Skincare is the most important step in your beauty routine. When you take care of your skin, your complexion becomes healthy and radiant. However, one step that is often overlooked in skincare is exfoliation.
What is Exfoliation?
Every 30 to 75 days, the body goes through the process of desquamation, which is the scientific term for the renewal of skin cells. During this process, older skin cells are pushed upwards through the dermis to the surface of the skin by the younger skin cells which grow underneath, where they dry out, and flake off the skin. This happens all over the body, not just the face. This process is not a quick one, and while the dead skin cells serve to protect the younger cells underneath, buildup of dead cells can cause clogged pores and inhibit cell turnover.
Exfoliation is essentially the removal of dead skin cells from the outer layer of the skin. It helps with a more even removal of the dead cells and helps with keeping the skin looking fresh and healthy. Exfoliation also helps moisturizers and serums penetrate the skin more easily, as dead cells don’t absorb as well as young cells do, results in fewer breakouts, and long-term exfoliation also helps with the production of collagen.
The Different Types of Exfoliation
There are two types of exfoliation: mechanical, and chemical. Mechanical exfoliation refers to the use of a tool like a brush, sponge, cloth, glove, scrub, or stone to remove dead skin cells. Chemical exfoliation refers to the use of chemicals to dissolve dead skin cells. The two most common forms of chemical exfoliation are alpha hydroxy acids which help peel the surface layer of the skin and are made using water-soluble acids which are generally derived from fruits, and beta hydroxy acids which are used to unclog pores by drying out excess oil and dead skin cells in hair follicles. Beta hydroxy acids are oil-soluble, and are typically used to treat sun damage and acne.
Your Skin Type
Which type of exfoliation you should use, and how often you should use it, really depends on your skin type. Typically, there are five commonly recognized skin types that most people tend to fall into:
- Sensitive – may react strongly to various products and may feel uncomfortable after product use.
- Dry – skin is rough, itchy, flaky, and thin, leaning towards being more sensitive.
- Combination – skin is oily in some areas and dry in others, different parts of the face need to be treated differently based on oil production.
- Normal – no sensitivity, skin is generally clear and is not known to have problems.
- Oily – skin is thicker and produces excess oil, making the skin appear shiny or greasy.
Choosing Products
When choosing products, it’s best to consider the other skincare products you already use, to avoid having an adverse reaction. This specifically refers to prescription creams that contain retinol or benzoyl as this may worsen dry skin, cause acne breakouts, and cause skin to become more sensitive or peel.
It is also important to keep in mind that how often you exfoliate does depend entirely on your skin’s needs; however, it is recommended that you exfoliate once or twice per week. Those with oilier skin may need to exfoliate more often, but those with dry or sensitive skin should not exfoliate more than the recommended amount.
For those with dry, sensitive, or acne-prone skin, gentler exfoliation options are definitely the way to go. For those with oilier skin, you can choose more aggressive exfoliation options, but be careful not to overdo it. You can still do quite a bit of damage to your skin, despite it being thicker. Also, for those with darker skin tones, be aware that more aggressive forms of exfoliation may result in dark spots on the skin.
When exfoliating, remember to be gentle, and use a circular motion when applying product or using an exfoliation tool. Exfoliation should not be painful or cause a high degree of discomfort. Also, always remember to use moisturizer afterwards as exfoliation can be drying for the skin. Of course, always speak to your doctor before starting any new products to determine what would work best for you.
Lauren Schwartz | Contributing Writer
