ACID AFTER SUN ?
Rookie Move.
By Kyla — 22, recovering over-exfoliator & certified beach napper
A beach day feels like therapy. No makeup, ocean breeze, golden hour skin, vitamin D drip… it feels like health. But while I was pretending to be a sunkissed goddess, my skin was quietly filing a complaint. Came home, looked in the mirror, and reached for the acids. Just a little PHA-mandelic moment to elevate the glow. Narrator voice: she should not have done that.
When “a little flush” is actually barrier fatigue
I was warm, but not burned. Tight, but not peeling.
So in my head, I was good to go — ready to resurface, refine, exfoliate. I used a serum with PHA and mandelic acid. Usually gentle. But that night, it wasn’t. My skin was already working overtime after hours of sun, salt water, and zero real hydration.
I just didn’t know it yet. By morning, I was red. Not like “cute glowy red.” I mean reactive. Everything stung — cleanser, cream, even mist. I didn’t break out, but my face felt weirdly textured, like it couldn’t decide if it wanted to flake or sweat.
That cute flush? Yeah… not so cute.
I wasn’t sunburned. I wasn’t peeling. So in my head? All systems go. But my skin was already working overtime — salt, sun, no hydration, zero barrier TLC — and I hit it with exfoliants like it was a spa day. The next morning? Red. Not “glowy red.”
Reactive red. Everything stung: cleanser, cream, even my face mist betrayed me. No breakouts, but my skin texture got… weird. Like flake-or-sweat weird.
Hot take: tired skin doesn’t want actives. It wants support.
UV exposure (yes, even with SPF) already messes with your skin’s barrier. It depletes lipids, dries you out, leaves your face more prone to irritation. So when you reach for the acids right after? You’re not glowing. You’re gaslighting your skin.
This wasn’t a “bad serum” moment. Just very bad timing.
So what did I do?
Honestly… nothing. And it worked. I stripped it back: gentle cleanser, lukewarm water, zero actives.
Hydration. Repair. Sleep. The MVP? A forgotten fave — Sunkiss Remedy. Like water, but with purpose. Topped it off with Moonrise Dew at night, aka skincare’s softest hug. No retinol. Just rest. Three nights later? Calm, bounce, peace.
The glow lesson?
You don’t always need to add more. Sometimes, your skin’s already doing the most — and you just need to back off. Glow is a long game. And the most powerful thing you can do post-sun? Absolutely nothing.