LÉ Blog
Should You Be Using PHA Gluconolactone Instead of Glycolic Acid?
There’s a (relatively) new chemical exfoliant in town – PHA (poly hydroxy acid) gluconolactone! It’s no secret that we love our AHAs (alpha hydroxy acid). These chemical exfoliants are tried and true ingredients, and we’re big proponents of them being used as staples in anyone’s routine to tackle anything from dry skin to wrinkles. That said, the gold standard AHA glycolic acid is not really made for everyone. For many people, glycolic acid may simply be too aggressive, leading to irritation,...
Read more
The Chemists' Skin Exfoliation Guide for All
Back in the day, St. Ives Apricot scrub was probably the poster child for exfoliation. Even today, most people probably associate exfoliation with those amber scrubby beads. But! Since then, the entire exfoliation category has gotten a glow-up. Now you can choose from a wide range of exfoliating cleansers, serums, masks, sticks, pads, etc all with different strengths and efficacy levels to boot. So let’s take a closer look at why you should exfoliate, how to shop for the right exfoliant, what...
Read moreThe Chemists' Guide to Home Peels
Chemical peels are great for stubborn skin concerns such as hyperpigmentation, fine lines, and wrinkles. It used to be a treatment you can get exclusively at professional medspas and dermatology offices, but now there is a whole category of skincare products you can choose from that claim to be at-home versions of peels. So how do these home peels stack up against the professional peels? Can they actually target hyperpigmentation and fine lines like professional peels? How do you shop for the...
Read moreWhat's a PHA in Skincare & How to Use
In our final podcast episode of 2021, we dedicated the meat of the episode on a chemical exfoliants update. That’s the alphabet clan of PHAs, AHAs, and BHA, and it resulted in a lot of curiosity about PHAs. Though PHA research is still relatively new and not as well-studied as classic glycolic acid, there’s still some really exciting data that validates it’s use as an exfoliator. In fact, we like gluconolactone so much we use 30% of it in our Baby Steps exfoliating treatment! So let’s do a de...
Read moreHow to choose the right exfoliating toner for your skin
Probably one of the first ways you get introduced to AHAs (alpha hydroxy acid) is an exfoliating toner. The only problem is that there are about a gazillion different exfoliating toners out there to choose from. And which one is going to be the best one for your skin type and how do you get the most out of your exfoliating toner? Let’s go through some chemist pro-tips shall we? *For a quick refresher on AHAs, check out our dedicated blog post. The who, what, when for exfoliating toners What a...
Read moreWe’re Like a Translator For your Skin
Personalize your skincare routine with our modular products. Welcome to scientific skincare without the crazy markup and crazier claims.
Or, Use Our Routine Builder