Every night when we go to sleep our skin is wide awake. It's busy going through the process of skin cell turnover. When we wake up in the morning, tiny little flakes of dead skin cells, often not seen by the human eye, have been left behind on our pillow and on the surface of our skin. Gross, right!
Side note: Change your pillow case at least once a week.
These little flakes don't mean we have dry skin. It's the result of a natural process called skin metabolism. We have to shed skin cells in order for new skin to replace depleted skin.
We can manually remove the debris with a quality cleanser. However, if we're lax on cleansing, using an ineffective cleanser, or are using serums and special treatments that make our skin work hard to speed up this process, our skin can start looking flat, dull, or feel grungy. This is usually an indication these dead skin cells are piling up.
It is time to e - x - f - o - l - i - a - t - e !
5 Reasons to Exfoliate
- Leaves skin tone more even and youthful looking
- Stimulate collagen giving skin more texture
- Boost circulation and promote lymph drainage (think less puffiness)
- Unclog pores and prevent acne
- My favorite reason of all, helps skincare products penetrate better making them more effective!
How Often to Exfoliate
This will depend on our skin type and the products we're using. We've already established we'll know it's time to exfoliate by the look and feel of our skin. Now let's look at how often to exfoliate.
Thicker skin and oily skin will require more exfoliation and can withstand chemical exfoliants like peels or stronger acid formulas. Once a week is generally a good guideline.
Thin, or dry, and/or sensitive skin often will need less exfoliation. This skin type must use a gentle exfoliating product with enzymes and acid blends with botanical anti-oxidants. This will buffer the exfoliant so it's not irritating to the skin. Every two weeks is a good guideline.
For those using NeoGenesis products regularly, the skin will only occasionally need a chemical exfoliation because the function of S²RM® (stem cell released molecules) causes an ongoing natural exfoliation keeping skin in the state of homeostasis. Cleansing is typically enough to remove any surface debris.
While I'm providing guidelines, there will be other factors (diet, hydration, products) that contribute to how often to exfoliate. You are the best of judge of when you need to exfoliate, so the bottom line is, exfoliate as needed.
There you have it, the short story of exfoliation. I could inundate you with lots of science but I want you to stay awake while reading this. (grin) Just remember, the largest organ on the human body is our skin. Let's take good care of it.
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