Exfoliation 101

[eightthirty]

Importance of Exfoliation

Exfoliants work by sloughing (aka...scrubbing) off dead skin cells that are overstaying their welcome on your face. You see...all the skin that is visible to the human eye is really nothing more than a thin layer of dead skin cells. These cells are in the final stage of their life cycle. A skin cell's final encore is to fall off...but this doesn't always happen. When a dead cell overstays its welcome, it prevents the dead cells below it from moving on up and out. This is how problems start.

Oily skin

If you've got oily skin, your dead skin cells will have a harder time naturally falling off your face. They'll be clinging to the super sticky sebum on your skin's surface. This means there's an increased chance that a dead cell will fall into an oil producing pore and clog it up...causing a nasty breakout. To prevent this from happening, you need to slough off the dead cells three times a week. Exfoliation always comes after cleansing and before toning...and should be done at night.

Normal skin

Everyone needs to exfoliate...even you with your normal skin. Although your body does do a great job at naturally shedding its dead skin cells, it can still use a little help. By simply exfoliating twice a week, you'll keep your face looking smooth and healthy and prevent breakouts in the process. Exfoliation always comes after cleansing and before toning...and should be done at night.

Dry skin

You've got a build up of dead skin cells on your face. This thick layer of dead cells is preventing the moisturizers you apply from reaching the living cells below. It's crucial that you slough off these dead skin cells so that your moisturizer can get through. Don't overscrub, though. It can cause irritation and result in acne. Limit yourself to exfoliating 1-2 times a week. Exfoliation always comes after cleansing and before toning...and should be done at night.

 

[vanilla_sky]

and it prevents milia too I love neutrogena gentle deep clean scrub.

 

[eightthirty]

This is so informative. Something that I never knew before. From now on, I will exfoliate at night. Thanks for sharing this, sweetheart. :icon_love

p.s. Any idea why it is better to exfoliate at night?

 

[katisha]

Interesting info, thanks! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

I have oily skin and I exfoliate about 2-3 times a week, but gently because over-exfoliating can over-stimulate the skin and then I'd end up even oilier than before...

 

[lollipop]

Thx for posting hun :icon_cool I didn`t know that you should exfoliate after cleansing and before toning, so it`s good to know!!!

 

[eightthirty]

Exfoliating: 101Exfoliants work by sloughing (aka...scrubbing) off dead skin cells that are overstaying their welcome on your face. You see...all the skin that is visible to the human eye is really nothing more than a thin layer of dead skin cells. These cells are in the final stage of their life cycle. A skin cell's final encore is to fall off...but this doesn't always happen. When a dead cell overstays its welcome, it prevents the dead cells below it from moving on up and out. This is how problems start.

Step 1

Cleanse your face before exfoliating. To get the most out of your exfoliation, there should be no traces of makeup, dirt, or grime.

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Step 2

Apply the exfoliant to your finger tips and liberally spread it all over your face...but avoid sensitive areas around the eyes and lips.

Step 3

In light circular movements, gently scrub/work the exfoliant against the skin.

Step 4

Wash every trace of the exfoliant off by gently splashing water onto your face. After you've checked to make sure you've got it all off, pat your face dry with a towel.

Step 5

Wait 15 minutes and then moisturize...especially if you have dry skin. Exfoliating can leave your face parched and in need of some serious moisture.

 

[eightthirty]

You are all very welcome. :icon_love

 

[Geek2]

Thanks for the info! I need to remember to exfoliate more often. I usually do it about once a week or every 2 weeks and that's obviously not enough for an oily skin like mine.

 

[Saints]

I've used Kanebo silk peeling powder for 4 years, the same container! It lasts forever. I'd recommend it for sensitive skin, my skin is really sensitive and gets all red if I use a normal exfoilator, but this one is like silk on you skin, very gentle. I use it once a week

 

[bunni]

another great thread thank you!!! I used to use st. ives apricot scrub, but it was too gentle, i use just two coats of aspirin, brown sugar (not too often though) and baking soda (sometimes), most of the time aspirin disolved in palms with some water.

 

[SierraWren]

A lot of facts/info I didn't know before, at all--Thanks for this!!!

 

[looooch]

ooo, this post makes me want to exfoliate right now:icon_bigg

 

[kdt04]

Thanks for the info. I definitely need to do this more often!

 

[Olivia23]

I have read somewhere though that you need to be careful of exfoliating to much because it can strip the away the natural oils or something like that (cannot remember the exact quote), and will cause breakouts. They recommended no more than once or twice a week exfoliating.

 

[looooch]

Dang, skincare frustrates me...you exfoliate too much, it irritates your skin and leads to breakouts, you don't exfoilate enough and your dead skin cells clog your pores and lead to breakouts:icon_roll

Sometimes i wish i had an instruction manual for taking care of my problem skin :icon_conf

 

[breathless]

thank you darling! this is wonderful! i have a face exfoliator! didnt read about it yet. i got it for christmas and i dont remember where i stashed it! now i need to find it and test it out!

 

[Marisol]

Thanks for the tips Mel!

 

[breathless]

thank you! twice a week sounds great!

 

[canelita]

Thank you, I always do my face treatments during the day but the night thing sounds right.

 

[canelita]

Thanks again!!