Is it healthy to exfoliate your skin?
It’s a great question and the answer is that for almost any person exfoliating the skin makes it look bright and healthy but it is basically an aesthetic point. For others with acne or very dry skin it is healthy and therapeutic for the skin.
All forms of exfoliation are not equal, and different skin types will do better with a different approach to exfoliation
~Remember with any exfoliation good spf 30 is a must~
For normal skin, Our favorite method for exfoliating the skin at home are buffing sponges. With your cleanser on and your skin lathered up take a sponge and gently exfoliate the skin. Do not do circles as you don’t want to push product or make-up into the follicles. Rub horizontally for example from ear to side of mouth. Continue back and forth over your entire face and rinse. An incredibly quick, affordable and non-acne provoking method to exfoliate. These are our favorite from Target. 12 for $3. Use ten times cleaning the sponge well with each use then throw away.
For oily skin, To exfoliate oily skin the exfoliating sponges above are great but adding in a glycolic acid toner or daily glycolic pad will give an extra boost to exfoliate away sticky build up deep in the pores.
For sensitive skin such as rosacea, a washcloth and milky organic cleanser two or three times a week may be all that’s needed to gently remove dead skin cells. Immediately after using a washcloth to cleanse, slather on a thick moisturizer to soothe and hydrate newly-exfoliated skin.
For dry skin, again the exfoliating sponges above are a great tool. With an organic milky cleanser on rub the pad back and forth. The pad will literally remove the top layer of dry flaky skin. When this is removed your rich moisturizer can penetrate more effectively into your skin to hydrate and moisturize much more effectively.
For acne skin, many people with acne have a condition that has been termed retention hyperkeratosis. Is simple terms dead skin cells are not sloughing off properly and instead are sitting in the follicles and on the skin causing pores to clog. This is often the first step in the acne process. The exfoliating sponges will literally remove some of this condition so that acne less unable to form. Remember though not to over do this exfoliating process!
The Big Guns: Microdermabrasion and Chemical Peels
Although regular use of at-home products and treatments can help keep skin exfoliated, in-salon services such as microdermabrasion and light chemical peels can quickly remove large amounts of dead skin to deliver exceptionally smooth skin. In addition to leaving the skin smoother, microdermabrasion and chemical peels can address other skin issues such as acne and discoloration .
