You may be wondering: “How often should I exfoliate my acne-prone skin?” Experts typically recommend exfoliating 2-3 times per week if your skin is prone to acne. Depending on the severity of your acne, you may need to reduce that to 1-2 times per week.
Whether your acne is mild or more severe, regular exfoliation will smooth and soften the skin and brighten your complexion. It also helps reduce breakouts by keeping the pores from becoming clogged with the pus of dead cells and sebum (skin oil).
Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells—cells that can clog your pores and contribute to acne breakouts. You have to be careful about choosing an exfoliant, however, because if you make the wrong choice, you could end up irritating or damaging your skin, ultimately making the problem worse.
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After applying an active exfoliant to the skin, it loosens up the congestion deep within pores and pushes it toward the surface of the skin -- causing what looks like a breakout but is actually just your skin going through a cycle.
Glycolic acid is a key ingredient when it comes to acne scarring. Zeichner explains that, “exfoliating ingredients, like salicylic acid and glycolic acid, are useful by helping the skin to shed darkly pigmented cells.”
I'm a huge fan of exfoliants like scrubs and peels because they can buff away the dead skin cells that clog pores, and over time, they also help to fade old acne scars. According to experts, exfoliators with ingredients like salicylic acid can be powerful tools in helping get stubborn acne under control.
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.
If you use a scrub or chemical exfoliator, apply the product gently using small, circular motions. Do this for about 30 seconds, and then rinse off with lukewarm — not hot — water. If you use a brush or sponge, use short light strokes. Never exfoliate if you have open cuts or wounds or if your skin is sunburned.
For blackheads, though, regular exfoliation can help remove excessive amounts of dead skin cells that can lead to clogged pores. The process may also gently remove existing blackheads.
Although exfoliation can help fade scars naturally, overdoing it can cause irritation and make your scars worse. It can also burst existing acne, which may cause the bacteria to spread on other areas of the face.
Dr Ritu advises that you don't really need to exfoliate, particularly if you're on the younger side. Let's face it, you're rocking that youthful glow anyway! Your regular cleansing routine should be enough to keep your skin clean and healthy and can promote exfoliation of dead skin cells.
Like blackheads, whiteheads form because of clogged pores. Once the pore is plugged with oil and dead skin cells, the substance hardens. But unlike blackheads, whiteheads have closed ends, which can make the plug difficult to extract. They can also lead to small bumps from a bulging of hair follicle walls.
Exfoliation removes dead skin cells from the surface of skin - and you may be wondering, does exfoliating remove dark spots? Well, sadly they won't be completely gone, but exfoliation will help to diminish the appearance of dark spots.
You should absolutely moisturize your skin even if you have active acne. It's an absolute myth that moisturizing your face will worsen your acne. In fact, moisturizers are necessary to keep acne-prone skin as relaxed as possible.
"Toners are most helpful and necessary for people with oily or acne-prone skin, or for people who want extra cleansing after wearing makeup or other heavy skin products such as sunscreen," she said. If you're wondering what else face toner does for your skin, King outlined some additional benefits: It shrinks pores.
Dermatologists recommend CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser for people with acne as it works to cleanse the skin and remove oil, without disrupting the skin's protective barrier. It won't clog pores or dry the skin out, and contains niacinamide and ceramides to help calm and moisturize irritated skin.
It's well-known for reducing acne by exfoliating the skin and keeping pores clear. You can find salicylic acid in a variety of over-the-counter (OTC) products. It's also available in prescription-strength formulas. Salicylic acid works best for mild acne (blackheads and whiteheads).
Use your scrubbing tool to gently move along your bikini line in a small circular motion to remove dead skin cells that may be clogging up the pores. Be sure to cover the entire surface of the area. Allow the exfoliate to sit on your skin for up to 3 minutes. Rinse the area well.
If an area feels dry and/or rough, it might be time to exfoliate. Important: if this same patch of skin is also irritated, red or itchy, that is a sure sign not to exfoliate.