We all have holy grail skincare products that have been passed down for generations but should we still be using them? If you are a sentient, face washing human being you’ve probably heard of St. Ives Apricot Scrub. Everyone and their mother have been using this product for decades but should we still be using it? It’s classic, it’s cheap, it smells good. It leaves our skin feeling SO soft and smooth. And we get addicted to that soft, polished feeling so we use it more and more and more. But maybe we shouldn’t be scrubbing our face with what feels like tiny rocks… It could be amazing or it could be the culprit to your inflammation or super oily skin.
St. Ives Apricot scrub is a physical scrub containing walnut powder. Let me back up, there are two types of exfoliants out there: physical exfoliants and chemical exfoliants. Both exfoliate the skin and help remove dead skin but in different ways. Physical exfoliants contain abrasive ingredients like walnut powder, microbeads, or sugar and the person needs to manually buff the skin and move the product around to remove the dead skin.
Scrubs like St. Ives and the newly released Kylie Skin Walnut Scrub have been getting a lot of flack lately, especially with the press of the St. Ives lawsuit being dropped earlier this year. Most dermatologists are not fans of physical exfoliation in general because most people overdo it. And when they overdo it, the skin’s protective moisture barrier is being stripped which leads to redness, dryness, and overproduction of oil. However, it does NOT lead to microtears in the skin. There is no research that proves this. People with sensitive skin types, especially those with eczema or rosacea, should stay far away from physical scrubs. For these folks, chemical exfoliants are the way to go. They can be more gentle but also can address other issues.
What are chemical exfoliants?
Chemical exfoliants contain chemical ingredients like AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) or BHAs (Beta Hydroxy Acids) that also exfoliate and help remove dead skin. AHAs include acids like glycolic, lactic, and mandelic acids and BHA is also known as salicylic acid. AHAs can help improve dullness, texture, hyperpigmentation, acne scars, and acne. AHAs are also humectants which means that they are great at helping to retain moisture (BONUS!). BHAs can aid in acne treatment as well, oily skin, and blackheads. BHAs are oil-soluble and help degunk your pores.
So should I stop using scrubs?
If you don’t overdo it and it works for you, use it. Everyone has different skin and some things that are awful for some skin types may be just fine for other skin types. Physical exfoliation can be incredibly beneficial to some people but usually sticking to smaller grains or beads is best. If you don’t want to risk it, stick with chemical exfoliants. They have more beneficial effects, they’re a safer alternative, and every skin type can use them.
Comments