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If you've ever sought professional advice to treat skin concerns like acne, aging skin, or hyperpigmentation, or even just to learn how to get a glowing complexion free of excess debris, you have likely been advised to add exfoliating acids to your skin care routine in one form or another. Whether you are eager to try the newest trending chemical exfoliants, or you want a refresher on what your recommended Hydroxy Acids are prescribed to target, read on for a breakdown of AHAs, PHAs, and BHAs, and which Hydroxy Acid is right for you.

Sensitive skin and all skin types:

Until recently, the most commonly recommended exfoliating acids have typically been Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs) and Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) due to their fast and extremely effective results. Because of their efficacy though, there is one skin type that has often had to go without the Hydroxy Acid skin care benefits: sensitive skin. We now have the key to radiant, exfoliated, and rejuvenated skin minus the risk of irritation for our sensitive skin types. Polyhydroxy Acids, or PHAs, are related to the AHA family, but are much more gentle while still offering some of the main benefits of AHAs and BHAs.

PHAs are known as the recommended acid for sensitive skin. They are gentle enough that they are often even a great fit for those with rosacea or eczema who still want an illuminated, fresh complexion. They also offer a unique balance of exfoliation and nourishment because PHAs hydrate skin. "They support the skin's barrier function, which locks in moisture and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles." (Healthline.com)

Like other Hydroxy Acids, PHAs slough off dead skin cells, revealing smoother, brighter skin that's ready to absorb products more effectively so they can perform their best. The molecules of PHAs are larger and therefore cannot penetrate as deeply as AHAs or BHAs, which is why they are likely your best bet if you have sensitive skin or want to start introducing chemical exfoliants into your skin care routine.

Aging, dull, and sun-damaged skin:

AHAs are a staple in skin care for reducing fine lines and wrinkles by breaking the bond between your skin and the dead skin cells that cling to the skin's surface. This process can also aid in collagen production as well as brightening by diminishing dark spots and scars as dead skin cells are replaced with new cells.

"AHAs promote skin cell turnover. New skin cells are evenly pigmented. In theory, long-term use of AHAs may reduce skin discoloration by encouraging the old, discolored skin cells to turn over." (Healthline.com)

*AHAs vary in strength and concentration, so check with your skin care professional before adding products containing them into your routine.

Acne-prone and oily skin:

BHAs are often a go-to for acneic skin because they reduce inflammation, slow down sebum production, and clear out pores. While products containing BHAs are often formulated to treat acne, like AHAs and PHAs, they also exfoliate and smooth, brighten, fade hyperpigmentation, firm, and reduce wrinkles. (Irvinelasercenter.com)

BHAs are oil-soluble (meaning that they penetrate deeper within the skin before dissolving) and have relatively small molecules. These traits mean that BHAs can exfoliate more aggressively than other chemical exfoliants. Because of this, you will want to seek professional advice before using BHAs and learn how to properly introduce them to your skin.

Need help picking out the right one? While all Hydroxy Acids have the same core benefits like cell turnover, brightening, and firming, each also has its own "superpower." For further advice on which one is right for your specific skin concerns, visit us in store or online to ask us for a personalized recommendation on chat.

We hear over and over again that collagen is the key to keeping skin youthful and plump like a baby's face. From powders and supplements to serums and moisturizers, it seems like we're seeing it everywhere—which can make it hard to navigate finding the best source. Let's break down what collagen actually is, talk about its most effective forms, and how to not only maintain it, but also how to boost it.

So what role does collagen actually play in the skin? Collagen is what binds skin cells and tissue together, so loss of collagen means loss of elasticity, structure, and firmness. "Think of it like the frame of your mattress: Without it, the mattress would be clumpy and wrinkly," board-certified dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner explains in The Zoe Report. This is why loss of collagen leads to a more hollow, sunken-in look and skin droops and sags with age.

Reach for peptides to support your skin's structure.

Our bodies naturally produce collagen, but the production can start to slow down as early as our mid-to-late twenties. While a decrease in collagen is inevitable over time, we can use topical products to retain it. If your goal is to boost collagen, look for skin care containing peptides. Peptides come into play because they signal amino acid chains to intertwine, which creates collagen and therefore builds a stronger structure for the skin. (healthline.com)

Remember: Small molecule size equals more effective penetration.

You might think that when picking skin care you would look for something with "collagen" right on the bottle, however, pure collagen molecules are too large for the skin to absorb. So knwing what ingredients to look for is key. Opt for products with Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and again, our superstar ingredient: peptides. The small molecule size in these ingredients allows them to penetrate deep into the skin to encourage collagen production rather than just sitting on top of the skin.

Stimulate with glycolic acid.

We know that chemical exfoliants are great anti-aging preventatives, but one in particular actually turns back time by stimulating collagen production: glycolic acid. "As a collagen stimulator, glycolic acid works by stimulating fibroblasts, cells that produce collagen." (dridriss.com) Bonus: it's a humectant, meaning that it attracts moisture to the skin. Hydrated skin is healthy, youthful-looking skin.

Eat your way to more elasticity.

While collagen supplements have been all the rage lately, it turns out that eating collagen-rich foods is often more effective. "The key difference between the two may be down to the bioavailability—the body's ability to use a nutrient." (healthline.com) Add these foods to your diet to boost collagen production naturally:

• Bone broth

• Chicken and fish

• Egg whites

• Citrus fruits, tropical fruits, and berries

• Garlic

• Leafy greens

• Beans

• Cashews

• Tomatoes

• Bell peppers

Trust the tried-and-true. Our final tips to preserve collagen likely won't come as a big surprise. Follow the same rules we hear again and again in skin care—drink lots of water, maintain a healthy diet, limit your alcohol and sugar intake, never smoke, and always use SPF.

Finding that perfect balance in the skin's oil production can feel tricky if you don't know where to start. No matter if your skin type is dry, oily, or combination, we all want clean, nourished skin with a healthy oil barrier. If you don't know where to start in achieving that balance, fear not—that's why we're here to walk you through it. The key is to incorporate products that draw out excess sebum (oil) and impurities without stripping the skin of its natural oils altogether. Before you reach for that super sudsy cleanser to address your skin's oil level, let's talk about why you might want to opt for oil-based products instead (even if that sounds counterintuitive). Read on to discover the right oil-balancing products for your skin type.

For your first cleanse:

Did you know that experts typically recommend washing your face twice? This method is called double cleansing. Oil-based cleansers are often recommended for the first wash because oil attracts oil, so this type of cleanser will pull out excess sebum, debris, and pollution as well as melt away makeup so that the skin is ready for its second cleanse. One of our favorite oil-based cleansers for balancing out the skin's oil levels is Dermalogica's PreCleanse. Formulated with nourishing oils like Micellar Murumuru Butter and Apricot Kernel Oil, as well as a prebiotic blend, PreCleanse lovingly pulls impurities from the skin without hijacking and throwing off the skin's oil balance.

Here's how to use it:

• Dispense a small amount of PreCleanse into the hands to warm it up before applying to the face

• Massage PreCleanse into the face with fingertips in circular motions, covering the face and neck areas, and focusing especially on the breakdown of any lingering makeup

• Rinse thoroughly

• Follow the same steps again with your cleanser of choice before drying the face and continuing with your skincare routine

For a perfectly purifying cleanse (that doesn't leave your skin feeling dry and tight):

For oily and acneic skin types, finding a cleanser that thoroughly cleanses the skin without causing that dry, tight feeling can seem like an impossible task—but it's not. Here's where Eminence's Skin Probiotic Cleanser comes in. Many facial cleansers formulated to treat these skin concerns use overly aggressive ingredients that strip too much of the skin's oil, either making it dehydrated and chapped or causing the body to overcorrect by producing excess oil in an effort to replace sebum the skin is now lacking, making skin look and feel even oilier.

Eminence opts for more gentle ingredients like Tea Tree Essential Oil to draw out excess oil and impurities. It gives a super clean feel and minimizes the appearance of pores without compromising the oil barrier. Bonus: As the name suggests, this cleanser nourishes the skin with probiotics, meaning it balances out bad bacteria (which can cause skin concerns like acne) with good bacteria.

To cleanse and balance dry skin:

FarmHouse Fresh's One Fine Shea Face Polish doubles as a cleanser and an exfoliant. Shea Butter, Sunflower Seed Oil, and Vitamin E balance, soothe, and moisturize while citrus oils cleanse the skin. It's gentle enough to use daily and works with dry skin to encourage a healthy oil level.

According to FarmHouse Fresh, "Some regular cleansers leave your face feeling tight and stripped, causing your skin to work overtime to replace lost natural oils. This voluptuous whipping micropolisher brings radiance back – reducing signs of redness and discoloration."

For a fast-acting balancing treatment:

Any time you're looking to quickly and effectively address a skin concern (in this case, maintaining a healthy oil balance) you'll likely want to have a concentrated treatment to reach for. Our go-to quick fix to tend to the skin's oil barrier and balance its production is Eminence Seabuckthorn Balancing Masque. This masque combines Jojoba Oil, Calendula, Carrot, and Seabuckthorn to revitalize, balance, and hydrate skin without clogging pores.

For the perfect moisturizing and clarifying oil:

Eminence combines Activated Charcoal and Black Seed Oil for a perfectly balancing oil suitable for all skin types. Activated Charcoal absorbs excess sebum and draws out impurities while Black Seed Oil prevents clogged pores and balances the skin's oil level. Other oils in this product including Cica Oil, Immortelle Oil, and Moringa Oil soothe, moisturize, and add antioxidants to the skin. The combination of these nourishing oils with the Activated Charcoal truly makes for the best of both worlds.

For post facial shaving:

Let's not forget our daily face-shavers. Gone are the days that shaving the face means chapped and dry skin. Meet Fur Oil by Fur. This oil has quickly become a cult classic in the skincare industry due to its ability to soften hair, relieve post-shaving irritation, and balance with a blend of gentle yet effective oils. Grape Seed and Jojoba Oils soften hair and skin while Tea Tree and Clary Sage Oils offer antibacterial, antimicrobial, and astringent properties. Fur oil soothes, reduces redness and post-shaving irritation, and prevents ingrowns.

Whether your hair damage has been caused by harsh chemicals, hot tools, or a dry climate, you likely have a repairing hair product or two sitting in your bathroom cabinet. If so, you've also likely found that there are times these repairing treatments don't perform as they've promised to. Read on to learn why this happens and ensure that your restoring hair products continue to deliver the results you want.

Why restoring treatments seem to stop performing:

When hair is feeling dry and damaged, it is sometimes tempting to double down on restoring products. After all, if a little is good, isn't a lot better? This often isn't the case when it comes to repair products. This is because these dense treatments do just what they are formulated to do - they coat the hair strands with rich ingredients. After a certain point of repeatedly using these products, your hair is left with a build-up of product, no longer able to absorb nutrients, and your favorite treatments feel like they are no longer performing as they once did.

Here's how to get the most out of your treatment again:

Because of build-up that occures over time, now and then, the hair needs to be thoroughly stripped of excess product so that the strands can truly absorb restoring treatments. Swap out your regular shampoo for a deep cleansing wash, and you'll notice ingredients can now perform as they should, rather than just sit on top of the hair. Our current favorite cleanser for a supercharged wash that allows your hair to absorb nutrients: R+Co's Submarine: Water Activated Enzyme Exfoliating Shampoo.

Here's what makes for a great deep-cleanse:

We love this R+Co's Submarine Shampoo because it uses AHAs, or Alpha Hydroxy Acids, as well as enzymes for a beadless exfoliation. These topical exfoliants are unique to the haircare world and are more often found in skincare because of their ability to thoroughly, yet gently exfoliate. Utilizing these ingredients to deeply cleanse the hair, rather than a clarifying shampoo heavy in sulfates, leaves a perfect balance of hydration while maintaining the integrity of color-treated hair.

How to treat your hair to the best restoring routine ever:

As often as once a week, or as sparingly as once a month, switch out your regular shampoo for Submarine. Squeeze a dime-size amount into your palm and activate with a bit of water, then massage into your scalp and add water as needed. Work through your hair and rinse. For truly restorative results, apply your favorite hair mask, rinse, and then complete your routine with your restoring conditioner to seal your cuticle, locking in your hair mask's nutrients.

This routine will offer the best of both worlds - leaving your hair seriously nourished and your scalp and strands feeling unbelievably refreshed. Save excess product (and frustration) by cleansing your hair back to health with Submarine Exfoliating Shampoo.

This past year, Eminence Organic Skin Care raked in over twenty "Best Of" awards from publications including Allure, American Spa, New Beauty and more. Out of all of these accolades, there's one that stands out most to us: Favorite Skin Care Line 15 Years in a Row (Professional's Choice: American Spa Magazine).

As industry professionals ourselves, we are particularly excited about this award because we constantly get to see results (or lack thereof) from various brands and personally get to feel, smell, and work with many different products from many different lines. To celebrate Eminence's whopping fifteen years as spa professional's favorite skin care line, we want to name fifteen of our favorite things about Eminence.

As their name suggests, they use exclusively organic ingredients.

Eminence's motto is, "Healthy skin is a reflection of what you feed your body, inside and out." For this reason, they source the best ingredients from organic farms around the world to create products that are as pure and potent as possible. All Eminence products contain between a minimum of 70% and up to 95% organic ingredients.

Their products are proven effective for major skin concerns.

Ask pretty much any Eminence Organics user if the brand's products deliver effective results and you'll likely hear a resounding "yes." When you're investing in professional-grade products though, sometimes you want to see some actual proof. If you're in need of anti-aging skin care with results you can count on, check out their Marine Flower Peptide Concentrate. In vivo results after 28 days showed:

• 90% of users showed an improvement in wrinkle depth in just 4 weeks

• 94% of users noted smoother-looking skin in just 4 weeks

• 78% of users noted more supple-looking skin in just 4 weeks

Eminence's Clear Skin Starter Set for acne-prone skin has equally impressive results with 76% of users reporting a reduction in acne lesions and scars in just 14 days and 100% of users showing results in 28 days!

They offer exfoliants (including peels) gentle enough for sensitive skin.

Those who struggle with sensitive skin often feel like they have to forgo certain steps in their skin care routine like exfoliation. Eminence's Calm Skin line has products for every step in skin care. They even carry a Calm Skin Exfoliating Peel suitable for those with extremely sensitive skin and even rosacea.

Their products are hand-picked in Hungary and made with love.

Eminence ingredient farms in Hungary are powered by solar and wind energy and their products are handmade without hydrogenation processes to ensure the potency of the natural ingredients is not compromised.

"All of our products are formulated in Hungary, where the majority are also manufactured then sent to Canada for hand-pouring. Although a variety of our natural, organic, and Biodynamic® ingredients are globally sourced, the majority are still grown in Hungary."

They take sustainability to a whole new level.

Did you know that for every Eminence retail product sold, they plant a tree? Eminence has planted 25 million trees so far. Pretty remarkable, right?! Beyond that:

• All product boxes are recyclable

• Wherever possible, containers are made from recyclable plastic

• All packing boxes are reused or recycled

• Packing chips are made of 100% biodegradable corn that dissolves harmlessly in water

Their body care products are just as incredible as their facial skin care.

From scrubs and moisturizers to more advanced treatments like their Hungarian Herbal Mud Treatment, Eminence makes caring for your skin from head to toe feel fun and luxurious. Pro tip: Add one to two capsules of their Stone Crop Body Oil to your bath for the most luxurious bathing experience of your life and the softest skin ever.

Their products are super concentrated.

When products run out too quickly, it can feel like an investment that didn't pay off. With Eminence, your skin care will last and last. The brand even suggests diluting several of their concentrated moisturizers with a few drops of water or spritzes of their tonique so you get about twice as much as what appears in the container.

Every product smells absolutely amazing (naturally).

Sticking to their organic promise, Eminence stays away from artificial scents and opts to fragrance their products with flowers, herbs, and teas. If you see the word "fragrance" on the ingredient list, it means natural botanical extracts and aromatic ingredients have been combined into a proprietary blend to enhance the product's smell and overall experience.

They are one of the most innovative brands in the industry, always coming out with new products to deliver the most effective results.

From their nourishing oil-based cleanser—far from your standard sudsy facial wash—to their powder-to-foam exfoliants that "fizz" when mixed with water to leave skin glowing and invigorated, Eminence products really are unlike any other on the market.

They have developed natural alternatives to retinol.

Retinol is a synthetic derivative of Vitamin A known for its impressive ability to treat acne and reduce signs of aging. While it can be a key ingredient in skin care, it's not for everyone. If it's used too much, prescribed for use on the wrong skin type, or not properly introduced to the skin, it can be extremely harsh. Eminence removes the guesswork by offering products with natural topical exfoliants like botanical extracts from the babchi and bakuchiol plants for much more predictable, yet equally as effective results as retinol.

*In vivo study results showed that after using Eminence's Bakuchiol & Niacinamide collection for just 12 weeks, 100% of users agreed skin did not get irritated like with retinol products they had used before and 95% of users agreed skin felt and appeared smoother. (AmericanSpa.com)

Eminence is cruelty-free (and often vegan), opting for ingredients found in nature.

Eminence offers a wide range of vegan skin care products. These products are cruelty-free and formulated without parabens, animal byproducts, synthetic dyes, or petrochemicals.

Some of our very favorite vegan Eminence products are Marine Flower Peptide Serum and Marine Flower Peptide Eye Cream, both of which are formulated with cruelty-free collagen and natural plant peptides.

Eminence is absolutely beloved by celebrities.

Jennifer Lawrence, Vanessa Williams, Victoria Beckham, Zooey Deschanel, Cameron Diaz, Mark Ruffalo—the list of celebrities that have enthusiastically given the skin care line their seal of approval seems to go on and on! Hey, if these beauties trust the Eminence brand with their picture-perfect skin, sign us up!

They use herbs and spices for stimulating products like you've never seen before.

"Our stimulating products contain paprika and/or nettle which intentionally create a tingling or 'hot' feeling on your skin. These treatments generate a circulatory system response that brings fresh blood flow to the surface of the skin. This increase in circulation encourages the natural cell turnover in the skin while creating a detoxifying and oxygenated environment, leaving the skin toned, firmed, and clear."

They make treatments and peels that deliver accessible and impressive results for at-home use.

If you need to see serious results quickly (say, for an important, last-minute event,) but don't have time to make it into the spa, Eminence treatments and peels are your new best friend. You can select at-home peels from their firming, brightening, clearing, and calming lines for an effective outcome from home.

They give back.

The story of Eminence founder Boldijarre Koronczay's obsession with "organic" is a fascinating and sincerely moving one. As a survivor of a rare form of childhood leukemia, Koronczay attributes his survival of the disease to the organic foods he was fed by his mother during his treatment. The impact of his holistic care left a lasting impression on Boldijarre, making him a champion for the cause of nourishing the body with organic ingredients—both inside and out. This is why today Boldijarre does his best to provide organic resources and education for those in need.

"The Eminence Kids Foundation is dedicated to providing seriously ill children receiving care in hospitals and long term care facilities worldwide with a supplement of organic foods or juices to naturally aid in their recovery. For detailed information on the Foundation please visit EminenceKidsFoundation.org."