After exfoliating your face or body, it's important to always follow up with a moisturizer, said Zeichner, who usually pairs exfoliating products with moisturizers that have skin-repairing ingredients such as niacinamide, ceramides and/or oatmeal. He recommended moisturizers from CeraVe, La Roche-Posay and Aveeno.
Apply Moisturizers
if you just finished exfoliating your face, or any other body part, the most important thing to remember is to stay moisturized. While one exfoliation won't completely strip your skin of all of its oil, it will remove most of it, leaving the surface dry.
moisturizer booster
Most beauty experts agree that applying body lotion or a dry body oil after exfoliation accelerates the effects of moisturizing.
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.
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.
You don't need to wait for the BHA or AHA to absorb or dry; you can apply any other product in your routine - moisturiser, serum, eye cream, or sunscreen - immediately afterwards.
Always Moisturize After Exfoliation
Once you're done exfoliating your legs, follow up by moisturizing them. Physical exfoliation can cause immediate shedding of the outer layer of your skin.
For most people, body exfoliation 2–3 times each week is enough to keep your skin in top condition. To exfoliate properly, make sure the water in your shower is warm—this will help open your pores. Then, gently scrub your exfoliating body scrub in circles over your skin.
Following exfoliation, a moisturizer should be applied. Depending on the treatment a firming, or hydrating cream/oil will penetrate better following an exfoliation and the results will be increased." So, it's not just about properly removing dead skin. It's about what the new skin gets to soak in.
Technique matters when it comes to exfoliation, and the techniques are different for body scrubs compared to dry brushing. You want to use a body scrub while your skin is wet. It's ideal to do it while you're in the shower and after you've been in the shower for a few minutes to loosen up your dead skin cells.
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.
An individual should use the fingers to gently apply cleanser to the skin, rub in a circular motion, and then rinse with water. They should follow exfoliation with a suitable moisturizer for their skin type.
Using a super-hydrating facial moisturizer after you exfoliate helps replenish any moisture loss from exfoliating. Apply sunscreen.
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.
How long should it take to see results after exfoliation? This has a double answer. After just 10 minutes you should see an improvement in your complexion if done properly. However, for the real long term and highly noticeable results, it can take 6-8 weeks.
Poor exfoliation is a leading cause of blackheads and whiteheads, some of the most common signs of acne. You can also develop “undergrowth” without regular exfoliation. This is comprised of not only dead skin cells but also trapped dirt and oil, which can lead to ingrown hairs.
One to two times a week is fine for people with oily skin. But if you have dry skin, you should either hydrate beforehand or exfoliate your legs less often. In other words, if your skin becomes irritated after exfoliating the second time, only do it once a week to avoid the irritation.
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 you moisturize your skin regularly but still notice lingering dryness, you may want to check your moisturizer for potentially dehydrating ingredients, such as isopropyl alcohol or sulfates. You may get better results with products containing ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or ceramides.
The straightforward answer is after. While people have often tried using it before, it is not with the best results. Soap tends to clean out dead skin cells, debris, dirt, and oils, which means they don't really have much to do after a body scrub.
Step 3: Exfoliator or clay mask
Exfoliation removes dead skin cells while clearing pores.
Be gentle to your skin.
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.