It may seem obvious, but it's worth stating that the optimal time to apply moisturizer after exfoliation is usually immediately following the cleansing and exfoliating process. This ensures that the moisturizing skin care product can penetrate deep into the skin, providing maximum hydration and soothing effects.
After exfoliating or washing your face, it's generally recommended to wait about 10 to 20 minutes before applying moisturizer. This allows your skin to return to its normal pH level and ensures that the moisturizer can be absorbed effectively.
Flaky skin can be made worse by not applying a moisturizing product after exfoliating. If you only remove the dead skin without protecting the new skin underneath, it can lead to rough skin and uneven texture. Some people even experience peeling skin because the texture is so dry and rough.
After peeling, your skin is even more sensitive. Therefore, avoid direct sun exposure, which can lead to even more visible signs of aging. If you must expose yourself to the sun, use a broad spectrum physical sunscreen. Avoid strenuous workouts, dry saunas and steam baths.
Use Soothing Moisturizers
If you don't have acne-prone skin, Finney recommends using a thicker ointment like Aquaphor to help soothe and moisturize skin, especially in areas that are red or irritated. "Use a gentle cleanser (or just rinse with water!), use a thick moisturizing cream and sunscreen," suggests Finney.
You don't need to wait for your BHA or AHA to absorb or dry; you can apply any other product in your routine—moisturizer, serum, eye cream or sunscreen—immediately afterward. Experiment with different strength exfoliants to see which concentration gives you the best results.
There are a few general rules to follow, though. 1) It's good to exfoliate at night in order to encourage skin repair while you sleep—but if you use harsh and irritating ingredients like retinol at night, opt for exfoliating in the morning. 2) Watch out for red, irritated skin and little bumps.
If you've gone in with a physical scrub, a hydrating, soothing moisturizer is your best bet. Look for ingredients like aloe vera, ceramides, or hyaluronic acid. For those who've ventured into the realm of chemical exfoliants, pick a moisturizer that's going to soothe and repair.
As a general average, you should be exfoliating around three times a week. Generally enzyme exfoliants are gentle enough to be used everyday by most skin types, while physical scrubs should be used less frequently, not more than once or twice a week.
Because, over-exfoliating can make your skin severely dehydrated. You may also notice dry/flaky patches and your foundation could even start to sit funny. Hence why it's also important to follow any exfoliation with a shiz ton of hydration.
The “black stuff” when you rub your skin is nothing but dead cells, dirt and surface grime. It comes off due to friction caused by rubbing your skin.
After exfoliating, you can apply a hydrating serum followed by a great moisturizer for your skin type. Your hydrating products will absorb further into your newly resurfaced skin.
It depends on the product you're using and the ingredients. Generally, chemical exfoliants are applied to dry skin and then washed off with warm or cold water. If you're using a physical exfoliant on your body in the shower, exfoliating wet skin is much easier.
“Depending on your skin, you might not notice any difference. However, a lack of exfoliation can contribute to acne breakouts, in particular blackhead or comedone formation (i.e plugged pores). In the case of dry skin, under exfoliating can also hinder the absorption of active ingredients in moisturizers.
It may seem obvious, but it's worth stating that the optimal time to apply moisturizer after exfoliation is usually immediately following the cleansing and exfoliating process. This ensures that the moisturizing skin care product can penetrate deep into the skin, providing maximum hydration and soothing effects.
Choose products specifically tailored for use under the eyes—check labels to make sure there's no warning against using the product near the eyes. Only exfoliate the skin under the eyes and on the corners where crow's feet form, not the eyelids or directly under the lash line.
You see, while some experts insist you should leave anywhere between 30 seconds and 15 minutes between layers, others argue it's far more important to just get the product on. “If you don't have the time, it won't harm the skin by applying products directly after each other.
Don't: Forget to Wear Sunscreen and Moisturize
After exfoliating, it's important to remember to moisturize your skin that night and wear sunscreen the next day.
Give Your Skin Enough Time to Heal From Over-Exfoliation
For some, it takes just a few days. For others, it can take weeks. Meanwhile, for the unlucky few, they have a few months to wait. Either way, you need to give your skin as much time as it needs to heal.
There are three main types of exfoliators: physical exfoliators, which use scrubs, brushes, or sponges to manually remove dead skin; chemical exfoliators, which rely on AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) or BHAs (beta hydroxy acids) to dissolve dead skin cells; and enzymatic exfoliators, which use natural fruit enzymes to ...