- removes dead cells and brightens skin
- allows deeper penetration of skincare products
My new beauty routine
I loved how simple my skincare routine became once I started using Beautyrx. I stopped using physical exfoliants because I really wanted to see how powerful this system could be.
The first two weeks I would wash my face, tone with Pixi Beauty’s Rose Tonic and then use a few drops of the Beautyrx Essential 8% Exfoliating Serum. After, I would finish with my usual face oils, serum, and moisturizer. Sometimes I would add a sheet mask if my skin needed an extra hydration boost but I’m trying to reduce the amount of sheet masks I use.
The first two weeks I could see subtle changes. The skin on my cheeks and chin weren’t flaking as much, which I consider a win. It wasn’t until the third week when I started using the exfoliating pads and the serum that I saw a huge transformation.
My skin felt so much softer and my skin tone was more even. To be honest, I was shook. One of the biggest changes I saw was how well my skin recovered from waxing. It wasn’t flaring up as much and my skin was baby soft the next day. I couldn’t believe it.
I’ve been using the kit since the summer. It’s been almost four months now and I just replaced my kit. Both products have become a part of my regular skincare routine and I’ll continue using it from now on.
I will probably start using the The Progressive Peel Replenishment Kit, which includes the Maximum 15% Exfoliating Cream the next time I restock this beauty favourite. But right now, I’m pretty happy with the products I have.
BeautyRx The Progressive Peel Kit, $100, theshoppingchannel.com.
Portrait of a Fashionista 
Great review dear.
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