Exfoliation 101: All You Need To Know To Achieve Your Glow

Why do you need to exfoliate your skin? Well, you're actually just accelerating a natural process called desquamation, in which our skin moves older skin cells toward the outermost layers of the skin, and they eventually slough away, leaving behind fresher, smoother skin. As we age, our skin becomes much less effective at desquamation: The matrix in which skin cells sit (like a biological glue that holds them together) becomes thicker and does not let go of older cells as easily. The result is a dull complexion with less of that healthy glow you had when you were in your teens.

So, exfoliation is one way you can help your skin stay up to speed with this natural process, restoring it to a brighter, illuminated appearance. The trick is to exfoliate the right way, with the right frequency. If done too harshly or too often, you will take away too many layers and expose other, less mature skin cells that are not yet capable of the demanding work required at the outer layers of the skin. Overexfoliated skin will appear red, irritated, and blotchy, and conditions such as dermatitis, acne, and rosacea can become more visible.

Ingredients like α- and β-hydroxy acids, lactic acid, or vitamin A work to loosen dead skin cells and increase cell regeneration rates. Perhaps the best known of these treatments is Retin-A, which is a form of vitamin A used to increase collagen synthesis and help reverse the effects of long-term UV exposure. Unfortunately, it often has side effects like redness, sun sensitivity, dryness, itching, and burning and is not recommended for pregnant women for toxicity reasons.

The basic answer is this: not too often! We tend to overdo it in the exfoliation department because it feels good, your skin is softer afterward, and you feel like you've taken an active role in improving your skin. But, as mentioned above, too much of this good thing is possible. A good place to start is once a week for the face and twice a week for the body. Pay attention to how your skin responds. If you're red or irritated, you need to tone it down. If you don't notice any difference, maybe you can increase the frequency slightly. Remember, the goal is to eliminate rough, dead skin cells that refract light unevenly and cause a dull appearance and to encourage cell regeneration deeper in the skin layers, all without leaving the skin raw or angry. It's a beautiful balance when you strike it, so experiment and find out what works for your skin.