May 12 2021
How To Effectively Exfoliate: Face and Body
Over 50 million Americans suffer from various skin conditions with acne ranking at the top of the list.
Although it begins in our early teens, it plagues many people through adulthood which can cause physical and emotional scars. Acne actually affects 80% of Americans at some point in their lives.
Routinely exfoliating your body and face is the secret weapon in treating and preventing facial acne, body acne and pore inflammation. In order to aid in preventing sweat, bacteria and dirt from getting trapped beneath the skin’s surface, exfoliation is a must.
Exfoliating on a regular basis assists your body’s natural exfoliation process by getting rid of dead skin cells and revealing youthful, vibrant skin. It also reduces the look of dark spots and age spots.
If you are looking for a fast and easy way to tighten pores, minimize stretch marks and reduce the appearance of cellulite, you’ve come to the right place.
You’re probably wondering not only which products are the most effective, but also how to use them? With so much information floating around out there it can be confusing.
But guess what?
We’ve got you covered. We will give you all the tools you’ll need to uncover glowing skin such as:
- What are the different types of exfoliation
- How to exfoliate for your skin type
- When not to exfoliate
What Are the Different Types of Exfoliation?
The two types of exfoliation are chemical exfoliation and manual exfoliation.
While both get rid of dead skin skin cells to reveal smoother skin just below the surface, they use different methods to achieve the same goal.
Chemical exfoliators dissolve dead skin cells with glycolic acids while mechanical exfoliators slough them off— and it’s important to understand the difference.
Mechanical exfoliation involves using a washcloth, brush or your favorite coffee scrub to scrub dead skin cells from your body and face.
No matter what tool you use, it’s important that you apply gentle pressure and use circular motions.
You’ll want to avoid body scrubs for exfoliation that have microbeads or jagged edges like ground shells which can cause microscopic cuts and lead to infection or irritation.
How do you properly exfoliate with these tools?
For body exfoliation you can also use a brush or a loofah with body wash or an exfoliating scrub to strip away dead skin cells while you’re in the shower.
When using the mechanical technique these simple steps will give you the best results:
- Start with wet skin in the shower. A nice hot shower will relax your body and help soften your skin. Using your favorite coffee scrub or body wash, apply gentle pressure with your brush and move in circular motions to exfoliate your body and feet.
- Rinse your body with water that isn’t too hot because it can be harsh on skin that has just been scrubbed.
- After you get out of the shower, gently pat your skin dry and apply your favorite moisturizer to lock in that dewy glow.
Whether you are exfoliating your lips, arms or feet, you don’t want to scrub too hard and irritate your skin. It’s also not a good idea to use a body scrub before shaving your legs because it can irritate your skin and leave a stinging sensation.
Chemical exfoliation consists of two exfoliators— AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) and BHAs (beta hydroxy acids).
If you struggle with back acne or bumps on your arms, BHAs like salicylic acid are highly effective at treating the problem.
For sensitive skin an optimal chemical exfoliator is lactic acid, while normal to combination skin gets the most benefit from AHAs such as glycolic acid.
Whenever you choose chemical exfoliation it’s important to prep by using your cleanser and allowing it to dry for a few minutes prior to applying your products since they have a pH that’s slightly lower than your skin.
What is the difference between alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids?
| AHAs - Glycolic Acid | BHAs - Salicylic Acid | AHAs & BHAs |
|---|---|---|
| Minimizes appearance of sun damage | Treats bumps & blemishes | Exfoliate skin’s surface |
| Targets skin’s texture | Targets skin’s surface & pore size | Improve skin’s texture |
| Improves smoothness of skin | Unclogs & shrinks pore size | Improve appearance of fine lines & wrinkles |
