Exfoliating is actually a must for an anti-aging skincare routine. By exfoliating away dead, dull skin cells, you're revealing brighter, newer skin underneath and also increasing cellular turnover, softening and preventing fine lines and wrinkles.
Chemical exfoliators use acids like alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) or beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs) that react with the skin to remove dead skin cells from the surface and clean pores. Dermatologists suggest that older women should opt for chemical exfoliators as they are less abrasive on our skin than physical exfoliators.
People with mature skin should opt to exfoliate their face once or twice a week. Aging, hormone changes, stress, and sun exposure can bring about mature skin, according to Dr. Gonzalez. So mature skin may be thin, dehydrated, contain open pores, and have visible wrinkles.
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.
Exfoliating your skin aids in the production of collagen and elastin. Yes, you read that right. Exfoliating will help your body produce more collagen and elastin, keeping your skin extra plump and ready to bounce back. This makes exfoliating a great way to slow down and even delay the appearance of wrinkles!
It's a great practice to use in your regular routine, but too much exfoliation or scrubbing too hard with an exfoliator can, in fact, cause inflammation that might cause wrinkles down the line. If you don't over-exfoliate, you shouldn't have any issues with wrinkles down the line.
Rouleau says exfoliating too harshly or too often can lead to wrinkle-causing inflammation. "A major cause of aging is chronic and prolonged inflammation," she writes. While gently exfoliating a few nights a week is great for your skin, it's a fine line, because going overboard is only going to make you look older.
For most skin types, Corey L. Hartman, MD, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, AL recommends daily chemical exfoliation, and then incorporating mechanical exfoliation into your regimen about once a week.
Lack of exfoliation leads to build up of dead skin cells, and could result into dry, dull, patchy, flaky skin, clogged pores, with uneven skin tone.
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.
Exfoliation is essential to remove or dissolve dead cells that linger on the surface of the skin, giving it a dull, dry look. Choose a creamy cleanser with vitamin C, or a low-concentration alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), or an enzyme mask with cell-dissolving pumpkin or papaya.
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.
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.
The main difference between scrub and exfoliator is that scrub is a cream-based skincare product that contains tiny exfoliating particles while an exfoliator is a mechanical or chemical agent you apply to the skin to remove dead cells from the surface of the skin.
Regular exfoliation can also help prevent clogged pores, resulting in fewer breakouts. Long-term exfoliating can increase collagen production. Collagen is key to glowing, vibrant skin. The protein also promotes skin elasticity, minimizing the appearance of fine lines and related sagging.
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.
What age should I start exfoliating? You can start exfoliating your skin as early as your teen years, from 14 onwards. During this time you may find your skin to become imbalanced and a lot more oily than it was before. This excess oil can lead to some problems, like breakouts, blackheads and spots.
"Just going overnight without washing your face isn't going to age you five years," Polis says. "It's more of a missed opportunity. There's great blood supply to the skin and a number of different metabolic processes going on at night. So you're losing out on a chance to target problems."
No, exfoliating does not thin out your skin, but it is important to keep in mind that over-exfoliating can make your skin appear thinner. This is because you're constantly shedding that protective barrier. You want to allow your skin time to recuperate post exfoliation by taking a break in between sessions.
Washing your face doesn't necessarily speed up the process of aging. However, the way you wash your face and the products that you use may damage your skin. Damaged skin looks dry, unhealthy, and can be prone to fine lines and wrinkles.
Dead skin cells can build up under your eyes just as they can on any other part of your face. Poor skin cell turnover can contribute to fine lines, dull skin tone or even tiny white keratin cysts called milia. Gentle exfoliation under the eyes can give the delicate skin there a fresh, healthy start.
It's not an effective way to slough off dead skin cells—in fact, it could be causing you to break out. Here are three things every guy should know about exfoliating with a washcloth: Using a washcloth to exfoliate can be irritating to the skin and cause damage.
"Over-exfoliation causes irritation, inflammation like acne, makes you more susceptible to sunburn and you can lose moisture and disrupt the natural skin barrier," says Dr. Chiu, who recommends limiting exfoliation to once or twice a week.
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.
When you have flaky, dry skin you need to moisturize, not exfoliate.” Damage from over-exfoliation can present in many ways, including tightness, shininess, stinging, redness and increased sensitivity, Hirsch said. “We tend to grossly overestimate what our skin can handle.”