Are exfoliants damaging my face?

[SmartySmarties]

I'll set the scene for you so you can see what i'm on about.

I'm 17 and 2006 was a BAD year for my skin. It started when i noticed that i had seriously bad blackheads all over my forehead, and then i went ahead and made a mess of my face.

My skin is alot better now if you dont look too closely. But it only started to clear up when i used exfoliators. I've got Nivea Young skin products, one is an exfoliant for every day and one to use once a week (or twice for oily skin).

I only found they worked if i used a harsh (once a week) exfoliator every day and the daily one if i feel like my skin is a bit tender. They're getting rid of scars and stopping new blackheads and spots forming.

My question is: Is using a harsh exfoliant damaging my skin or is just removing dead cells and encouraging new cells?

Will i regret it later on in life if it's actually damaged my skin and i get bad wrinkles?

I do take extra precautions like i wear a moisturiser with an SPF now (and a high SPF in summer) becuase of new skin being exposed.

Does anyone have any experience or advice or better remedies for teenage skin?

Lul

 

[Dragonfly]

First, repost this to the 'skin' section of the forum - you might get more people responding.

I don't believe exfoliates damage your skin - but only do them 1-2 times a week.

They do help remove cells so the skin underneath has a nice glow.

Why not use benzoil peroxide or similar that your physician prescribes, to keep acne and blackheads at bay?

Using SPF is great - your skin will really thank you as you get older.

I use a gentle exfoliate once a week. I mix a tsp of baking soda with my cleanser to create a paste. Rub into my skin for at least a minute then rince well.

Then wash my face with cleanser to remove all traces of the soda - it can be drying if left on the face.

 

[vanilla_sky]

once i read somewhere that using hars exfoliators to often can leave permanent "scratches" on the skin surface. I wouldnt be able to remember where i read it though, so I am not sure whether or not this is true. I remember reading in many sources not to use exfoliator more than once, twice a week. I think if you don't go beyond that, your skin will be fine /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[jdepp_84]

Thats what my dermatologist told me, harsh exfoliants twice a week only because they might scratch the skin.

 

[LovesJim]

Harsh exfoliators can stretch and scratch the skin, causing more damage and wrinkles later on in life.

 

[SmartySmarties]

Oh wow that's a bit scary. right ok i'll stop using that one straight away then and see how i go on with just a cleanser. Thanks!

 

[Miss World]

i found that staying away from harsh exfoliants is the best thing you could do for your skin. since you are still a teenager, just use a soft exfoliant and a good daily wash+tonic, and a good moisturiser /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[starduzt]

yes, they can be quite harsh depending on the skin.. read somewhere using a muslin cloth can exfoliate as well, but i never got around to trying it out.. if you need to, stick to exfoliating once a week.

 

[magosienne]

they're harsh and might scratch your skin, and consequently make it more sensitive than it is. a good daily cleanser and a good moisturiser would be better.

 

[Principeste]

Do you just get blackheads or infected pustules?

What may be a good solution is to use a cleansing mask 2 weekly something with fullers earth or kaolin powder which are very good to bring impurities to the surface. If your skin is very oily avoid moisturiser too often and just use eye cream to avoid wrinkling. Though if you are getting alot of black heads its important to get a professional facial treatment and remove the impurities as they still need to come out

 

[ketsumefan]

i def. have clogged pores esp in the summer time my skin seems to be endless in sebum and I thought the only remedy was to use a harsh exfoliant every day to slough off the grime. it only over-stimulated my face and got more oily in the long run as my skin got thinner, and hence became more clogged as well (which turned into me using facial scrubs even more because i associated stripping the skin with cleanliness)

for me, i have combination, mad oily t-zone and large pores, but at the same time its dehydrated and sensitive, i only paid attention to the oilyness and clogged pores, not noticing that harsh exfoliation was making my skin worse and secrete more oil.

I've realized my skin works better by exfoliating 2x a week rather than everyday. And ill switch it up by using clarifying masks. I went from Sisley's facial scrub and am now using Juara's rice facial scrub which has been real effective. Make sure you get one with tiny grains at least if you want to use it everyday. And hydrate well, or else exfoliating is only going to solve the solution in the short term.

 

[SmartySmarties]

i think i have the same problem as you then ketsumefan. Do you think those self heating masks de-clog pores or is it all hype?

i'll shop around abit. Thanks everyone

lulxxxx

 

[FeverDream]

Yeah, if you use an exfoliant with something like almond or walnut shells in it, it'll make tiny little scratches that worsen with age. You could use a mask with AHA/BHAs once a week, like a fruit enzyme mask, or something like Bliss Steep Clean.

 

[Jessica]

My skin tends to be acne prone and sometimes sensitive. I do exfoliate but only once or twice a week. What i do is....I go buy a little exfoliating pad from the drug store ( CVS in the US ) that is pretty soft but good enough to get the job done. I will then use any of my face cleansers like cetaphil or aveeno on the pad. I love it and it works and as far as exfoliating goes....it's pretty smooth on the face, not harsh. Oh.....the pad also lasts a few weeks.

 

[tristen88]

Could Be..... Anythin that is too harsh For YOUR SPECIFIC skin could do damage... lyke how people wit oily skin should not use oil products where as dry skin people can. lyke is wit hair n evethin else depends on YOU...

i think it should leave you fresh face feelin lyke bare but not hurt or anythin if it hurts of u skin is red dont use that......

i use sugar plain wit a lil salt to wash my face n body n exfoliate n always have...

maybe try that cuz you can then let it dislove to a lil softer if u have got some sensitive skin

 

[Lauren]

I would try a product with AHA instead of a physical exfoliator to unclog your pores, it works for me!

 

[jessica9]

have you seen a dermatologist? have you tried retin a? retin a works really good for breakouts, blackheads, and wrinkles. so you are really helping prevent your skin from future wrinkles while getting rid of blackheads and breakouts. it worked really well for me when i was your age and i am 26 and still use it. my derm told me i should use it for forever basically because it is one of the only proven anti-agers out there. if you are still interested in an exfoliant, i would highly recommend dermalogica's daily microfoliant, which is gentle but very effective and works well on acne-prone skin. actually....i started using some products from their line, such as active moist, the calming booster and the dermal mud cleanser (names off, but recognizable) and my skin literally cleared up overnight. active moist is a great night time moisturizer for acne-prone skin cos it literally helps clear up your skin and is a good moisturizer. don't punish your skin with harsh scrubs because less really is more. let us know how it goes!