What is Chemical Exfoliation?
Chemical exfoliation is a skincare process that uses acids or enzymes to gently dissolve dead skin cells, promoting cell turnover. Unlike physical exfoliation, which relies on abrasive scrubs, chemical exfoliants provide a more even and less irritating method to achieve even skin.

Chemical vs. Physical Exfoliation: What's the Difference?
When it comes to exfoliating your skin, you have two main options: chemical exfoliation and physical exfoliation. Both methods aim to remove dead skin cells and reveal a fresher, more radiant complexion, but they do so in different ways.
Chemical Exfoliation:

• Ideal for those with sensitive or acne-prone skin, as it can be gentler and more precise.
• Beneficial for addressing specific concerns like hyperpigmentation, fine lines, and deep congestion.
• Recommended for those seeking a more controlled and consistent exfoliation process.

​Physical exfoliation: 
Physical exfoliation involves manually scrubbing the skin with granular substances or tools to remove dead cells, offering immediate smoothness. While effective for thicker skin, it can lead to micro-tears and uneven exfoliation, making it less suitable for sensitive skin. Physical exfoliation is:

• Suitable for those who prefer immediate tactile results.
• Effective for people with thicker, less sensitive skin that can tolerate manual scrubbing.
• Convenient for those looking for a quick, once-in-a-while exfoliation.

Why is Chemical Exfoliation Important?
Chemical exfoliation is crucial for several reasons:

• Improves Texture: It helps smooth out rough patches and uneven skin texture.
• Brightens Complexion: By removing dead skin cells, it reveals a more radiant and even-toned complexion.
• Unclogs Pores: By dissolving sebum and dead skin cells in pores, it can be effective in preventing acne.
• Enhances Absorption: It allows other skincare products to penetrate better, making them more effective. 

The Most Gentle Exfoliants
When starting with chemical exfoliation, it's important to choose gentle options to minimize irritation and sun damage. Some of the most gentle exfoliants include:

• Lactic Acid: Derived from milk, it's a mild AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) suitable for sensitive skin.
• Mandelic Acid: An AHA derived from almonds, it's gentle and ideal for beginners.
• PHA (Polyhydroxy Acids): Even gentler than AHAs, PHAs provide exfoliation with minimal irritation, perfect for sensitive skin.
• Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs) are oil-soluble acids that penetrate deeper into the pores, making them excellent for exfoliating oily and acne-prone skin. The most common BHA used in skincare is salicylic acid. Examples of BHAs are salicylic acid and Betaine salicylate. 

Saroya Natural's Blemish Control Botanical Serum is a fantastic option for those looking to incorporate chemical exfoliation into their routine. This serum combines natural botanical extracts with gentle exfoliants like lactic, ellagic, and salicylic acids to exfoliate, unclog pores, and reduce blemishes without causing irritation. Moreover, botanical extracts of pomegranate, willow bark, and bakuchi seed, an Ayurvedic herb renowned for its skin healing properties, deliver much needed antioxidants to protect skin from photo damage. This serum is gentle enough to be used daily at night. 

When to Incorporate Chemical Exfoliation into Your Routine
For most skin types, incorporating chemical exfoliation 3 times a week is sufficient. Start slowly to see how your skin reacts, especially if you have sensitive skin. Evening is the best time to exfoliate, as it allows your skin to renew and repair overnight without the risk of exposure to the sun.

Commonly Misunderstood Aspects of Chemical Exfoliation: Using Lemons and Apple Cider Vinegar

• High Acidity: While lemons and apple cider vinegar are natural, their high acidity can disrupt the skin's pH balance and cause irritation or burns.
• Inconsistent Results: The acidity levels in these items are not standardized, leading to unpredictable results and potential damage.
• Safer Alternatives: It's better to use products formulated with controlled concentrations of exfoliating acids like AHAs and BHAs for safe and effective results.

Precautions for People with Pigmented Skin
​For individuals with pigmented skin, extra care is needed when exfoliating to avoid issues such as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH):

• Patch Test: Always do a patch test before applying a new exfoliant to your entire face to check for adverse reactions.
• Start Slowly: Use a lower concentration of exfoliants and increase usage gradually to monitor your skin's response. Ideal concentrations of acids for Pigmented Skin:
  • Lactic Acid: Start with a concentration of < 5%. 
  • Glycolic Acid: Begin with a lower concentration of 5% to 8%.
  • Salicylic Acid: Use products with a concentration of 0.5% to 2%.
  • Mandelic Acid: Start with 5% to 10%, as it is gentle on the skin.
• Hydration: Keep your skin well-hydrated with a well formulated oil, cream, or balm to maintain its barrier function and reduce the risk of irritation.
• Sun Protection: Avoid excess sun exposure; use skincare rich in antioxidants (like Saroya Natural's Timeless Radiance Facial Oil), wear a hat, don't do out during peak UV radiation, use sunscreen to protect skin from sun damage. 

What to Expect When You First Start Exfoliating
When you first start using a chemical exfoliant, you might experience:

• Mild Tingling or Redness: This is your skin reacting to the new product and may or may not happen. If it does occur, it should not last for more than a week or so. Any reaction that persists for over two weeks indicates that your skin is sensitive to the product and its use must be stopped. 
• Smoother Texture: After a few uses, you’ll notice your skin feeling softer and more refined.
• Brighter Complexion: Over time, your skin will look more radiant and even-toned.

Skin Purging: A Potential Side EffectOne potential side effect of chemical exfoliation is skin purging. This occurs when the increased cell turnover brings underlying congestion to the surface, leading to temporary breakouts. Purging typically lasts for a few weeks. If breakouts persist beyond six weeks, it may be a sign of irritation rather than purging, and you should stop the product and consult a dermatologist.

Drawing Parallels with Ayurvedic Skincare Practices
Ayurvedic skincare also emphasizes gentle exfoliation and nourishment, often using natural ingredients:

• Yogurt Masks: Yogurt contains lactic acid, which gently exfoliates the skin, similar to lactic acid in chemical exfoliants. It also provides hydration and nourishment.
• Herbal Pastes: Ayurvedic pastes made from lentils were used for physical exfoliation. 

 I had been thinking for a while of formulating a facial oil with Indian and western herbs - an East meets West if you will. Not because I was feeling gimmicky, but because I wanted an oil that offered all of the following:
- Protection against UV rays (anti-oxidant)
- Anti-bacterial protection for the occasional acne
- Astringent for under eye circles
I had done a lot of research on herbs and plants that offer the above properties and decided to create my formulation. The Indian herbs I used were:
- Manjishtha 
- Sandalwood bark
- Yashtimadhu (licorice - not really localized to India ...)
- Kasthuri haldi (turmeric root)
- Amla 
The western herbs:
- Magnolia flower (foraged from trees in my neighborhood)
- White oak bark
- Orange peels (from organic oranges that I bought for consumption)
- Pomegranate peels (from organic pomegranate fruit I bought for consumption)
-Rose hips (from my garden - collected last winter when they were ripe)

Protection against the sun's UV rays:
The idea is to use a bunch of antioxidants to help scavenge reactive oxygen species (or ROS). The UV rays from the run react with skin tissue and create ROS that can do a lot of damage - ex. cause hyperpigmentation. I really dislike sun screen so I always load all the products I use with anti oxidants. That, along with a wide brimmed hat, has offered me fantastic protection over the years (I take walks in the middle of the day, every day in sunny California). 
Some potent antioxidants are a class of compounds called polyphenols and flavonoids. Pomegranate peels, orange peels, rosehips and amla are rich in phenolic compounds. Another excellent antioxidant is vitamin C - found in amla, rosehips and orange peels. In addition, the turmeric root contains curcumin, another powerful antioxidant.

 Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory:
Acne is caused by bacterial infection of a pore clogged by sebum. Therefore, it is important to have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients in your skin care. Ingredients in this oil that provide these benefits are magnolia (rich in magnolol and honokiol) and manjishtha. Manjishtha is a much revered herb in Ayurveda - many good things, such as being anti-inflammatory, are attributed to this herb. Both magnolia and manjishtha are good for acne. Sandalwood bark is also well known for being anti-inflammatory.

Under eye circles:
With age (and accumulation of bad habits and exacerbated by genetics) comes the raccoon look. I have tried formulating any number of gels, oils, and creams for this and received not so great results. Licorice, magnolia and manjishtha are known for skin whitening (see references below) and great for pigmentation issues. I added the white oak bark because it is rich in tannins - chemicals that constrict blood vessels. Pomegranate peels are also rich in tannins. So by using a multi-pronged approach of pigmentation suppression and blood vessel constriction (astringents), I hope this will help with dark circles.

I used Ayurvedic methods to extract the herbs in water and then incorporating the decoction in sesame oil and rounded the whole thing off with a drop of my favorite rose absolute. 

Been using this oil for a month now and I plan to get this out for sale. Calling it Timeless Radiance - an oil that can be used at any age.

References:
 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5485961/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282655594_PHYTOCHEMISTRY_AND_PHARMACOLOGY_OF_SANTALUM_ALBUM_L_A_REVIEW
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3404006/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4753350/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92761/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15856410
​http://www.alwaysayurveda.com/acne-and-pimples/

I grew up in India, the country that gave the world Ayurveda. Ayurveda is a medical system that is based on the tenet that human disease is caused by the imbalance of “Doshas” and the disease should be treated using predominantly plants and herbs (roots and bark etc.) to bring the doshas back into balance. Ayurvedic skincare is enjoying a reawakening (much like Yoga) and is all the rage today due to its esoteric appeal.
There is quite a bit of debate regarding the efficacy of Ayurvedic treatment - see this paper for example. The core issue seems to be lack of regulation of the ingredients used in Ayurvedic medicine and the lack of clinical trials that clearly establish efficacy of such treatment. Despite being born and raised in the land of Ayurveda, I will admit I have a healthy skepticism for Ayurveda - concepts like Doshas are hard for scientists to accept. In many Indian households (including mine growing up), using herbs and plants for daily skin and hair care was fairly common. I remember vividly my mother cooking an oil with herbs like curry leaves, henna, hibiscus, Eclipta Alba (or karasillankanni aka bhringraj) and giving me regular oil massages with the dark concoction that smelled ... like a bunch of herbs. She would also use a bunch of Ayurvedic oils for body massages, make a paste of chick pea flour and turmeric to cleanse (until I was grown enough to declare this the most unsexy thing to cleanse with and switched to fragrant soaps). With that rather long story, I now come to the point of this post - how to cleanse skin the right way.

Modern science gave us soap - a product formed by the sapinification of fatty oils using sodium hydroxide (or lye). The way soap works is by emulsifying dirt that sticks to our skin via the sebum - an oily substance that protects our skin. Sodium hydroxide is a highly alkaline substance - meaning it’s highly abrasive. Many cleaning substances such as the Comet cleaning powder, are highly alkaline which is why they are effective as cleaners. Typically the pH of soap is 9, that of water is around 7 (neutral pH) and that of sulfuric acid as present in battery acid, is 1. Strong acids and bases are abrasive and good for cleaning things - but not our skin! When you use a strong alkaline substance to cleanse your skin, you do effectively get dirt off. But you also strip your skin off its protective sebum making you feel very dry.
The other interesting fact is that your skin is actually slightly acidic with a pH of less than 5! I remember being amazed when I first read about this. This paper shows that even bathing with hard water (that’s more alkaline) can impact the acid mantle of the skin. So why is disturbing the skin’s pH not good? Because doing so (by using alkaline products) can disturb the skin’s micro flora - the bacteria - that live on our skin. Turns out that not all bacteria are bad - and we need these bacteria to have healthy skin. Disrupting the skin’s micro flora can lead to a variety of skin problems like eczema etc. So long story short, if you’re using soap to cleanse, stop.

What about liquid cleansers? These are made of a cocktail of surfactants. There are a lot of liquid cleansers in the market now that are more gentle than soap - see this nice article by labmuffin for a review. I checked the pH of some shower gels I had (picked up from hotels) and found the pH to be generally between 6 and 7. Not bad! However, it feels convoluted to make a cocktail of surfactants, add preservatives since these liquid cleansers are water based, (I am allergic to a particular preservative that is commonly used - phenoxyethanol), and add an acid (generally citric acid) to balance the pH. Below is the list of ingredients in a typical liquid cleanser;

I don’t like the complexity of this product. As I continue my journey into skin care formulation, I was drawn to Ayurvedic formulation of oils etc. The methodology of extracting herbal essences in a polar solvent (like water) and then boiling off the solvent in an oil is a very effective way to get a decent concentration of the plant material in a pH neutral medium without the need of a preservative. This type of elegant formulation is highly appealing to me and that’s how I embarked on a mission to research Ayurvedic formulation.
​In Ayurveda, the method of skin cleansing involves using a paste made of powders - typically a base chick pea flour - that can be customized endlessly. Such a paste is called Ubtan. I was pleasantly surprised to find a paper on the antioxidant properties, pH etc. of an ubtan featuring chickpea flour, turmeric, and sandalwood bark powder. The pH of this ubtan is 6.5, pretty decent for skin. Below is the comparison of the pH of soap, a bath gel, and the Ubtan I have made.

The Ubtan is closer to our skin pH and what’s more, you can make one that feels luxurious and smells great. I use a very mild surfactant to give the Ubtan a “soapy” feel and appearance but is totally optional. You can also use a few drops of an essential oil to add to the fragrance if you do desire.