Believe it or not, your skin is a master of renewal. Every day it works hard to replace old, damaged cells with fresh, radiant ones. In an ideal world this mechanism wouldn't need any help, but unfortunately we don't live in an ideal world. Just think of acid rain, air pollution and UV radiation, but our own behavior also often makes the living conditions of the skin less than ideal, such as too little sleep, alcohol, medication or unhealthy food.
Then your skin could use a little help. If you suffer from dull skin or a lot of dead skin cells, a peeling can support your skin. A facial peeling, it may sound a bit scary, but if you do it mildly, in a skin-specific way, you can sometimes give your skin that little bit of a boost.
What does a peeling do to your skin?
Let's start with the most important thing: why should you use a peeling for your face at all? A facial peel helps speed up the natural exfoliation process - as described above - by gently loosening dead skin cells, making the skin look fresher and more radiant. Additionally, a peel can help improve skin texture, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, reduce hyperpigmentation (pigmentation) and even reduce acne.
What is AHA?
Let's take a closer look at an important ingredient in Food for Skin's fruit acid peel: Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs). AHAs are a group of natural acids found in various foods and plants, such as apples, lemons, grapes and sugar cane. They are known for their ability to gently exfoliate the skin by breaking down the bonds between dead skin cells, making them easy to remove.
The main benefit of AHAs is their ability to stimulate skin cell turnover. Gently exfoliating the outer layer of the skin brings new, fresh skin cells to the surface, leaving the skin looking smoother, softer and more radiant.
Peeling against pigment
Additionally, AHAs can help reduce hyperpigmentation, improve skin texture, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and reduce acne. They can also improve skin hydration by stimulating the production of hyaluronic acid in the skin.
What really sets AHAs apart is their ability to penetrate deep into the skin, where they help stimulate collagen and elastin production. These proteins are essential for firm, fresh-looking skin.
Difference between AHA and BHA
There are two main types of fruit acid peels that are commonly used in skin care: AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) and BHAs (Beta Hydroxy Acids). These acids are essential for achieving fresh and radiant skin, but what is aha and what is bha?
AHAs are fruit acids that are soluble in water, while BHAs are soluble in oil. This fundamental difference has important implications for how they work on the skin.
AHA acids such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, mandelic acid and vitamin C, work by softening dead skin cells as soon as they come into contact with the skin. This creates space for new, fresh skin cells to emerge. They are especially effective for superficial exfoliation.
On the other hand, BHA acid, of which salicylic acid is the most well-known example, is perfect for the oilier areas of the skin. Because they are oil soluble, BHAs can not only dissolve oil on the skin's surface, but also penetrate deep into the pores to prevent and dissolve clogs. This makes them ideal for people with oily skin or acne.
AHA or BHA?
But what do these acids actually do for your skin? Both AHAs and BHAs have an exfoliating effect, removing dead skin cells. The difference, however, lies in the depth of their effect. While AHAs mainly target the skin's surface, BHAs penetrate deeper, into the pores, thanks to their fat solubility. This makes BHAs particularly effective for fighting acne and preventing clogged pores.
Whether you choose AHAs or BHAs, both have their benefits for healthy and glowing skin. The most important thing is to choose the right type of fruit acid based on your skin condition and specific needs. However, remember to exercise caution when using salicylic acid, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have an aspirin allergy.
Please note: when using a scrub, facial peeling or exfoliant, we strongly recommend that you use good SPF protection on the day of the peeling or the days afterward, because dead skin cells also have the function of providing a very small amount of protection against the Sun. When your skin is fresh and fruity, that natural protective layer is gone, so you are more susceptible to sunburn (UVB) and disruption of the deeper skin layer (UVA). The SPF 30 from Food for Skin nourishes the skin and protects well against UVA and UVB.
How often to peel face
A peeling can give your skin a nice boost, but we recommend doing this a maximum of twice a week, because it does affect the skin barrier. You don't want to burden the skin barrier too much and more importantly: you don't want to over-pamper it by taking over the skin's mechanism. It is important that the skin does not become dependent on supporting agents, but is given enough stimuli to continue to renew the skin itself.
How do you use a peeling?
Some peels or exfoliants are advised not to remove it from the skin. At Food for Skin we recommend removing the peeling with lukewarm water after a maximum of 10 minutes to prevent excessive effect. Too long or too many peels can result in dryness or redness or sensitivity of the skin.
- Apply the peeling preferably in the evening on well-cleansed skin. Preferably after using a mild, non-drying cleanser, such as the Carrot Oil Cleanser.
- When using a pipette, take approximately 1.5 pipettes for the face and neck, drop this into a clean hand and gently massage onto the face. Avoid the eye contour.
- Do not place the pipette on your hand or face, so that the pipette remains clean from bacteria. After contact with the skin, we recommend cleaning the pipette to prevent bacteria from forming in the bottle.
- After a maximum of 10 minutes, rinse with lukewarm water.
- Then apply a nice serum that gives the skin some extra nourishment and then protect the skin with a good cream, such as the Tomato Base Cream. This retains moisture in the skin and protects the skin from external influences.
- A few days after use during the day, use an extra layer of SPF (SPF30 from Food for Skin), because the skin is more susceptible to sunburn and aging after exfoliation.
Mild Peeling
The Apple Peeling is a natural exfoliant made with the mild variant, the AHAs, because we have the skin philosophy that the skin can basically maintain itself perfectly, with a little bit of outside help. That's why we chose an AHA with the power of Italian apples, grapes, lemons and wheat, which are packed with antioxidants and nutrients to nourish and brighten your skin. This peeling provides a very mild exfoliation that is suitable for all skin types, while at the same time hydrating and soothing with the help of Aloe Vera. The mild peeling is suitable for home use.
AHA fruit acid
The % AHA in the Apple Peeling is approximately 5%, which makes it a mild peeling, suitable for most skin conditions. In the case of extremely sensitive skin or damaged skin, we do not recommend using a peeling. This is a good fruit acid peeling for home use, because it is a mild peeling, suitable for almost all skin conditions.
In addition, the Apple Peeling is partly produced with ingredients from upcycling, which means that the ingredients come from residual flows from the food industry, reducing food waste and reducing the impact on the environment.
Nice win-win, right?
