While the word "chemical" can sound scary, when it comes to an exfoliant, it's something I very much covet and that can be extremely beneficial, as long as I find what works best for my skin type. As a teenager, I was no stranger to benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, having tried not only a slew of over-the-counter drugstore acne treatments but prescription-grade skincare as well. At the time, I was also going ham on mechanical exfoliants, aka scrubs, which were only aggravating my skin because of how harsh they actually were. I never had much luck, and if I did, I would only see positive results for just a few days or weeks before my acne flared up all over again. Although I still deal with breakouts, the worst is behind me and I now look for products that will help even out texture and speed up skin cell turnover to help with my scarring and hyperpigmentation. I've rounded up some of my top chemical exfoliants I think are worth checking out and that, in my opinion, are fairly priced for what they deliver as well.
