Sometimes, especially in winter, regardless of the use of the best skincare products and routine we find our skin dull and dry. Have you wondered why this happens? The answer might be of skipping the step of exfoliation. Exfoliation is an important step in the skincare routine. It is essentially done to remove all the dead cells present on the skin. As a result, after exfoliation, you can get a clear and smooth complexion of the skin. Skin is the outermost and largest organ of our body, because of which skin cells get dehydrated and dry faster. Especially in winter, we find such dull or lifeless skin. Removing off these dead skin cells is essential for the development of new, healthier skin cells. Once or twice a week, we have to give our skin some replenishment in the form of exfoliation.
Benefits Of Exfoliation Of The Skin
Better Replenishment Of Skin
As with peeling off stickers, exfoliation does the same to remove dead skin cells. The only way of getting new, healthier skin cells is the process of removing dead skin cells. Thus exfoliation helps us for better skin replenishment.
Help To Moisturize Skin Better
Imagine a guy, who gives water to the dead plant. Will that plant blossom? Your answer might be No. Then how we can expect to have hydrated glowing skin without doing exfoliation. Application of moisturizer on old, dead cells is worthless as a moisturizer can not effectively penetrate skin whose surface has a layer of dead skin cells. Removing off of dead skin cells by exfoliation helps for proper nourishment and hydration of the skin.
Unclogs The Pores
Exfoliation helps to remove dirt, sebum, black and whiteheads from pores. So exfoliating skin with a gentle exfoliator helps to deeply unclog the skin pore. This will make skin smooth and glowing.
Get Rid Of Acne
Along with unclogging the pores exfoliators also help to remove pimples causing germs, bacteria. One should be taken care of while the exfoliating area of having chronic acne or acne scars.
Improves Blood Circulation
Exfoliation with circular motion increases more blood flow towards the face and skin. This will help you to give proper nourishment to the skin.
Step By A Step Exfoliation Process
For Winter Skincare
- Wash your face with a gentle cleanser
- Take pea-sized exfoliator scrub/mask product and apply on damp skin.
- Massage it on your face. While massaging scrub applies it with circular motion.
- Apply it properly on the cheeks, forehead, nose, chin, and neck. With mild pressure massage it for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Rinse it off with lukewarm water. Also, wash it off with cold water.
- Dry face with clean clothes or a towel.
Exfoliation According To Skin Type
Oily Skin
Exfoliation is very essential for oily skin to avoid pimples, clogged pores, blackheads or whiteheads.
Salicyclic acid-containing products do excellent exfoliation of oily skin.
Along with this, you can also go for charcoal-containing products.
Be sure you do not scrub too hard and aggressively to oily skin. Oily skin can become red and irritated from using the excess exfoliating products as well as aggressive exfoliation procedures.
You can go for more than twice a week exfoliation for oily skin type.
Marketed products- Neutrogena’s Pore Refining Exfoliating Cleanser, Differin Daily Deep Cleanser, Bioré’s Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser
Dry Skin
The skin type which essentially needs regular exfoliation is dry skin. If you do not exfoliate often your dry skin can develop layers of dead skin cells, because of which skin will appear dull and lifeless.
Specifically in winter problems related to dry skin become worst. Unexfoliated Dry, dead skin layer becomes a barrier of skin nourishment.
Apply moisturizer or moisturizing serum to the skin after exfoliation of dry skin.
Marketed products- Cetaphil’s Extra Gentle Daily Scrub
Combination Skin and Normal Skin
Combination skin types consist of both oily skin (more at T zone) and dry skin(at cheeks).
Products containing facial acids such as glycolic acid, salicylic acid are very beneficial for the deep cleansing of the skin.
Strong exfoliation products should be used at oily T zone that is at forehead, nose, and chin.
Application of moisturizer or Hydrating serum immediately after exfoliation is also very beneficial for combination and normal skin types.
Marketed products-L’Oréal Paris Pure-Sugar Scrub, Roche-Posay’s Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Facial, Apple cider vinegar foaming clay mask.
Sensitive Skin
We need to be a little bit extra careful while exfoliation of sensitive skin types. Exfoliation with gentle products and processes should be practiced for sensitive skin.
Products containing lactic acid may show harsh skin reactions on sensitive skin. After using products containing lactic acid, Redness, irritation, dryness are commonly seen in people having sensitive skin.
It is advisable for a person having a sensitive skin type, not to scrub your skin and use a cleansing brush. Both scrub and cleansing brush can be too harsh for your skin.
After exfoliation, without delay apply moisturizer or hydrating serum to the skin.
Exfoliation once a week should be practiced for sensitive skin types.
Marketed products-Cetaphil’s Extra Gentle Daily Scrub, La Roche-Posay ultrafine scrub
What To Look In The Ingredients List Of Exfoliators
- Alpha hydroxy acid- It can remove dead skin cells, increase collagen production and hydration of the skin.
- Zinc- It is very beneficial for the exfoliation of oily skin. Zinc eliminates oil without signaling skin to produce excess oil.
- Exfoliators with natural ingredients may contain the following ingredients or their extracts. kiwi seed, Vitamins B5 and E, Apple cider vinegar, kaolin
- Exfoliators with artificial ingredients may contain the following ingredients-benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, glycolic acid, Diatomaceous earth
For starting an exfoliation skincare routine you should have the following products or accessories.
Skin Scrub- most commonly used for exfoliation.
Scalp Scrub- Useful for people having flaky scalp
Brushes, Sponges, or Poulf– If you have this exfoliation Assaciores in your bathroom, then you might have clean and clear skin.
Chemical Peels – It provides an easy and affordable way of exfoliation of the in.
Take away
- Exfoliate your skin using products encompassing natural ingredients.
- Exfoliate no more than twice a week
- Before exfoliation takes a steam bath. Or practice exfoliation immediately after showering.
- The skin on your face and other parts of the body is different. So Do not use the same exfoliator and its process for both.
- Wisely Choose the right and suitable products according to your skin type.
- Don’t be shy to consult your dermatologist before starting an exfoliation routine.