Exfoliate the Right Way

Filed in archive Skin Care on December 29, 2007

You know to exfoliate your skin, but perhaps you don't know exactly how to go about it. If your skin is often irritated and raw after an exfoliation, then your routine needs tweaking. Exfoliation is used to remove the outermost, dead skin layer off your body, to reveal the fresh new skin underneath. The older we get, the slower the body's natural exfoliation process becomes, so we help it along with loofahs, scrubs, peels, etc.

Is it possible to remove that outer layer of skin completely?



That was an interesting question posed at The Beauty Brains, where a concept called The Hayflick Limit was discussed. In short, no, exfoliation isn't going to permanently remove your skin's protective layer. However, aggressive scrubbing can cause damage, especially if your skin is sensitive.

Exfoliation really shouldn't be done more than once or twice a week. Twice if you're very gentle. Instead of using a scrub or pumice granules, try a washcloth. That's right, a plain washcloth; the older, the better, because it's not all fluffy and soft, but a little rough. Wet it and apply your facial cleanser to it, then rub your face in circular motions all over, concentrating on areas where oil tends to build up, like the base of your nose. It's exfoliation on the cheap. And it works.

'Til next time, my pretties.