Exfoliating, just one of those extra steps in your skincare routine that you can definitely skip right?! Wrong! And, we’re going to tell you why it’s one of the key things that you should be doing... for your hands!

First, let’s start off with - what is skin exfoliation and why you need to do it? Basically, exfoliating is a technique that is used (either chemical or physical) to remove old, dry skin cells from your skin. By removing these cells via exfoliation, you’re not only leaving your skin with a good base to absorb serums, lotions or creams- you’re revealing those new, fresh skin cells which makes your hands look absolutely radiant. There’s two types of exfoliation - chemical and physical.

Chemical exfoliation is basically a peel, so it uses ingredients like glycolic and lactic acids to gently aid the removal of these old, dead, dull skin cells. Let’s break down these 2 ingredients:

Glycolic Acid:

This is a type (and the smallest forms) of alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that helps to shed dead skin and renew the skin’s surface. Because it’s the smallest of the AHA molecules, your skin can easily absorb it quick, which can help produce the most visible results in a shorter amount of time versus other types of AHA’s.

Lactic Acid:

This is another form of AHA that aids in breaking down the material that holds dead cells together, allowing it to shed naturally which aids in new cell turnover and renewal. And, if it’s used regularly it actually helps improve the signs of aging (yes, those fine lines and wrinkles too) and it will also help to fade hyperpigmentation aka, age spots & sun spots which most commonly appear on your hands.

It is important to note that although it’s good to remove old cells and refine the skin, this process leaves your skin more vulnerable. Ultimately, AHA’s make the skin more photosensitive. When incorporating AHA’s into your routine, it is preferable to use them at night and to make sure to apply SPF daily and consistently to reduce risk!

When it comes to physical exfoliation, it’s pretty self explanatory, you’re using something rough to remove those old skin cells - this is where your exfoliating scrubs come in. Physical exfoliators typically give you that instant gratification of your skin feeling fresh and soft. You can find both chemical and physical exfoliation in our Exfoliating Peel!

So, why should you be exfoliating your hands? Easy, they’ll show signs of aging long before you even catch the slightest wrinkle on your face, your hands are also always forgotten when you’re out in the sun - so you’re sure to see a couple sunspots appear if you haven’t been applying SPF all these years. Exfoliating is also super easy to add into your routine, as you only need to do it 1-2 times per week. If you exfoliate more often than this, it becomes counterproductive and can actually strip away your natural oils, not to mention leave your hands feeling irritated. So, with that being said - if you don’t want your hands to give away your age (or make you look older) get started with our Exfoliating Peel!