How to Gently Exfoliate for Glowing Skin
Whether you’ve been interested in skincare for quite some time or you’re fairly new to the scene, chances are you have heard of skin exfoliation. It has been used for decades by estheticians and facialists but has become more popular for at-home customers in recent years. Why is this routine step so important for healthy, glowing skin? Let’s look at all you need to know about this skin-softening practice.
What Exactly Is Exfoliation?
Exfoliating is the act of gently removing dead skin, trapped dirt, and other impurities from our skin. It is added to a skincare regimen to help other products soak deeper into the skin layers and become more effective. In addition to boosting your active skincare products, exfoliation has multiple skin benefits including:
● brightening
● evening skin tone
● reducing acne flare-ups
● smoothing skin texture
● fading hyperpigmentation
You can achieve these benefits by manually (physically) exfoliating or by using a chemical exfoliant.
Manual Exfoliation
Manual exfoliation is done by using fine granules or gentle brushes to remove dead skin cells. This method is considered easier for beginners and gives an instant smooth texture to the skin.
For manual exfoliation, we love using the Province Apothecary Daily Glow Facial Brush every morning to awaken our skin and give us a bright, healthy glow.
Chemical Exfoliation
Although this method of exfoliating is called chemical, we use natural plant enzymes and fruit acids to softly remove dullness on the top layer of skin. Chemical exfoliating is using these fruit enzymes and acids like AHA and BHA to remove dead skin over time.
As a weekly treatment, we adore Josh Rosebrook’s Active Enzyme Exfoliator. It contains Papaya Enzyme to slough away dullness and nourishing Jojoba Oil to restore balance and moisture in the skin. Use this skin exfoliator weekly and watch your skin transform.
How To Exfoliate For Your Skin Type
DRY/SENSITIVE
Go slow. Start with introducing one exfoliating treatment once per week to see how your skin reacts. If your skin is feeling like it’s tolerating the treatment well, try extending your exfoliating routine to 2 times per week.
Always follow your treatment with a calming moisturizer such as the Living Libations Rose Glow Creme. This rich cream features soothing ingredients like Aloe Vera, Rosewater, and Lavender to make your post-treatment skin happy.
NORMAL/COMBINATION
Even if your skin isn’t sensitive, it’s always a good idea to take it slow with a new exfoliating treatment. Overusing exfoliants can lead to irritated skin and a damaged skin barrier, so we recommend choosing between a manual and chemical exfoliant and starting with 1-2 days a week.
OILY/ACNE-PRONE
Oily and acne-prone skin types tend to be more flexible with the type of exfoliants that they can use. Since your skin will be more prone to clogged pores and congestion, it may require a more frequent use of exfoliants.
We love the Leahlani Honey Love Microdermabrasion Exfoliator because it contains skin-clearing Rose and Kaolin Clay which pull impurities out of the skin. Although this treatment detoxifies, it also calms redness and irritation with Raw Honey and Chamomile.
No matter how you choose to exfoliate, take your time and find the right solution for your individual skin needs.
How do you exfoliate for healthy skin? Share your top exfoliation tips in the comments below and connect with us on Instagram at @lurrawellness.