Rough or acne-prone body skin: how to smooth it without irritation

What if you could have a smooth body in just a few minutes without scrubbing your skin? What about getting rid of back acne in a few days without medication? Or, how about preventing and flattening seborrheic keratoses without a dermatologist? Yes, that’s possible! And I’m telling you my best-kept secrets for that. 

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Hello! I used to make the time to scrub my body in the shower with a body scrub (including exfoliating granules) once a week or every other week. Most often, I didn’t feel like it.

Also, for a long time, I sought a non-sticky corporal cream or gel with hydroxy acids (that exfoliate the skin chemically, with no scrubbing required). But never found it.

So, I started to explore shower gels with chemical exfoliants. Which could be the perfect, pleasant, and time-saving solution I craved. One day, I saw a good review of a product like that. I bought it and haven’t stopped using it ever since!

Since then, I’ve found several other shower gels with various combinations of chemical exfoliants.

Those might be a better option for those who aren’t concerned with oily skin or bumpy situations (like seborrheic keratoses, acne, strawberry skin, or ingrown hairs) and have sensitive or dry skin.

So, stick with me and discover: 

· The ABC of hydroxy acids for body skin smoothing

· The analysis (and wonders) of the first product I found and still use (which is suitable for sensitive skin) over bumpy, oily, and normal skin

· And other great options for dry or super sensitive skin. 

Keep reading now and save time and headaches later!

Chemical exfoliants for the body: hydroxy acids (HA)

I believe the best ingredients to exfoliate the body without scrubbing are hydroxy acids (and probably urea). 

Those are carboxylic acids with one or more hydroxyl groups (aka -OH groups). See glycolic acid, the HA with the lowest molecular weight, on the image below.

You can find them in fruits. And we have some of them in our body (for example, lactic acid).

Chances are you’ve also heard about other hydroxy acids like malic, tartaric, or salicylic acids. There are a million facial skincare products that contain them! 

Biological actions of hydroxy acids on the skin

When you apply hydroxy acids, they generate a highly acidic environment (or low pH) which drives their biological actions on the skin:

1 · The low pH favors the activity of epidermal enzymes like proteases – which break intercellular bonds (called desmosomes), making epidermal cells naturally shed from the skin surface –.

So, momentarily, the top layer of the skin becomes thinner. That’s why you shouldn’t forget to protect the skin from the sun when using hydroxy acids.

2 · With prolonged use, hydroxy acids increase the proliferation of epidermal cells and epidermal thickness.

That also boosts collagen and glycosaminoglycans (like hyaluronic acid) in the dermis. Therefore, the skin becomes healthier and better looking.

3 · Hydroxyacids increase skin hydration directly (because they retain water molecules inside the skin) and indirectly (due to the increase in glycosaminoglycans, which also hold water inside the skin).

Polyhydroxy acids (like gluconolactone or lactobionic acid) have a higher molecular weight. They are milder than hydroxy acids but have similar effects on the skin. Hence, they’re often great for sensitive or dry skin.

How to polish bumpy, oily, or normal skin

You might want to try the first product I discovered (and keep using!): the AHA · BHA · PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Body Cleanser from the Korean brand Some By Mi (see the image below).

I buy it on the website Stylevana: Check whether the product is immediately available for shipping when purchasing there (you’ll see a bar displaying that info). Otherwise, your product may take weeks to get to you.

I have a balanced body skin, with an oilier chest and upper back. I had acne on my chest years ago (not now). So, before buying that product, I was only looking for something to keep my skin soft and looking good.

Everyday shower gels or bars (like Dove, etc.) leave my skin feeling dry after I shower. But this body cleanser has nothing to do with that. It’s very gentle – yet, it forms a nice lather –.

It leaves the skin refined and refreshed (never dry). You can blame glycerin and a mild combination of surfactants for that (see the ingredient list below). You need a small amount of product – it lasts a long time!

It also has Centella asiatica and some isolated components of centella –Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, and Madecassoside – which are soothing.

And a gentle yet effective mix of hydroxy acids: Salicylic acid leads the way. This fat-soluble hydroxy acid penetrates the skin fast and deep, reaching the pores (such as acne or strawberry spots) and waxy skin tags (like seborrheic keratoses). 

Mandelic acid, lactobionic acid, and citric acid nicely follow along.

Then you have tea tree extract, the secret ingredient that further relieves those spots from microbes and inflammation, helping them disappear. Scientific evidence backs the anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties of tea tree oil. 

Tea tree extract is a diluted version of tea tree oil. Thus, it’s softer. And has less irritant or allergenic potential (better patch test products with tea tree beforehand, just in case).

The tea tree extract gives a mild minty scent to this shower gel, which I don’t mind (and I’m not a big fan of mint in skincare).

An unexpected but lovely side effect I noticed after some weeks of using this body cleanser (that’s how I came up with this blog) was the improved appearance of a seborrheic keratosis beside my right nipple: It was waxy, dark brown, and crusty. After nearly a year, I have a much smaller, soft, light brown spot.

I still see how parts of it become dark and rough, then fall. Therefore the keratosis keeps getting smaller. I have a few other seborrheic keratoses where my sports bras (and other clothes) rub against my body. And they are more refined now too. 

Other shower gels with chemical exfoliants

I’ve found other non-drying shower gels with only salicylic acid (see below) or glycolic acid (see below). They’re from the brand Naturium. But I haven’t tried them yet.

https://naturium.com/products/the-perfector-salicylic-acid-body-wash

https://naturium.com/products/the-smoother-glycolic-acid-exfoliating-body-wash

How to smooth dry or super sensitive skin

If your skin is dry or more sensitive (yet rough or bumpy), you may want to try a product like the following (from CeraVe). It contains mainly gluconolactone and also salicylic acid. I haven’t used it, so I can’t tell you more.

Have you used any of those shower gels? I’d love to know your experience – please comment below!

And don’t forget to subscribe to my bimonthly newsletter to receive time- and headache-saving insights I don’t share anywhere else!

Take care, and see you next time!
María

REFERENCES – ROUGH BODY SKIN

Applications of hydroxy acids: classification, mechanisms, and photoactivity. Kornhouser A, Coelho S G, Hearing V J, Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol., 2010 Nov 24; 3: 135-42.

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