Lactic acid is one of the most popular alpha hydroxy acids in skin care, and for good reason. Much gentler than many other AHAs, this acid is derived from kefir and is known for its surface exfoliating properties,
sloughing away dead skin cells while reducing fine lines and discoloration. As a lactic acid newbie, I tested one of the most popular products on the market, not to mention a Byrdie HQ favorite: Sunday Rileys
Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment.
I used it daily for two weeks and saw changes in my skin’s texture, radiance, and hydration levels, as well as improvements in dark spots and fine lines. Is this exfoliating, plumping serum-based treatment a winner?
Read on to find out.
About my skin: Normal to oily with minor fine lines. My skin condition varies by season. In the summer, my skin fluctuates between normal and oily, and I’m more prone to clogged pores and breakouts—especially now that I wear a mask every time I leave the house. I also struggled with texture, finding that my skin was rarely smooth, whether it was dry, oily, or somewhere in between. I also suffered from severe sun damage as a teenager from years of sunbathing at the beach, which showed up as small, freckle-like dark spots on my cheeks. In general, I shy away from acids because I’ve had severe reactions to stronger ingredients in the past and have never consistently used lactic acid treatments. Given my current skin condition and the fact that I was starting to notice fine lines around my eyes (hello, I’m 30!), Good Genes seemed like the perfect choice for my first try at a daily AHA. Since the product can be used both day and night, I decided to incorporate it into my nighttime routine.
After spraying Maison Jacynthe Rose Petal Water onto cleansed skin, I apply Good Genes to my face and neck and let it absorb. I’ll then apply a stronger nighttime moisturizer, Haomas Restoring Night Cream. Since the product is gentle enough for daily use, I used it every night during my two-week testing period.
Ingredients: Lactic acid and botanicals work together to refine skin. Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment is based on natural lactic acid to remove pore-clogging dead skin cells from the skin’s surface, reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots for fresh, radiant skin. Lactic acid also kills acne-causing bacteria, promotes cell turnover, and helps the skin retain moisture. 1 Additionally, licorice and lemongrass can fade dark spots and other skin discolorations.
Members of the skincare community may tout comprehensive, multi-step routines, but it’s not something that everyone can achieve.
Especially in the early morning when you’re preparing breakfast for a hungry toddler, juggling a 9-to-5 work schedule, or trying to squeeze in other morning rituals like exercise and a to-do list.
Yet a morning skin care routine can be just as beneficial as a bedtime one. It’s the time to nourish your skin after a night of sleep (especially important if you’re too tired to wash your face before bed) and prepare it for a successful day filled with germs, screen time, stress, and UV rays.
Follow these guidelines on how to perform a morning skin care routine. While we’ve laid out a complete routine, there are some optional steps you can add or remove depending on your specific skin type and concerns.
How to Use Skincare in the Morning. Here’s how to layer your morning skincare routine.
Step 1: Cleanser. It’s time to start from scratch. Wash your face with a cleanser for 30-60 seconds, using circular motions to remove dirt and oil from problem areas like your chin, nose, and forehead.
Soap-free cleansers with skin-loving ingredients (like our Antioxidant Cleanser) are suitable for all skin types. If you have acne-prone or oily skin, choose a product like Keep the Peace that contains 1.5% salicylic acid.
If you have dry skin type or follow a bedtime skin care routine, you may not need to cleanse your skin thoroughly.
However, it’s still important to wash off pollutants that may have sneaked in overnight (your pillowcase can harbor bacteria and dead skin cells). So simply brush them off with micellar water or a little water. Or go to step
2, cleanse with toner.
Step 2: Toner (optional): If you’ve washed your face but still notice residue after patting it dry with a towel, you already know the benefits of toner.
A good toner not only removes lingering impurities, but it also sets the stage for the rest of your skin care regimen by rebalancing your skin’s pH (which is lost when you rinse with water) and nourishing your skin with skin-loving nutrients. How
As mentioned above, even for dry skin, you can use a toner (like Baby Cheeks) in the morning instead of a cleanser.
This is also a good time to remove dead skin cells before applying a serum, which will allow your serum to penetrate better when pores are clogged. To this end, use a brightening toner daily while you even out your skin tone.
Step 3: Serum or Treatment. Now that your skin is fully primed and prepped, you can apply targeted serums and treatments tailored specifically to your skin care needs. Dehydrated or dry skin?
Try Moisture Maker Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum. Do you have dark spots? Use tranexamic acid or vitamin C to fade dullness and strengthen the barrier. Are you prone to breakouts? A purifying serum with niacinamide can
help balance.
Step 4: Eye Gel (optional): While we recommend using a thicker eye and night cream, those with dark circles and eye bags can use a cooling gel to revive tired eyes.
Gently tap our Brightening Eye Gel, starting at the inner corner of the eye and moving upward toward the brow bone to wash away trapped fluid that causes dark circles and eye bags.
Step 5: Moisturizer: For all oily and acne-prone skin types: Don’t skip this step! Moisturizer helps lock in all the goodness while maintaining the hydration you need for the rest of the day.
During the day, choose a lighter shade like Dew Point. The cooling, jelly-like texture absorbs into your skin instantly, leaving no greasy feeling all day long. Dry skin types may prefer a creamy product like Skin Soak.
Step 6: Sunscreen: If you put something on in the morning, make sure it’s sunscreen. Protecting your skin from the sun year-round is important to prevent damage like cancer, burns, and dark spots and premature fine lines.
Choose a broad-spectrum mineral sunscreen with SPF that also protects against free radicals caused by blue light and pollution. If you’re out and about during the day, don’t forget to bring your tube with you so you can apply every two hours as recommended by the FDA. Step 7: Glowing Fireflies (Optional) As a bonus step, use mood lighting to add a little filter-free glow to your daily routine. Choose between Sheer Golden and Sheer Bronzed (or mix both) and blend into skin to blur imperfections and enhance skin’s radiance. If you wear makeup, you can also mix a few drops into your foundation.
DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek.
“Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more.
Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals.
Sunscreen
“We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.”
Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen
An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup.
Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand.
Vitamin C Serum
“A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum
The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum
This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants.
Peptides
Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.”
Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream
This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively.
This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek.
At-Home Peel Pads
Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate.
“The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.”
According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says.
Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad
A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection.
KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads
These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids.
Emollient Night Cream
“In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.”
“Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products.
Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream
One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme
“The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.
