Exfoliation is removing old dead skin cells from the skin’s surface. Our skin naturally sheds billions of skin cells everyday. Some factors can make this process slow down such as sun damage, dry or oily skin, aging and when this happens, it causes dead skin cells to build up. This is what makes your skin look dull, flaky, full of blemishes, blackheads, white bumps or uneven skin tone.
The most common form of exfoliator that most people use is scrubs but unfortunately, scrubbing isn’t really effective because they only reach the top layer of your skin while the built-up skin cells are located deeper than what the scrubs can reach. To get a maximum benefit of exfoliation, you need to use chemical exfoliator such as AHA (alpha hydroxy acid such as glycolic and lactic acids) or BHA (beta hydroxy acid, also known as salicylic acid) products. We’re going to talk about AHA and BHA on the next edition of beautypedia 🙂
By removing these unhealthy skin cells, you can get cleaner, smoother, more radiant skin without clogged pores and blemishes. Now who wouldn’t want that?
How often should we exfoliate? It depends on your skin and the kind of products you use. Some can be used everyday, some can be used two or three times a week or even once a week. When you exfoliate too much, your skin will most likely tell you. As quoted from cosmeticscop.com, exfoliating does not negatively affect how healthy skin cells are generated in the lower layers of skin. If anything, exfoliating unhealthy dead skin cells on the surface of skin can improve collagen production, increase skin’s ability to hold moisture, and allow pores to function normally!
So do you exfoliate regularly? What product do you use?
image credit bellasugar.com
