When The Salon Is Closed: All About Acidic Home Care

While the whole world has slowed down and the market for beauty services has become paralyzed for the first time in a long time, experts advise taking matters into their own hands: salons are closed, but your beauty will not wait. And here acid care comes to the rescue. What it is and why it will be your salvation for the period of self-isolation - we figured it out together with Valeria Khokhlova, Lancôme care expert.

Acid care is almost professional skin care at home. It includes products containing retinol, vitamin C and other components that are loved by cosmetologists and adored by "advanced" users of cosmetics. As a rule, the “peak” of the use of such acids occurs in late autumn and winter, when solar activity decreases. However, now, being in self-isolation, we can easily afford to use these 2-3 weeks at home to solve certain skin problems, among which are dullness, uneven tone, pigmentation, loss of elasticity, fine expression lines. Acids are ideal for this.

Who needs acidic skin care? For those who want to restore her perfect relief by tightening the pores. For those who want to smooth out wrinkles and even out the complexion.

Retinol is the first in a series of invaluable vitamins for your beauty. It is a vitamin A derivative that is incredibly effective and skin-friendly. The retinol substance easily overcomes the stratum corneum, which is inaccessible to many other components. At the level of the epidermis, it works with pigmentation and skin renewal, at the level of the dermis - to restore the density of the cover. An excellent solution is the retinol night concentrate: it will help to gradually renew the skin, acting on the deeper layers of the epidermis and stimulating collagen synthesis in the dermis - all while you sleep!

Vitamin C, especially its form L-ascorbic acid (the most effective for the skin), is a natural antioxidant that is more powerful than green tea and grape seed extract. It is able to lighten pigmentation, restore radiance to the skin, and protect it from oxidative stress during the day (read also: "Oxidative stress: what it is and why it is dangerous for your skin"). The only drawback of this vitamin is that, like any antioxidant, it is unstable, therefore, to preserve its properties, it is packed in small containers that do not allow sunlight to pass through.

Acid peels are different - mainly in home, as well as in salon care, AHA-acids (water-soluble) are used, sometimes in combination with BH-fat-soluble acids, for example, with salicylic acid.

AHA acids (alpha hydroxy acids) are the most common and because they are found in fruits, they are called fruit acids. Their main task is to renew the epidermis, to make the skin tone uniform, and the relief (pores and fine lines) - smooth. In this, ANA acids are similar to retinol, but they act in a different way: by temporarily thinning the stratum corneum and exfoliating its particles, they stimulate cell renewal.

Paradox: when exposed to AHA acids, the epidermis becomes thinner, which provides an even tone and a decrease in pigmentation, and the dermis, in turn, becomes denser. Of course, the intensity of the effect on the skin and the severity of peeling largely depend on the concentration - in salon treatments it can reach 70%, and in the case of home care, 10% will be ideal.

Each of the fruit acids (glycolic, lactic, malic, tartaric, citric) has its own advantages, which makes their combination in products absolutely logical and appropriate. For example, the combination of tartaric and lactic acids provides deep hydration, and the combination with the smallest molecule glycolic acid penetrates the stratum corneum faster than others. It can be called a truly stellar ingredient, as it is a multifunctional substance with anti-aging and balancing effects. If you combine products with glycolic and salicylic acid, you can achieve active skin renewal along with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects.

The ideal time to use acid products is in the evening, when it is possible to combine them with the regenerative processes of the skin, which are activated by the end of the day. Funds with them should be applied to a thoroughly cleansed dry face, avoiding sensitive areas around the eyes and lips.