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Beauty Decoded
You’d have to be a beauty genius to work out what all the jargon on your beauty and skin-care products really means. If you don’t know your AHAs from your antioxidants, read on. We’ve deciphered and translated the ingredients you’ll often find listed on your pots and potions, so you’ll know exactly what they do, why they work and whether you should be slathering them on.
AHAs
AHAs: for smooth, glowing skin
AHAs, or alpha-hydroxy acids, are the super skin smoothers. When applied to skin they break down dead skin cells at the surface without the need for buffing and scrubbing. They give numerous benefits that include improving oily skin, treating fine lines and wrinkles and perfecting the texture of your complexion through deep exfoliation.
‘The most effective and well-researched AHAs are glycolic acid and lactic acid,’ says beauty expert Paula Begoun, author of The Original Beauty Bible, £13.29. These are also the two you may have heard of. Glycolic Acid is a common AHA which is derived from the sugar cane plant. It is often administered by professionals during chemical peels as it is the strongest. Lactic Acid is made from sour milk and also hydrates the skin while it exfoliates. It’s often found in cleansers and moisturisers, many say it was Cleopatra’s beauty product of choice.
As AHAs need time to penetrate the skin, react and get to work, moisturisers and masks containing these ingredients are a good choice. Moisturisers can also be useful to keep ingrown hairs in check on bikini lines. If used frequently they keep the area exfoliated, letting the new fine hairs grow through easily.
If your skin is sensitive or prone to eczema take care. AHAs are powerful and can be harsh - it is worth looking out for products which have a low percentage of AHAs, preferably 10% or less. In addition 'their use significantly increases the skin's sensitivity to UV, so caution is the order of the day' warns Dr Saul Alkaitis, renowned scientist and creator of the Dr.Alkaitis Therapeutic Skin Food range.
With this in mind, if you do decide AHAs are for you, make sure you apply an SPF every day.
ELLE loves
Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Serum, £95, by Elemis at Time to Spa
Turnaround Radiance Peel, £34.26, by Clinique
Body Lotion with AHA, £27.40, by Gatineau
Next Pages
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AHAs
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Salicylic Acid
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Hyaluronic acid
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Peptides
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Antioxidants
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Coenzyme Q10
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Vitamin B3
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Vitamin B5
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Vitamin E
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