renew your skin

Do you have dull, dry, or blemished skin? To banish all these skin troubles all you have to do is...

...exfoliate!

                Exfoliating renews the skin by helping to slough away old, dry skin cells. Getting rid of old skin cells helps to minimize the appearance of wrinkles, improve an uneven skin tone, eradicate breakouts, and more. 
               Your body sheds old skin cells naturally; however, this process can be slowed due to sun damage, genetics, skin disorders, and other factors. Unable to shed the old skin cells, your skin becomes dull, dry, and flaky. Your pores may become clogged with old skin cells, resulting in enlarged pores, blackheads, breakouts, and other problems. Wrinkles, loss of firmness, and an uneven skin tone may also develop. Exfoliating can help with all of these skin conditions.
               You may incorporate exfoliating in any step of your skin care routine as it does not really count as its own "step". It can be considered a part of cleanse, tone, treat, or moisturize. Of course, it would be hard to incorporate exfoliating in the "protect" step of the skin routine...that is until they invent an exfoliating sunscreen!
               However, as beneficial as exfoliating is, there are also some things you need to be careful about. Exfoliating too harshly or too often can lead to serious skin damage, especially for sensitive skin. Here are some exfoliating tips so that you can avoid damaging your skin:

1. Use a Chemical Exfoliant Instead of a Physical Exfoliant: A chemical exfoliant may sound much scarier than a scrub or a cleansing brush; however, a chemical exfoliant is actually much more effective and gentle. The majority of built-up old skin cells cannot be reached by scrubs and cleansing brushes since they only deal with the surface of the skin. A chemical exfoliant can reach deep into the skin. Many physical exfoliants in scrubs can also severely irritate the skin due to their rough and uneven texture. Physical exfoliants (microbeads, salt, sugar, etc.) can lead to micro-tears in the skin. Chemical exfoliants, however, are relatively small molecules and do not cause tears in the skin.

2. Experiment with Different Chemical Exfoliants: The two most common chemical exfoliants are AHA (alpha hydroxy acids) and BHA (beta hydroxy acid). The "acid" in the names may seem intimidating; however, they are very gentle and safe to use in low concentrations. AHA includes a number of different acids, such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, and mandelic acid. The most commonly used AHA in skin care would be glycolic acid and lactic acid. BHA is also more commonly known as salicylic acid and can be either synthesized in a lab or naturally extracted from willow bark. In the table below, the benefits and properties of each is listed. Determine for yourself which chemical exfoliant is most suitable for you. Of course you can always use both!

3. Experiment with Different Concentrations of Exfoliants: Different concentrations of AHA and BHA have different strengths. If you have sensitive skin opt for lower concentrations (3-4% AHA; 0.5-1% BHA). If your skin is relatively normal choose a concentration of average strength (5-7% AHA; 1-2% BHA). If your skin requires extra exfoliation, opt for higher concentrations (8-10% AHA; 2-4% BHA). Be cautious; higher concentrations lead to more irritation. Also, be careful of how many exfoliating products you are using at once. The more exfoliating products you use, the greater concentration of exfoliants your skin is exposed to.

4. Be Aware of How Often You Exfoliate: It is possible to over-exfoliate. However, do not believe rumors that say AHA and BHA thin out the skin. AHA and BHA do not negatively affect healthy skin cells that are deep within the skin. Over-exfoliating, however, may lead to excessive redness, sensitivity, and irritation. Some exfoliating products are gentle enough to use every day. Others are not. To be safe and avoid over-exfoliating, follow the directions labeled on the product or only exfoliate 2-3 times a week with at least 2 days in between each use. 

5. Always Use Protection Afterwards: After exfoliating, it is important to use sun protection. Exfoliating exposes new skin cells, which are more sensitive to the sun. If not, skin damage can occur. Of course, be sure to apply sun protection at the very end of your skin care routine, not immediately after exfoliating.