Everyday, our bodies shed approximately 30,000 dead skin cells; skin exfoliators help clear away this build-up for smoother looking and feeling skin.
Your skin type determines the most effective method for exfoliation; sensitive skin usually responds better to chemical exfoliants than physical scrubs.
Brushes and scrubs should only be employed occasionally – once or twice every week at most.
Cleansers
Cleansers form the cornerstone of any good skincare routine. By clearing away makeup, oil build-up, dirt and other surface impurities that clog pores, cause breakouts or leave skin feeling tight, they help prevent breakouts while leaving you with fresh, smooth skin. Cleaning should take place twice daily–once in the morning and once before bed–before moving on to additional treatments such as exfoliants or moisturizers.
Many facial cleansers incorporate exfoliation into their formulations for multiple benefits in one product, like CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser that uses chemical and physical exfoliation with salicylic acid and spherical jojoba beads to provide effective yet gentle exfoliation to improve rough and bumpy skin without irritating it.
Gel cleansers are another type of facial cleanser. These products typically feature lower pH than bar soaps to protect the skin barrier and avoid irritation. Gel cleanser can be used by all skin types to effectively remove dirt, sweat and impurities from their faces – some formulations even contain saccharomyces ferment to smooth textural irregularities and moisturize skin surfaces.
Scrubs
Scrubbing with physical exfoliants such as jojoba beads, coffee grounds or apricot shells can help soothe any rough patches on both body and face skin. They’re particularly beneficial when applied to body skin which tends to be dryer and flakier than facial skin. Scrubs also promote circulation which improves radiance.
Be careful to not overscrub, which can cause irritation and break down of the skin barrier. A light and gentle facial scrub usually suffices; for the body, try non-toxic salt or sugar scrubs for soft, silky skin.
Another popular skincare misconception is the belief that blackheads and pimples can be eliminated through regular facial scrubs alone. While facial scrubs may remove surface buildup that contributes to them, facial scrubs won’t reach down into clogged pores to address sebum production that’s at the root cause. To combat pimples and prevent blackheads, use an exfoliating acid such as BHA to penetrate pores deeper than regular exfoliators while clearing away oily sebum from within them.
Retinoids
Retinoids are an innovative class of ingredients revolutionizing skincare. Part of the vitamin A family, they can help address fine lines, dark spots, skin texture problems, elasticity and firmness issues and dryness issues in order to transform the appearance of these conditions.
Retinoids penetrate your uppermost layer of skin to reach cells and proteins responsible for its elasticity and flexibility, prompting dead skin cells to shed off as new ones produce, creating a cycle that results in smoother, firmer and more vibrant skin over time.
There is no research to support the myth that exfoliation with AHAs or BHAs diminishes retinoids’ effectiveness. If anything, using both at the same time may prove even more advantageous as they work together to soothe irritation while soothing irritation in sensitive skin conditions. If using both products together is too harsh on your system then start slowly by starting with pea-sized amounts every night, protecting with sunscreen during the day and starting slow.
Masks
Exfoliating face masks physically remove dead, flaky cells to achieve a more radiant and even complexion. They also create an ideal surface on which serums and other products can penetrate more effectively, particularly clay masks such as our Papaya & Honey Exfoliating Mask or Pore Perfect Mask that combine physical (Micronized Walnut Shells) and chemical exfoliants (Enzymatic).
Clays such as kaolin, bentonite and French green possess the unique capability to draw out excess oil, clean pores and remove debris from skin surfaces. Furthermore, these naturally-derived charged minerals bind with impurities and heavy metals in your body and eliminate them, making these clays popular components in anti-ageing formulas that focus on pores or reduce pigmentation.
