Alpha hydroxy acids are now in common use by dermatologists, cosmeticians and the many people buying over the counter skin care products. They are available in moisturizers, cleansers, eye creams, peels, foundations and anti-wrinkle preparations. They are most commonly used for dry skin care, but can tend to be too harsh and therefore damage the skin further. The damage can be repaired with a shielding lotion, but it might also be a good idea to try some of the gentler alpha hydroxy acids Mother Nature has to offer instead of those on the shelves.
Alpha hydroxy acids are plant extracts that, in themselves, are not harmful unless used in very high concentration - which can cause redness and swelling that may last for weeks. Their major benefit is in their ability to accelerate exfoliation. Dead skin cells are stripped away, leaving your skin looking fresh and young. The acids also improve fullness and elasticity by stimulating the production of collagen and elastin. As dead skin cell build-up is more common with dry skin than other skin types, and as dry skin tends to be thinner and less supple, these properties are especially benefical in dry skin care.
If you would like to try these acids au naturel rather than in expensive treatments or preparations, here's where you can find them:
* Bilberry extract - Bilberry is a shrub with leaves and fruit that have toning properties. The extract is a good source of natural alpha hydroxy acid and is available in health food stores.
* Citric acid - most concentrated in lemons and limes, is it high in both antioxidants and alpha hydroxy acids. Both lemons and limes are helpful for dry skin care and are easy to prepare. You can squeeze them for juice and apply them, or simply cut the fruit in half and run it in.
* Sugar cane and sugar maple extracts - extracted from the juicy pulp of sugar cane and the Sugar Maple Tree, these are both good natural sources of alpha hydroxy acids. Although these may be hard to find in stores, a quick search online will produce many sources.
Although bilberry, lemons, limes and sugar plant extracts may be easier on the skin than the usual products, the exfoliation process can still leave it a little raw and vulnerable. So make sure you follow your alpha hydroxy treatment - natural or otherwise - with a good shielding lotion specially formulated dry skin care.
Internally, medications, stress, and hormones can trigger the oil glands to overproduce and cause breakouts while external factors that trigger this reaction include: certain foods (usually those high in fat), humidity, and overly hot temperatures (whether inside or outside).
Aside from skin care techniques, people with oily skin can watch for these factors and compensate for them in order to help keep their oil glands stable.
It is important to understand that, in the case of oily skin, Mom is not always right. Old skin care methods taught us to use rather harsh cleansers, exfoliating treatments, masks, and toners. These were developed to strip the skin of its natural oils.
Exfoliating treatments designed for oily skin both scrubbed a light layer of dead cells from the skin and stripped oils from the skin. The oil stripping action of the cleansers, masks, and toners combined with the abrasiveness of exfoliating treatments designed for oily skin managed to create irritated, dry skin. Dry skin, in turn, begins to produce more oil in an attempt to compensate for the lack of moisture.
A modern treatment that many women seem to prefer is the use of fruit acids. These tend to soften and brighten complexions at the same time that they help the skin control its oil production. This stabilized oil control helps makeup stay smoother, giving an overall pleasant appearance.
Fruit acids also have an outstanding effect on moisture within your skin because they encourage the production of a chemical within the skin. This chemical gives the skin the ability to hold water within it at a greater ratio than skin which lacks in the chemical. While Moms treatment removed moisture from the skin, the use of fruit acids helps the skin to regulate and retain natural moisture.
Fruit acids work as a light chemical exfoliation by removing dead skin and old oil which build up in the uppermost layer of your skin. These old oils on the surface are excess oils and not being utilized by the inner workings of your skin, so removing them does not affect your skins moisture content.
The skin is stimulated by this removal and produces new cells, which are necessary to have that fresh complexion. Large pores appear smaller with the use of fruit acids because the acids break down oils and dirt built up within the pores. Some people believe that the pores actually shrink, but science disagrees with this.
The most likely explanation is that the pores appear smaller because they are no longer full of the dark material; therefore they are not as obvious to the naked eye. If there is any truth to pore shrinkage, researchers agree that it can only happen through a long time of keeping the pores free of any build up.
You often hear of alpha hydroxy acids, some of these are natural and some are chemical compositions which are an attempt to recreate natural substances. Either way, you can use them yourself without purchasing mass created skin care treatments which may carry unwanted chemicals to your skin.
Dip a cotton ball in the juice of a fresh, organic lemon and apply to your face (especially oily areas and areas with larger pores), let sit for 3 minutes, cleanse with a mild organic cleanser, and moisturize with an appropriate moisturizer.
This should be done daily and the amount of time the lemon juice remains on the face should not be increased as a general rule. By using the juice daily, the build up break down will be gradual, but you will keep future build up under control.
Many people want to hurry the process of the initial build up removal, but if you irritate your skin by leaving the lemon juice on too long, you will not be able to use the juice on a daily basis. This defeats the plan of keeping future build up under control.
Remember that your oily skin may be irritating to you, but proper care of it will alleviate that. There are great side effects for you because of your oily skin: it usually does not burn as easily, does not usually freckle as quickly, develops fine lines and wrinkles slower, and does not discolor early. Care for your oily skin and it will care for you!
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-- -- has sinced written about articles on various topics from . Author, Gloria MacTaggart, is a freelance writer who contributes articles on skin care for Gloves In A Bottle, Inc. For more information, visit