Gimme 'dat glow!

Ever see a woman who's skin is literally glowing?  I would be willing to bet a good portion of those glowing women are not blessed with good genes, they are, in fact, blessed with good skin care products.  For those of you that are blessed with naturally glowing skin, this blog is not for you, and good Lord you are one lucky duck.  For the rest of us, fear not, we can fake that glow.  One way to get after that glow cleanse or apply a topical that contains AHAs.  What are AHAs?  They are: glycolic acid- derived from sugar and the most potent and popular because it has the tiniest molecular size, meaning your skin absorbs it extremely well. Great for acne prone, oily, dry, and combination  skin. Lactic acid- derived from milk, less aggressive than its brother glycolic, lightening and very hydrating. Great for dry, sensitive and pigmented skin.  Malic acid- derived from apples also less aggressive than glycolic.  Good for all skin types and conditions.  Tartaric acid- derived from grapes.  Again, less aggressive than glycolic and good for all skin types and conditions. Citric acid- derived from, you guessed it, citrus fruits.  Still less aggressive than glycolic, but I would not use on extremely sensitive skin.  Citric acid, like its sister lactic acid, is very lightening and brightening.  Last, but not not least, Acetic acid- derived from vinegar and least aggressive of the acids.  Great for all skin types and can be especially beneficial on acneic skin conditions.  What do AHA's do?  They dissolve the glue that holds the dead skin cells to the surface of your skin.  This means those dead skin cells that are hanging around making your complexion appear dull, are now skittering off into oblivion.  Woo Hoo!  Furthermore, with those dead skin cell off of your face any product that you apply on it, penetrates much better because a dead skin cell barrier is now gone.  One of my favorite AHA filled cleanser is Glytone's: Mild Gel Wash.   One of my favorite AHA topicals is Image's: Total Anti-Aging Serum.  However, one does not want to be using any form of AHA without using snscreen because when you are removing that layer of dead skin cells, you are indeed making your skin more sun sensitive, so to get and maintain that glow, one must apply a sunscreen with at least an SPF of 20.