Want to know the ins and outs of exfoliation and why it’s so good for your skin?
Some days, we’re lucky if we manage to take off our makeup and wash our faces before we collapse into bed. Bonus points for moisturizing.
But exfoliate?
That just seems like a luxury. It’s a step we often skip, since we might assume it’s really just icing on the cake and not all that important.
But we are here to let you know - exfoliating is a critical part of your skincare routine for these 6 reasons.
Healthy skin completely renews itself every 25 to 30 days, but as you age, this period of cellular regeneration gradually increases. When your skin-cell turnover rate slows, your complexion appears dull, wan and aged.
Exfoliation speeds up the turnover rate to reveal newer, fresher, and healthier skin that's radiant instead of dull.
Have you ever suffered from a sunburn that later left you with a blotchy tan and perhaps peeling skin? This is a vivid example of uneven texture and tone.
Without exfoliation, the same effect is occurring with your complexion, just on a smaller scale. Exfoliation helps smooth different areas of the skin for a more even look and feel.
Exfoliation is a process of removing dead skin cells from the surface of the skin. When dead skin cells accumulate, they can clog pores, leading to blackheads, whiteheads, and other skin blemishes. By removing these dead skin cells through exfoliation, pores are kept clear and open, preventing the buildup of oil, dirt, and other impurities that can lead to breakouts.
Whether you're addressing age spots, sun blemishes or a generally uneven skin tone, exfoliation is your go-to treatment. Exfoliation naturally increases your skin cell turnover rate, which helps to shed areas of darkened skin more quickly, resulting in visibly brightened skin.
If you want to get the most effective results from your hydrator or serum, then exfoliation is an absolute must. Without exfoliation, the active ingredients in these products have to penetrate through an increased thickness of dead skin cells before they reach the cells they can affect. Instead, once you remove this layer of dead skin cells, your serum can absorb easily, with all its benefits!
An exfoliant can help to reduce signs of premature ageing by:
However, only chemical exfoliants are also able to stimulate your skin's manufacture of important skin proteins such as collagen. These proteins help to support skin, and a lack of them allows fine lines and wrinkles to form.
Pretty straightforward exfoliation with the use of tiny particles, a brush or cloth, or a scalpel. But not all physical exfoliants are created equally. You don’t want any of the exfoliating agents to be too large, for example, large sugar granules, or fragments of nuts. These can leave microtears in your skin, which can lead to bacteria and other nasties invading the epidermis layer. Scrubs do work, but they need to be handled gently. Kaolin Clay is a gentle and highly effective physical exfoliant - as is oat and rice brand powder.
These use natural occurring acids to help break down & remove dead skin cells- including AHAs, BHAs and TCAs. Here at GoodieCo, we prefer natural, plant-based fruit enzymes & AHA: like those found in pineapple, Davidson Plum & Lilly Billy . People with sensitive skin might have a hard time with, BHAs, and TCAs, but luckily, fruit enzymes work more in their favour by providing a gentler exfoliation. The enzymes break down the keratin proteins that are within those upper, old skin cells, revealing fresh, new, and brighter cells from beneath the surface.
Exfoliate no more than two times a week, with one of these power-house blends!
Bright Skin - Face Polish Powder - full of those delicious fruit enzymes we mentioned - this mask combines Bromelain - extracted from pineapple - with fine rice powder & Kaolin Clay! This SUPER-fine polishing powder applies as a mask and then gently scrubs away impurities to resurface your face and leave your skin feeling clear & brand new. It's an ideal choice for people with Oily/ combination skin.
UnMask - Detoxifying Superfood Mask - This mask combines a blend of potent, organic, raw superfoods with Australian Kaolin and Bentonite clay. It draws impurities out of the skin, replacing them with a unique blend of nourishing, skin-enhancing raw nutrients. When removed it very gently exfoliates and resurfaces the skin to decrease the visibility of age spots and provide a more even complexion.
We also incorporate natural AHA's into our full line of Serums to help maintain a clearer, brighter complexion with daily use: Dream Serum, Dream Serum Rose, Dream Serum L'Orange
Exfoliating is one of our favourite skin tricks, and it really works.
One of the easiest ways to boost your natural glow, help clear up your skin, minimize the appearance of sun damage, and maintain a beautiful complexion is to exfoliate regularly.
Not only does sweeping away dead skin cells, grime, pollution, and makeup residue have the instant benefit of deep-cleaning your pores to make your skin look brighter and feel silkier; it also allows any serums, treatments, and hydrators that you apply afterwards to penetrate deeper and work more effectively.
A clear, glowing face isn't a pipe dream. In fact, sometimes all it takes is a little diligence—and finding the routine that works for you.
Let’s have a look at seven of the best habits you can stick to to keep your skin not only looking great, but feeling great from the inside out!