All the steps in your skincare routine can contribute to help you achieve healthy and glowing skin. Some of these steps, such as cleansing, need to be done daily to ward off skin issues. Others, including exfoliation, are implemented at intervals in order to keep our skin in check.
Regular exfoliation can benefit the skin in many ways. Below, we will discuss all the benefits of exfoliating your skin, and how often you should do it.
What is Exfoliation?
Exfoliating is the process of removing dead skin cells from the skin’s surface using mechanical tools, or chemical substances. Your skin naturally sheds its dead cells in a 30-day cycle to make room for newer and fresher skin cells. However, it sometimes doesn’t do a thorough job and leaves some dead skin cells behind that can leave you with dry skin and clogged pores. When you exfoliate, you help your skin shed dead cells faster and more efficiently.
Benefits of Exfoliating
The best way to motivate yourself to exfoliate regularly is to know all the benefits that it has to offer. Below, we’re giving you the top benefits of adding exfoliation to your skincare regimen.
Exfoliation Prevents Acne
Acne is no doubt the most common skin problem around the world. Several things can cause acne, including excess sebum, bacteria, hormonal imbalance, or genetics. But one thing is for sure – it’s not easy to deal with and get rid of acne. Not only can it leave deep-pitted scars on your skin, but it can also affect your self-esteem.
So, how does regular exfoliation prevents acne? Exfoliating prevents your pores from being clogged with sebum and other impurities that can cause acne. If you have acne-prone skin, it’s best to incorporate chemical exfoliation into your routine. Never use harsh, physical exfoliants, especially you have breakouts because they can aggravate your acne if you rub them too hard on your skin. Physical exfoliators can dry out and irritate your skin, which can delay the healing process of your breakouts. If you have acne-prone skin, make sure to exfoliate your skin with gentle products, and don’t forget to moisturize after exfoliating. Hydration is a must!
Exfoliation Evens Out Your Skin Tone
Hyperpigmentation is a common skin condition where the part of the skin becomes darker than the skin that surrounds it. The condition can also be characterized by uneven skin texture and sunspots. Hyperpigmentation can be caused by popping your pimples, using harsh treatments that are not suitable for your skin type, or harmful sun exposure. Pregnancy and aging can also lead to hyperpigmentation.
When you exfoliate regularly, you gradually get rid of the layers of your skin that have hyperpigmentation to reveal healthy and younger skin from underneath. If you want to get smoother and younger-looking skin and an even skin tone but you suffer from hyperpigmentation, it’s a good idea to add exfoliation to your routine.
Exfoliation Makes Your Skincare Products More Effective
Did you know that regular exfoliation can help ensure that you reap all the benefits of all the skincare products you’re using?
Regular exfoliation can help the products you’re using penetrate deeper into your skin so they can work more efficiently. When dead skin cells are sitting on top of your skin, it can affect the efficiency of the moisturizers, serums, spot treatments you’re using. When you exfoliate, you help these products reach their full potential in keeping your skin healthy and at its best.
By incorporating regular exfoliation into your skincare routine, you will be getting the most of the skincare products you’re currently using, giving you your money’s worth. You get all these benefits just by regularly exfoliating!
Exfoliation Promotes Collagen Production
Collagen is a useful protein that is abundant in our body tissues. It has several functions, including promoting skin elasticity, as well as replacing dead skin cells. But as you age, your body’s natural production of collagen decreases. When this happens, you start getting wrinkles because your skin loses elasticity and firmness.
Thankfully, you can do something to keep those signs of aging at bay. If you’re not comfortable taking oral collagen supplements or getting cosmetic fillers, it’s a good idea to incorporate regular exfoliation into your skincare routine to stimulate your body’s collagen production. The habit can make your skin look and feel plump, young, and fresh. Any signs of aging on your face, like fine lines and wrinkles, will significantly improve when you regularly exfoliate.
Wrinkles can be very tricky to deal with, so don’t waste any more time and start exfoliating to keep the wrinkles at bay. You know what they say, “prevention is better than cure.”
Exfoliation Helps your Makeup Look Flawless
Exfoliation can help bring out the layers of your skin that are smoother, plumper, and younger-looking. With that kind of skin as a foundation, you won’t have trouble applying makeup to your face. Without the dry patches, your makeup sits better on your skin, giving you a smooth and perfect finish.
Exfoliation Gives You a Healthy Glow
As we already mentioned above, regular exfoliation can speed up skin cell turnover, and healthier and newer cells replace the old ones to reveal glowing and radiant skin and a flawless complexion that doesn’t need highlighters.
How Often Should I Exfoliate?
As a general rule, you need to exfoliate two to three times a week. However, how often you need to exfoliate still largely depends on your skin type. If you have a dry or sensitive skin type, you should not exfoliate more than three times a week. But if your skin is oily, you might benefit from exfoliating more often than that.
Now that we’ve discussed the benefits of regular exfoliation, it’s also important to learn about the drawbacks of over-exfoliation. When you exfoliate more often than necessary, you risk stripping your skin off its natural oils, which can make your skin red, dry and irritated. If you have acne, over-exfoliation may aggravate your breakouts and delay its healing process.
If you notice that you get skin issues when you exfoliate, try to limit it to once or twice a week.
Exfoliating with Sea Active Skincare
Regular exfoliation can do wonders to your skin if you do it properly! The myriad of benefits it provides range from preventing acne to giving you a healthy glow. If you’ve always wanted to have young and healthy-looking skin, this is the right time to try Sea Active Skincare’s Illuminaire™ Enzyme Exfoliant-Mask. This organic exfoliant mask is a must-have for all skin types. It lifts away dull and dead skin cells to reveal a smoother and brighter complexion that gives you a better appearance. This gentle yet effective mask contains five seaweeds in finely milled Amazonian & French Clays, as well as Papaya and Pineapple extracts that leave your skin radiant and clear. Head on to our website now to shop our exfoliating mask!
