How Glycolic Acid Got Me Through My Post-Pandemic Blues
Let’s be honest, how many of us simplified our skincare routines during lockdown and kind of just kept it there?
Be honest again. How many of us forgot about our skincare routines for a little while?
I'll admit it, there was a period when I was neglecting my skin, not washing my face, and acting like I had no idea what a skincare routine looked like. Between lockdown, heart failure, burnout, a family member passing, and dealing with the mental health struggles that ensued, my skincare became less of a priority and more of a task I wanted to push back until tomorrow... again. Thankfully, I was able to get out of that funk and adopt a simplified skincare routine I could commit to.
A staple that helped me stay glowing through that period was my favorite ingredient, glycolic acid.
If you're familiar with glycolic acid, then you know it's a great all-around exfoliating ingredient to help promote smoother, even-toned, glowing skin. My main skin concerns center around dryness, dullness, and hyperpigmentation, all of which exfoliating products help with. To be completely candid, my thought process behind reaching for glycolic acid came down to “what’s the least I can do?”
Plus, I knew that increasing usage and using nourishing face oils a week prior to seeing people in person for work events was a minimal but winning combination for glowing skin. (That and cheating dewy skin with a moisturizing sunscreen.)
If you're a skincare newbie or hearing about glycolic acid for the first time, it's an exfoliating ingredient categorized as an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) that removes the top layer of dead skin. This helps with concerns related to acne, hyperpigmentation, texture or roughness, and dullness—all of which I was dealing with because I was… not washing my face.
You’ll also hear glycolic acid/AHAs called “actives” online. Here’s a quick FAQ:
Start infrequently to test tolerance and slowly work up usage. Everyone has the potential for irritation to actives or over-exfoliating. It’s the possibility that comes with exfoliating if overdone.
Yes, you can use actives with hyaluronic acid, which is a hydrating ingredient.
No, don’t use multiple actives back to back (retinol + glycolic acid) because it increases the potential for over-exfoliating.
Use your sunscreen. Always.
If your skin feels like you can’t hydrate it, is tight, and looks shiny in a bad way, put the actives down—you may have over-exfoliated.
You can find glycolic acid in face washes, treatment toners, pads, and serums. Because I was looking for stronger effects and higher concentrations, I opted for treatment toners and serums. My longtime favorite glycolic acid toner has to be The Ordinary's Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution because it's effective, gentle, and a great value. You get 240ml of product for $13, so I’m regularly dousing large cotton pads with this toner and using it on my body. The Ordinary is a great brand for affordable and effective skincare, and I find their active products to be a great value overall.
For a stronger treatment, I’d use their Lactic Acid 10% + HA and AHA 30% + BHA 2%. Yes, the red one from social media.
Face washes with active ingredients tend to come under fire for being “useless” (which I used to think too), but they can still provide some benefits! If you can’t handle higher concentrations of ingredients like lactic, glycolic, or salicylic acid, face washes with these ingredients may be a viable alternative thanks to being more gentle. Just be sure to take your time washing your skin so the product has time to sit and work.
And of course, I end every exfoliating face washing session with a ceramide-rich lotion that helps to reinforce and protect the skin's delicate barrier, which has been ever so slightly irritated during the process. As an extra bonus, I like to layer a nourishing oil (sea buckthorn, camellia oil, and rosehip oil are my MVPs!) on top of my lotion to give my freshly exfoliated skin a drink of nutrients.
Sure, my routine for a long time was just cleanser, glycolic acid toner, lotion, and face oil, but it served me well and when it comes to working smarter, not harder, I’m always a fan.