Don’t be scared of acid exfoliants – they can be gentler and better than scrubs

The influence of South Korea’s wildly popular milky toners – which focus on hydration and skin barrier protection – can be seen in a new crop of exfoliants

The words “acid exfoliant” scare the bejesus out of those with more sensitive skin, but they can be a godsend in making texture more even and makeup smoother and more long-lasting.

In fact, a liquid containing the right blend of dead-skin-sloughing alpha or beta hydroxy acids will be infinitely more gentle, effective and even than those gritty physical scrub exfoliants many still reach for.