Exfoliation 101.

Exfoliate: Verb. 1. to remove the surface of scales or body cells. 

For such a simple definition, there are so many questions! 

Why is it so important? 
Removing the dead skin cells has a significant effect on improving many skin disorders and conditions. It also preps your skin for product allowing them to penetrate deeper. 
Your skin has a natural cell renewal cycle that cause skin cells to slough off on a regular cycle. This process needs some help because it can be slowed by so many every day factors such as stress, pollution, hormones, make-up, aging, and illness to name a few! 

Benefits of Exfoliation: 
Improves hyper-pigmentation
Allows ingredients in your products to penetrate deeper
Keeps your skin soft and glowing
Help your pores from clogging 

2 types of exfoliation: 
Manual exfoliation uses granular based products that use friction to remove the dead skin cells. This can include scrubs, brush machines, and microdermabrasion.  
Chemical exfoliation uses chemicals to loosen the skin cells from the skins surface. Chemical exfoliation products either dissolve the karatin or loosen the bonds holding the cells together. 

Even though it is so important to exfoliate, it is also important not to over-exfoliate. Excessive exfoliation can change the pH of the skin which can cause loss of the barriers ability to protect the skin. Over-exfoliating can also cause sensitivities, and cause your body to over compensate for oil loss by producing more oil. I recommend exfoliating 2-3 times per week. How often your exfoliate varies by your skin type and what type of exfoliating you are doing.  

What works best for my skin type is glycolic peels. A gentle, creamy manual exfoliation usually works best for sensitive skin. If you are looking to work on skin problems such as texture, hyper-pigmentation  aging, sun damage, acne and clogged pores; alpha hydroxy acid peels work well. Common alpha hydroxy acids are glycolic and lactic acid. What have you found works best for your skin type? If you aren't sure yet, visit an esthetician for an appointment to find out what type of exfoliation is best for you. 

Feel free to leave me any of your questions about exfoliation! or email them to marcy@2bwell.net