Exfoliation 101
One of the main reasons that acne, dullness, or flakiness can appear is from not exfoliating correctly and regularly. When I first got interested in skincare, I did not know how the frequency and type of exfoliating would change my skin needs.
What is exfoliation?
Exfoliation is the process of removing the old, dead skin cells from the skin’s surface, the epidermis. Exfoliation is crucial for skin health, because if you do not remove the dead skin cells, they pores can be clogged, as well as products will not be able to penetrate into the skin as usual.
Why do I have to exfoliate?
I have been one to not exfoliate, and my skin has let me know very quickly that I made a bad decision. Exfoliating can be amazing for your skin, or terrible if you mishandle how to. Exfoliating the skin helps the old, dead skin cells to leave, and reveal a brand new, glowy complexion. Many people find that exfoliating regularly has helped their pore health significantly. Exfoliating can help those who struggle with whiteheads, and blackheads, as well as mild acne. It can help with dullness on the skin, and pigmentation that many want to go away. Exfoliating can help products, like toners, serums and moisturizers penetrate deeper into the skin, which can aide in hydration levels in the skin.
What are the different kinds of exfoliation?
There are two kinds, chemical and physical exfoliation. Chemical exfoliation is from using some type of acid to remove dead skin cells, an example of this would be using an AHA toner to brighten the skin. Physical exfoliation is manually removing the dead skin cells through using a brush, or a exfoliator, like a scrub.
You can exfoliate the skin as well though different types of facials, like microdermabrasion, or a chemical peel.
Which kind is best for my skin?
It really depends on what your skin needs. If you are experiencing flakiness or your skin physically feels dry, I would recommend a physical exfoliant. If your skin has a lot of whiteheads or blackheads, or you find your pores are easily clogged, I would recommend a chemical exfoliant as it can penetrate the pores and remove the dirt and build-up.
Should those with sensitive skin exfoliate?
If you experience eczema or a type of skin disorder, I would consult with a dermatologist on what they would recommend for your skin in particular. But if you just experience sensitivity to fragrance or maybe to certain ingredient, I still would recommend to exfoliate. Exfoliating should not be done everyday, more like two-three times a week. I would recommend exfoliating once to twice a week to start, and making sure to wear sunscreen as exfoliating can remove layers of the epidermis and make the skin more prone to burn.
What kind of physical exfoliators should I use?
I do not dabble in many physical exfoliators because I find my skin concerns are better solved by a chemical exfoliant, but when I do reach for one, I would recommend the Fresh Sugar Face Polish. This is formulated with brown sugar crystals that are gentle (and small) enough to take away dead skin cells and reveal a beautiful complexion.
What kind of chemical exfoliants should I use?
Now when it comes to chemical exfoliants, it depends on what your skin concern is.
If you are trying to brighten the skin, or help with any dullness or pigmentation, I would recommend an AHA based exfoliant.
AHA’s:
- Krave Beauty Kale-lalu-yAHA Glycolic Acid Treatment
This is one of the best AHA toners I have found. It helps smooth out any texture, and helps to fade dark spots. I love how Krave Beauty is so committed to give you such great products with effective results. This is gentle on the skin, while still giving you smooth and glowy skin.
- The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Acid Solution
A few of my friends have used this before, (while I was on acne medication and could not exfoliate) and they all loved how effective it was, helping to fade pigmentation, while still containing calming ingredients like aloe vera, ginseng, and many amino acids.
- Cosrx AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner
Containing both AHA and BHA, this exfoliates the skin gently, this helps with pore health, but also brightens the skin, and preps the skin for the rest of the skincare routine.
If you experience breakouts (mild/moderate), whiteheads and blackheads, I would recommend BHA’s as they have a smaller molecular size, and can go into the pores and clean them effectively.
BHA’s:
- Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
I mean, who doesn’t love this exfoliant? This was the first exfoliant I ever used, and it completely transformed my skin. I love how this is so easy to use. It helps with texture, but most importantly, my blackheads and whiteheads have almost disappeared because of this product. Amazing!
- Isntree Clear Skin BHA Toner
This toner is great for anyone trying to improve skin tone, I had a few dark spots on my forehead, and this toner erased them, while still being gentle. I also loved how this helped with those pesky whiteheads around my chin.
If you are looking for a gentler exfoliant, I would recommend looking for PHA’s as they have the largest molecular size, so they are only on the surface of the skin, and helping remove the dirt and dead skin cells.
PHA’s:
- Neogen Green Tea Moist PHA Gauze Peeling
Great for those who want exfoliation, but may experience sensitivity, or are taking a break from highly concentrated exfoliants, and still want to keep up their skin care. I really like these pads, they have two sides to them. One is a gauze side that removes the dead skin cells, while the embossed side helps moisturize and calm the skin. I love using these particularly when I am seeing some congestion on my forehead, like tiny whiteheads or blackheads.
When it comes to exfoliating, there are many things to consider. What your skin needs are, what climate you are living in, what your normal environment is like, and many other things. I hope this list helped you decide what is best for your skin!
Let me know what exfoliation do you do?
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