Is exfoliation part of your skin care regime? If not, it’s something you’ll want to consider because of its many benefits. When you exfoliate, you are actually removing dead skin cells that lie on the surface of the skin. Removing these dead cells makes skin softer and smoother. Also once these dead skin cells are removed, it’s easier for facial or body care products to penetrate the surface of the skin. In a similar way, exfoliating can even help makeup blend into your skin better
Allwomenstalk looks at “7 Top Notch Benefits of Exfoliating Your Skin.” Here are some of them of them:
- Improve skin texture: When your skin feels rough or dry, exfoliating provides an easy way to revive it.
- Fight signs of aging: The skin’s natural ability to shed dead skin cells slows down as we age. Dead and dull skin cells can make fine line, wrinkles and dry skin even more noticeable.
- Prevent breakouts: When pores get clogged up with dead skin cells, oils get trapped beneath the surface, which causes pimples. Exfoliating your skin can help keep pores clean and unclogged.
- Even skin tone: Exfoliating skin can help remove leftover dirt and makeup, in addition to the layers of dead skin, to reveal the bright and new skin underneath.
Types of exfoliants
Exfoliants include both chemical and physical types. Chemical exfoliants, the most common of which are Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA), dissolve dead skin cells and any dirt and oil that bind these cells to your skin, explains My Beauty Bunny. AHAs are best for dry, sun damaged skin since they also help moisture. BHAs are best for oily or acne prone skin.
Physical exfoliants use particles to slough away dead skin cells. Ingredients can include oatmeal, salt, sugar or apricot kernels, for example. Be careful when exfoliating facial skin to use gentle abrasive to avoid micro-tears in the skin.
Whatever type of exfoliant you use, keep up a regular schedule. While opinions vary, you’ll want to exfoliate at least once or twice a week. The key is to see how your skin reacts before increasing the frequency. Over exfoliating can leave skin raw, dry and sensitive.
Boost collagen production
Another benefit of exfoliation is collagen production. Collagen is the protein in skin that gives it strength and durability. Think of it as the scaffolding around the cells that support their shape. When you remove the top layer of dead skin, you encourage the skin to produce new cells, which help to stimulate collagen production.
Another way to encourage collagen production is through the use of retinol skin care products, such as . Retinols achieve their anti-aging results by protecting skin from free radicals and prompting surface skin cells to turn over and die rapidly so that new skin cells can grow. Retinols also slow down the breakdown of collagen.
If you are using a retinol product on your face or other areas of your skin, you won’t want to use grains or other exfoliants in that area, since the retinol will exfoliate on its own.