Exfoliating Your Skin - Why, When, How Often, and What to Use

So what exactly does exfoliation do for your skin? Summarized, it refreshes your skin by removing dead cells and clearing pores of debris, allowing cellular turnover and the growth of fresh new skin. It also increases the penetration of your toners, serums, and moisturizers.

Skin type

Your skin type plays a major role in how often you should be exfoliating. Normal skin can usually tolerate 1-2 times a week, dry skin once or twice a week, and oily/combination skin 2-3 times a week to minimize breakouts. Sensitive skin types should only use chemical exfoliation, such as AHAs or fruit enzymes, and reserve exfoliation for only 1-2 times a month.

Aging skin

The natural skin-shedding process occurs about every 28 days or so, but as skin ages natural exfoliation slows down, leading to a build-up of dead skin and a dull complexion more often. Exfoliating a little more often helps speed up cell turnover, softening fine lines & wrinkles and diminishing pigmentation. So if you’re older and your skin can tolerate regular exfoliation, this is a very effective way to maintain a brighter, more youthful appearance.

Weather & environmental conditions

Weather and environmental conditions are major considerations when determining how often to exfoliate. Heat expands & cold contracts, so for instance, if you live in a hot, humid climate or have a job where you sweat or perspire, your pores will open up and gather impurities & debris. In cooler, drier climates, fewer impurities penetrate the skin as pores do not expand as much. Regardless of the weather, your skin picks up impurities daily, and dead skin forms, causing oils & debris to get trapped. It may not be much but the longer it stays in there, the duller skin becomes. At the end of the day, if your skin looks dull & listless, a very gentle exfoliation will revitalize your cells.

There are 3 types of exfoliation

Physical Exfoliation:

This involves using a granular scrub, that when applied to the skin, physically buffs or abrades the skin’s surface to remove dead cells and buildup. Some exfoliants are extremely gritty and I don’t recommend them because even gentle scrubbing with a hard grit exfoliant can cause damage. If you prefer a physical exfoliant, choose one with soft grit or a bead-like texture with ingredients that will moisturize & nourish your skin. Physical exfoliants effectively remove dead skin cells. You don't need to scrub hard to achieve exfoliation. If you scrub too hard, it can lead to micro-tears in the skin, make acne worse, and lead to hyperpigmentation. Gentle massage for about 10-15 seconds will shed those dead cells.

Chemical Exfoliation:

Chemical exfoliation uses alpha-hydroxy and beta-hydroxy acids (AHAs & BHAs), which break down the bonds between skin cells to eliminate the dead skin and decongest the pores. Don’t let the words “chemical” or “acid” scare you, as this exfoliation process is a very safe way to renew your skin. Chemical exfoliants are water-soluble acids made from sugary fruits and are extremely gentle on the skin, allowing them to be used more often. When using an AHA/BHA exfoliant, do not use products containing retinol on your skin on the same day. Retinol (vitamin A) alone renews the skin so additional AHAs could cause over-exfoliation, leading to irritation, redness, burning, and itchy skin.

Mechanical Exfoliation:

Mechanical exfoliation uses a tool, such as a body brush, to remove dead cells from your skin’s surface, great for a quick sweep across your legs & arms before getting into the tub or shower.

Normal to dry skin

Alpha-hydroxy acids (glycolic & lactic) are a great choice because your skin can typically tolerate the higher strength. Their humectants draw moisture into the skin, targeting pigmentation and aging. Glycolic acid penetrates deep into the skin and stimulates collagen production, creating a suppler, brighter appearance. AHAs DO make skin more photo-sensitive so exfoliation should be done at night and sunscreen is a must during the day. Drier skin types should avoid physical exfoliation because it can strip natural oils.

Oily/Combination skin

Acne or oily skin does best with beta-hydroxy acid (benzoyl peroxide or salicylic) chemical exfoliants to remove dead cells, clean out congested pores, and prevent blackheads & whiteheads. Combining an alpha-hydroxy acid is a great way to keep skin supple & youthful-looking. Salicylic acid does not make your skin more sensitive to the sun, however, sunscreen should always be worn for protection.

Sensitive skin

Alpha-hydroxy & beta-hydroxy acids are gentle enough for sensitive skin, but overly sensitive skin should use fruit enzymes with skin-soothing botanicals or a peptide/amino acid complex. Sensitive skin may also do well with a physical exfoliant with gentle beads and soothing ingredients. Unfortunately, extremely sensitive skin generally cannot tolerate exfoliation and the process should be skipped altogether.

In conclusion, exfoliation is a wonderful skincare routine, but you should do what is right for your skin type. You can try following the skin type recommendations listed above and if irritation occurs, cut back. Sometimes skin needs to acclimate to the ingredients, especially if exfoliation is a new routine. Additionally, with the chemical exfoliants, do a test patch on your skin to see if any irritation occurs.

Dr. Whitney Bowe is a board-certified dermatologist who has created an informative video explaining exfoliation. She believes chemical exfoliation is best for the skin and is not incorrect. As stated above, chemical exfoliants are gentler, but physical exfoliants can be just as productive as long as the cleanser and you are gentle on your skin.