FAN MAIL FRIDAYS: Do I really need acids in my skin care routine?

Happy Friday, Beshies! My blog's biggest annual party is coming up and we're currently preparing for it. Unveiling the details soon, but for now, let's discuss Ana's question:

Hi Ms. Martha,
I've been seeing people using acids in skin care and I just want to know if it's really necessary or just optional?
Ana

Hi Anna!

Acids are having a moment for the last two years; as someone who's been using acids for half a year now, I could say that it is really effective and it made a huge difference to my acne- ridden skin; my skin has never felt and looked better, and in turn, I feel much better about myself. I credit my skin's current great condition and decreased acne occurrence to acid usage.

But do I think everyone should use acids?

My answer is: it depends.

Acids are ideal for those who have very oily, acne- prone skin, aging skin, and skin that's sensitive to physical exfoliation and has a hard time turning over on its own; this is regardless of age.

However, I have noticed that most skin care products, both purely acid and acid- based, are targeted towards women aged 30s and up. Why? Because aging skin needs a bit more help from more concentrated, high active products such as acids to maintain smoothness, regeneration, and correct pigmentation; this is indirect advice that acids should be considered if you have aging skin and have a lot of things to correct on your complexion already.

Based on experience, using acids has also forced me to change and rethink some of my activities and skin care habits; I used to love walking outdoors and would sometimes forget to put on sunscreen, but when I have started using acids, I had to minimize my time under the sun and made sunscreen a very important part of my routine; if I forget wearing sunscreen, my skin would look red instantly and there was a time I developed sun spots (yikes!), but good thing they went away. If you're not ready for a change in your routine, then you should think before jumping into the acids trend.

Lastly, if you have young skin with virtually zero problems, enjoy it while the fast turnover, smoothness, and firmness last; you probably won't be needing acids at this point, unless advised by your dermatologist.

How about you? Are you using acids? Do you think it is vital for all skin care routines to include acids?

**Got a burning question on beauty, makeup, skin care, fragrance, blogging, business, relationships, fitness, or anything under the sun? Email me at martha.stabarbara@yahoo.com, send me a message via Contact Form, or shoot me a message at THE BEAUTY JUNKEE OFFICIAL FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.