Written By: Karen Albright
Exfoliation is a key part of a healthy skin routine, used to remove dead skin cells, stimulate circulation, and give you a fresh, healthy glow. We’re often asked at our med spas how often you should exfoliate your face, and the truth is, there isn’t one comprehensive answer. Factors like skin type, skin conditions, and the type of exfoliation all play a role. To help you take better care of your skin and show off a healthy glow, we’re doing a deep dive into facial exfoliation.
Why It’s Important to Exfoliate Your Face
Exfoliating your face removes all the dead skin cells and debris which gives you a refreshed appearance, but there are several other benefits that you may not realize:
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Unclogs Pores and Prevents Acne
Dead skin cells and surface debris basically seal your pores, causing them to get clogged with oil which leads to breakouts. Regular exfoliation keeps your pores open and clean, reducing their appearance and preventing blackheads and acne.
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Makes Treatments More Effective
Moisturizers, serums, and other treatments are also necessary to retain a smooth, youthful appearance, but if you’re not exfoliating, they can’t do their job because they are blocked by a “wall” of dead skin cells and clogged pores. Once your skin is smooth and free of dead skin and other barriers, all the rich, nourishing ingredients in your treatments and moisturizers can penetrate more deeply and allow you to experience maximum benefits.
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Smooths Skin and Evens Skin Tone
If your skin tone and texture looks uneven, it’s often caused by dry, flaky skin cells. Removing them evens out your complexion and minimizes any discolored areas.
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Improves Makeup Coverage
Dry patches and flaky areas create a cakey look to your makeup and make it look uneven. A smoother, more even complexion allows your foundation to rest on the skin’s surface rather than forming rough, cakey patches or settling into fine lines.
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Boosts Circulation and Cell Growth
Exfoliating stimulates blood flow to your face, which nourishes the cells, making them healthier and leading to radiant skin. It also improves cell “turnover” by continuing to bring fresh, new cells to the surface of the skin and eliminating dull, dry skin cells.
Types of Exfoliation
There are two main types of exfoliation: mechanical and chemical. Both are effective at removing dead skin cells and providing a brighter, more radiant complexion, but they work in very different ways.
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Mechanical Exfoliation
Mechanical, or manual, exfoliation involves manually removing or sloughing away dead skin. This includes using a brush, loofah, or specially textured cloth to buff away layers of dead skin, as well as scrubs. Scrubs are applied to the skin in a circular motion to penetrate and break up cells, and they often contain a slightly rough material such as apricot seeds, flax seeds, or lemon peel.
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Chemical Exfoliation
Chemical exfoliants contain gentle acids, such as alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs). These gently break down the bonds that hold dead skin cells to your face and are often ideal for sensitive or dry skin because they don’t cause microtears or overly irritate the skin.
Chemical peels are another form of more intensive skin exfoliation, effectively peeling away old skin cells and leaving behind a fresh, glowing complexion.
Exfoliating Different Skin Types
How often you exfoliate your face depends a lot on what kind of skin type you have:
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Oily Skin
If your skin is oily, using a gentle manual or mechanical exfol
