Regarding basic care, we are used to distinguishing three main stages: cleansing, moisturizing, and protecting. All this, without a doubt, plays an important role. But when we want something more – fresh, glowing skin – Exfoliation and cleansing should become an obligatory part of a regular beauty routine.
You may have already heard about the need and benefits of exfoliation. However, you still haven’t found the answers to several fundamental questions: what type of exfoliation to choose, what ingredients should you pay attention to when purchasing, and how to understand whether exfoliation is enough or too much, and some others. Ok, let’s break down the questions with some interesting explanations for importance of exfoliation and cleansing the skin
What is Skin exfoliation?
Exfoliation is a technique that involves removing dead skin cells. Cells are constantly renewing themselves. That is why the skin must be freed from those that do not provide a benefit. Exfoliation is responsible for helping the skin to clean and expel those cells more quickly that no longer provide benefit to our skin, but on the contrary, they prevent the access and absorption of other beauty treatments in our skin.
Why is exfoliation necessary?
Two problems occur when old skin cells accumulate. One is that the skin looks dull, rough, and dry. Your skin will look older. The other is that it can lead to excessive sebum secretion and clog pores, leading to breakouts and acne.
Proper exfoliation removes the layer of dead skin cells on the surface of your skin and replaces it with new cells underneath. Use skin care products to prepare your skin to get the best results from treatments and remove dullness.
Benefits of exfoliating the skin
Cleanses pores
By exfoliating, you effectively unclog your pores. Removing dead skin and other impurities that remain even after washing your face prevents clogged pores, which prevents the formation of closed and open comedones. This is an effective prevention of acne – inflammation that occurs because flakes of dead skin get clogged into the pores, and sebum cannot come out because of this plug. Accumulating in the pores, it mixes with bacteria that cause inflammation – that same hated red bump.
Improves blood circulation and lymphatic drainage
Exfoliation stimulates lymphatic drainage, promoting internal cleansing. Lymphatic drainage is necessary for detoxifying the skin, helping it to perform a barrier function – to protect the body from the negative influence of adverse external factors. Stimulation of lymph flow starts the process of enriching blood with oxygen.
Accelerates cellular renewal
In addition to improving circulation, exfoliation promotes cellular turnover, which makes your skin look radiant. Dullness is a signal that there are a lot of dead cells on the surface of the face, covering the renewed epidermis. Exfoliants remove dead, dry, keratinized epidermis. Outwardly, this manifests itself in a healthy glow that distinguishes young, fresh skin.
Stimulates collagen synthesis
Regular exfoliation helps stimulate collagen synthesis, improving the texture, and integrity of the epidermis, maintaining firmness, elasticity, freshness, and youth. This means that exfoliation can offer anti-aging support, effectively helping to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Types of Exfoliation
Physical Exfoliation
During physical exfoliation, we physically remove dead skin cells using abrasive elements. These elements can be minerals (sea salt, fine sea sand, and various other minerals) or vegetables (ground grains, seeds, kernels, or plant parts), also with the help of “carrier” elements that transport nutrients. They nourish and hydrate the skin (unrefined cold-pressed vegetable oils, waxes, butter, and even honey, yogurt, or water).
Therefore, it is best to use ground rice bran to care for dry skin. They contain phytic acid to repair damaged collagen and prevent sunspots. Also, sugar that retains moisture or so-called apricot kernels. Apricot almonds (the soft part found in the seeds). Apricot almonds have an anti-inflammatory and soothing effect and are extremely moisturizing. And because of the vitamin B17 they contain, they renew and rejuvenate the face. The best oils are argan, olive, corn or wheat germ oil, and cocoa butter. Hazelnut, grape seed, avocado, or jojoba oil are good for oily skin.
The intensity of exfoliation using scrubs depends on the size and quantity of abrasive particles. Delicate options contain a small amount of scrubbing components, allowing you to gradually and gently get rid of the stratum corneum, (the outermost layer of the epidermis)They do not cause discomfort and can be suitable even for sensitive areas.
Scrubs effectively polish the surface and quickly remove the stratum corneum. This mechanical exfoliation may cause irritation in sensitive areas and is contraindicated in areas with rosacea. Scrubs can be a stand-alone product, in which case they should be used after the cleansing stage. And there are multifunctional cleansing foams containing scrubbing particles. They cleanse and exfoliate at the same time.
The clumping ingredient is usually cellulose or carbomer. These two components absorb sebum and water, forming a fiber that attracts sebum from the sebaceous glands along with the sloughing epidermis of the upper layer, making the skin smooth without drying. Carbomer and cellulose are safe for the face and cannot cause chemical burns or inflammation even with intense or prolonged exposure.
Chemical Exfoliation
The most common chemical exfoliants are alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs). These ingredients gently exfoliate and reveal soft, hydrated skin without damaging it. Due to its greater depth of effect, it is ideal for lightening impurities in hyperpigmentation. It is also suitable for cleansing skin prone to acne and blackheads, removing wrinkles or small scars and enlarged pores. Chemical exfoliation works by breaking down the stratum corneum of old skin. They are then simply rinsed off with water and new skin cells are stimulated and formed.
Recently, another type has been identified – polyhydroxy acids (PHAs). Previously, they were classified as AHAs, but the large size of their molecules and less irritating effects allowed them to be classified as a separate group. Examples of PHAs are the sugar acids lactobionic acid and gluconolactone.
How do you know if you’re over-exfoliating?
Excessive use of exfoliants can damage the protective barrier, leading to moisture loss and irritation. To recognize this moment, listen to your feelings. If you feel an unusual burning sensation when washing your face or applying any of your usual creams, you may have over-exfoliated. Externally, this can manifest itself in the form of red flaky spots, itching, tightness, and inflammation.
The cause of irritation from over-exfoliation is damage to the protective barrier. The skin needs a protective lipid layer to withstand negative external factors. When used too frequently, peelings damage the surface of the healthy layer. Therefore, procedures should always use an intensely moisturizing cream to prevent damage to the lipid film.
If you do experience a reaction to excessive or too intense exfoliation, then immediately stop using exfoliants and engage in rehabilitation using creams with lipids and ingredients that restore the microbiome. Just because exfoliants can irritate doesn’t mean you should avoid them completely. Exfoliation is an integral part of your daily skincare routine.
Verdict
It’s up to you which exfoliation process you choose for your skin, but it’s certainly good to consult a dermatologist and it’s still good to know a few more facts. After a chemical exfoliation, the skin recovers for two weeks, so it is done less often, while mechanical exfoliation can be done twice a week. Additionally, if you have oily skin, it is advisable to exfoliate weekly (or more often) to maintain skin tone regularly, while dry skin needs it less often to avoid further damaging its natural moisture barrier.
After exfoliation, the skin usually needs to be well cared for with creams, lotions, or serums to restore moisture and the acid mantle. It should also be protected from UV radiation with SPF creams, as the skin reacts (photo-)sensitive to the sun after treatment.
