Whether you use your exfoliator in the morning or evening make sure you apply a moisturizer after exfoliating to perfectly prep your skin for makeup or the day ahead, or feed your skin effective, plump-effect, moisturizing ingredients overnight!
apply a moisturizer after using an exfoliator every time. Exfoliation can easily give you dry skin over time, but a moisturizer can help your skin cells retain the moisture they still have and prevent your skin from going dry or becoming itchy.
Cleaning the face before exfoliating allows you to start with a fresh slate. Exfoliation dives into the pores, more so than a mild cleanser. It's important to remove your makeup and clean your face on a daily basis. It's not always necessary to exfoliate with the same frequency.
Exfoliating alone won't keep your skin looking lovely and healthy. Rather, after each exfoliation you should apply an ultra-hydrating moisturizer and protective sunscreen to ensure that skin is hydrated and protected from environmental damage.
Exfoliation Before Cleansing
Scrubbing first can remove residue, dead skin cells and dirt from the surface of your skin. Following this step with cleanser helps wash away any dead skin cells or particles on skin's surface that were lifted by the scrub.
Exfoliator goes before both toner and essence! When doing your skin care routine, exfoliator comes right after your double cleanse. This removes any remaining debris from your pores as well as aids in cell turnover. Following up with toner helps bring your skin's pH levels back into balance.
After exfoliating, make sure you thoroughly rinse away the product and any dead skin cells and then pat your skin dry with a clean towel. ”Apply a moisturizer or shea butter following your [exfoliating] and shower/soak to help your skin retain moisture and look radiant,” advises Burns.
DON'T rinse off a chemical exfoliant
After exfoliating, don't wash it off right away - the active ingredients take time to absorb into your skin and work their magic! Leave your exfoliant on for about 15-30 minutes to ensure the ingredients dissolve and remove all dead skin cells.
Step 3: Exfoliator or clay mask
Exfoliation removes dead skin cells while clearing pores. Clay masks work to unclog pores, but can also absorb excess oil. These masks are best applied at night to remove leftover dirt and help the skin soak up other products.
Once or twice a week is great, but everyday exfoliation is even better. Clinique Derm Pro Dr. Michelle Henry gives us her top five reasons to exfoliate daily. Once or twice a week is great, but everyday exfoliation is even better.
According to dermatologists, you should exfoliate first, then wash your hair, and then wash your body. This will ensure that each shower product you use has time to work. If you have concerns about your skin, you should follow this order as closely as you can. This will help prevent acne, razor burn, or dry hair.
Regardless of the formula, apply your toner or serum after cleansing, preferably at night, since exfoliating can make your complexion sun-sensitive. Stick with gel or foaming cleansers rather than oils and balms, which leave a residue that can prevent toners from absorbing, says Mattioli.
Apply Moisturizers
While one exfoliation won't completely strip your skin of all of its oil, it will remove most of it, leaving the surface dry. Therefore, exfoliating without applying a good moisturizer is guaranteed to leave the face drier than it was before exfoliation.
Once or twice a week: Exfoliate
Exfoliating once or twice weekly helps to tackle dirt and oil buildup, reduce dullness, and sweep away dead skin cells (which promotes healthy cell turnover). Scrubs like this one gently buff away dead skin, while chemical exfoliators and peels give pores a deep clean all on their own.
You can test this yourself with a well formulated exfoliant: at night, apply your AHA or BHA as usual after cleansing and toning, and do a "split-test." Wait 20 minutes before applying your serum and/or moisturizer to one side, but the other side of your face, apply those next steps immediately.
When it comes to morning versus night exfoliation, you're going to reap the best benefits from exfoliating in the morning time. This is due to the oils your skin produces overnight. You'll be able to more smoothly remove all impurities, dead skin, and oils, when you exfoliate in the morning, rather than at night.
Most experts advise that you exfoliate two to three times per week — as long as your skin can handle it. Chemical exfoliants tend to be fine to use more regularly. Physical methods, on the other hand, may be too abrasive to use multiple times a week.
Exfoliate the Skin
Use a loofah, washcloth, or exfoliating sponge to gently exfoliate your skin before shaving. Exfoliating will remove any dead skin and allow you to shave the hair as near to the root as possible. Harsh exfoliants aren't necessary and can actually do more harm than good in your pubic area.
To allow serums to fully absorb, apply and wait 5 minutes before moisturizing. Take note: Well-formulated serums absorb quickly and disappear into your skin. If they leave an oily or sticky residue, they're not doing their job well.
1 If you're just beginning with your benzoyl peroxide treatment, start using moisturizer now, even before you notice any uncomfortable dryness. You may be able to stave off the worst of it. If you've already succumbed to benzoyl peroxide-induced dryness and flakiness, slather on moisturizer as often as necessary.
Always make sure to apply your serum on ahead of your moisturiser. If you swap the steps, the ingredients in your serum won't be able to penetrate the layer of your moisturiser — and then there's no use in using it! Give your serum about five minutes to soak into the skin before moving on.
Best practice is to exfoliate before shaving, rather than after. That's because, as Gallo explains, “Exfoliating removes dirt and dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, which keeps your skin clean, unclogs your pores and helps you achieve a closer shave.
Benefits of using exfoliant first
When you exfoliate before cleansing, you are lifting the dead skin cells, excess oil and impurities away from your skin. Then the cleanser comes through to help wash it all away, along with other things like makeup and acne-causing bacteria.
If you're working out in the AM, it makes more sense to apply your products after you're done sweating, as your face will absorb rather than repel what you are lovingly slathering on it. “The products will sweat off and not get a chance to stay on the skin, so definitely do everything after,” confirms Dr. Patel.