Exfoliators: Skincare Tips and How-To Guide
Exfoliation is a great way to remove the gradual accumulation of dead cell skin cells from the topmost layer of your skin. By following this process, not only will you get brighter and younger-looking skin, but you will also improve your blood circulation and improve its texture.
There are a lot of ways in which you can exfoliate your skin – facials, opting for treatments done by a dermatologist or using natural remedies.
Undoubtedly, the best way to exfoliate your skin is by using an exfoliator.
Exfoliators are the new generation products that help you achieve smooth, supple, and clear skin without the fear of rubbing it raw.
There are generally two kinds of exfoliators on the market. The first kind is the physical exfoliator that helps to remove dead skin cells using tiny granules or greens. Whereas, the chemical exfoliators use acids for this purpose.
In this article, we will focus on the different exfoliation methods that you can use for your skin.
Mechanical Exfoliation
In this method, you use various tools such as an exfoliating brush, exfoliation glove, exfoliation sponge, or exfoliating scrub.
Each one of these tools is great for removing layers of dead skin cells from your face as well as your body. Providing different grips, you can use these tools in a circular motion in your shower or for dry brushing. Also, an exfoliating scrub can be directly applied to your skin using your hands.
Chemical Exfoliation
This is also quite a common way to exfoliate your skin using acids such as alpha hydroxy acid (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs). The working of this acid is mostly through dissolving the outermost layer of our skin promoting cell turnover rate. This can help to enhance the texture of the skin by bringing healthy cells to the surface.
It should also be noted that AHAs and BHAs are different from one another. While the former is water-soluble and eliminates dead skin cells that are caused due to excessive sun exposure, The latter acid is oil-soluble and helps to facilitate the deep cleaning of the pores. In addition to this, AHAs do not penetrate deep into the skin whereas, BHAs have a deeper seepage area.
Glycolic Acid
Glycolic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, and citric acid are the most common examples of AHAs. In the same way, beta hydroxy acid and salicylic acid are BHAs.
These acids can be used in various delivery forms such as weekly exfoliants, serums, chemical peels, and so on. It also doesn’t necessarily mean that the results of using these acids would be uniform for everyone. Their performance depends on factors such as their percentage in a particular product or procedure, who carries out the procedure, and the pH level.
How Enzymes Remove Old Layers of Skin
Using enzymes to exfoliate is also a common practice. Enzymes are catalysts that can either expedite or slow down a chemical reaction from taking place. Usually derived from fruits and plants, papain and bromelain are proteolytic enzymes that can eradicate the layer of skin that has keratinized over time. This also helps to promote the dissolving of cellular debris and buildup of dead cells.
Vitamin A Skincare
Another exfoliation technique is retinol that is a part of the vitamin A family or, to be more precise, it is just another name given to vitamin A.
An efficient cell-communicating ingredient, retinol is commonly used to reduce the signs of aging giving the user healthy and younger-looking skin. It also acts as an antioxidant that diminishes the damage done to our skin due to the production of free radicals.
Retinol for removing dead skin cells
Retinol is commonly added to cosmetic products for exfoliation as well. This molecule can be broken down into different forms such as retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate, and retinaldehyde. No matter what you do, after you massage the product into your skin, these retinol forms are eventually converted into retinoic acid. We would like to advise you on the fact that while retinol can be purchased without a prescription, retinoic acid cannot.
How often should you exfoliate your skin?
Another thing that we like to point out is while cleaning should be done twice a day, you should stick to exfoliating only two to three times a week. Over-exfoliation is not good for the skin. So, you need to opt for a gentle exfoliator that can help your skin without irritating it. Choosing the wrong or a rough exfoliator can actually make your pores appear even larger.
Resources— Dermascope, Healthline
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