Overdoing exfoliation, or mixing different physically-based with chemical exfoliants can cause over-exfoliation, leaving your skin sore, bruised, red and irritated. Signs of over-exfoliation include excessive smoothness and shine of your skin, redness, peeling and flaking, and sometimes even an acne inflammation.
After four to six weeks, you should hopefully start to see signs of your skin improving. The symptoms of over-exfoliation should begin to die down, and your skin will slowly take on a healthier and brighter appearance. At this point, you can start to consider introducing exfoliation back into your skin care routine.
Skin purging typically looks like tiny red bumps on the skin that are painful to touch. They are often accompanied by whiteheads or blackheads. It can also cause your skin to become flaky. The flare ups caused by purging have a shorter lifespan than a breakout.
These include irritation, redness, inflamed skin, plus your complexion can become dry and flaky. You may develop a rash like texture, leading to uneven tones like patchy, red blotches. Breakouts are another common reaction, especially small, rough, bumpy pimples.
If you've gone too fast and too hard, you'll have to stop and re-look at your routine until your skin goes back to its baseline texture. “Leave your skin alone. It will heal all by itself, but it needs time and proper care, which in this case means not doing much to it,” says Dr Gupta.
Well if you still have the problem, I suggest using Vaseline. I over-exfoliated this week, but after using Vaseline for one night, almost all of the dry spots were gone!
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.
Typically, exfoliating does not cause acne. In fact, in most cases, exfoliating can help minimize acne when performed properly as part of an acne treatment program. Beware though, if exfoliating is done improperly or too often, it can bring on problems. If you use a scrub, use as directed and be gentle.
Redness and Irritation
This one may seem obvious, but that's why it's number one, it's most likely your first sign of over-exfoliation. It is not uncommon for the skin to be slightly red immediately after exfoliation, but if it stays red hours later or the next day, it means you need to soften it a notch.
Aloe vera gel can be extremely soothing on the skin. "Immediately following an over-exfoliating episode, a cold compress can be applied to alleviate burning,”Dr Aanand Geria, a dermatologist with Geria Dermatology, told a news portal.
So, does vitamin C exfoliate skin? Unlike exfoliants that can chemically (AHAs) or physically (face scrubs) remove dead skin cells, the answer to “does vitamin C exfoliate skin?” is no. But it does promote healthy cellular turnover and the production of new skin cells, which is beneficial for proper exfoliation.
Answer: True. “Using a scrub-type exfoliant too harshly or too often can be a trigger, as can mechanical exfoliation, such as microdermabrasion, when performed incorrectly or on an unsuitable skin type,” says aesthetician Mariga Sheedy.
Even though it has got “acid” in its name, hyaluronic acid is one of the best things you can use for over-exfoliated skin. Instead of exfoliating, hyaluronic acid traps moisture and helps replenish your skin, since it has been stripped of its natural oils.
Repeated over-exfoliation, manipulation, friction and skin tampering can slow down the healing process, introduce bacteria, and cause epidermal cells on and around blemishes to thicken, darken, and get larger as the body struggles to defend itself from constant “self-assault”.
Gently exfoliating the skin will help remove pigmented dead skin cells from the outer layer of skin. This can reduce the appearance of the tan.
Exfoliants break down dry and dead skin while smoothing texture, which means the skin appears to look more uniform over time. Try Dermalogica's Daily Resurfacer.
Acids - The most common acids that can cause skin purging are AHA's and BHA's, which include salicylic acid, malic acid, glycolic acid, and mandelic acid.
Generally speaking, dermatologists say purging should be over within four to six weeks of starting a new skin care regimen. If your purge lasts longer than six weeks, consult your dermatologist. It could be that you need to adjust the dosage and/or frequency of application.
Skin purging is a process that happens when certain skincare ingredients increase skin cell turnover. This encourages shedding of old, dead cells and growth of new, healthy ones. Unfortunately, this process often makes the skin look worse before it looks better.
"Doing this will just perpetuate the cycle, so stop any exfoliation, including the use of microbeads and alpha and beta-hydroxy acids." Instead, switch over to gentle, moisturizing formulas, which ingredients like ceramides, niacinamide, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, jojoba oil, and aloe vera.
If your skin feels irritated or red patches appear after exfoliation means you need to stop. It's also a myth that slight redness or irritation means the product is working. If your skin feel unusual after exfoliation, it means you need relook at your scrubbing routine. Over-scrubbing leaves skin dry and flaky.