RESURFACE. Clean and Clear.
Most people don't realize that the skin we look at in the mirror is made up of dead skin cells. In fact there are many layers of dead skin cells which are compressed on top of each other. These layers prevent the penetration of any topical skin care products which you may apply. (This is why most over-the-counter skin care products are made up of water bearing ingredients, because the only thing a dead cell can do is absorb water and expand so it appears more plump. It can't be brought back to life). However, if we clear some of that dead skin away, active ingredients have a better chance of penetrating and being effective. More importantly, when we remove dead skin, the body believes it has to produce new skin cells to replace what is removed so it speeds up the level of cell renewal. This allows our body to generate new cells more frequently like we did when we were younger So one important step each day is to clean and clear away dead skin cells before we can be successful with any additional steps. This is what we mean by RESURFACE.
How do we remove dead skin cells? There are two methods: topical exfoliants and physical exfoliants. A topical exfoliant can be naturally or chemically derived and works by dissolving away the top layer of skin. We recommend Alpha Hydroxy Acids as the best type of topical exfoliants. There are multiple types of AHAs such as lactic acid, mandelic (almond), citric, etc. We recommend using glycolic acid because it is the choice of most medical experts based on the largest body of scientific research and it has the smallest molecular structure of the AHA family, making it easier to penetrate into the skin. It is also safer as less than 1% of the population is allergic to pure glycolic! A physical exfoliant is one that uses a material such as pumice stone particles or scrubbing beads to rub the dead skin off the surface. While this technique can be effective for someone with severe photo damage, scarring or acne, it is important to use a product with small particles and use gentle physical pressure.
Important Consumer Fact: One of the most important aspects for penetration of a product to clear away dead skin and bacteria is the pH of the product - a measure of the degree of the acidity or the alkalinity. Your skin has a natural pH balance of 4.5 to 5.5. In order for a product to penetrate, it's pH should be below the 4.5 level of the surface skin. So check to be sure that any treatment related product has a pH below 4.5. If it is higher than 4.5, you are getting a "neutral" effect on the skin.
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