You've likely heard us talk about the havoc that over-exfoliating can wreak on the skin barrier - but under-exfoliating can also prevent you from achieving the results you're after. Especially for skin conditions like acne and aging.
As we age, our skin's cellular renewal slows. When this happens the skin can appear dull, textured, dry, or uneven. Exfoliation is crucial to encourage "dead" corneocyte cells to shed from the outermost layer of the skin. This promotes circulation, allows for better product penetration, and assists with collagen production.
Signs You're Over-Exfoliating:
A compromised skin barrier is the classic sign that you're over-exfoliating. This can appear in the way of redness, inflammation, or irritation.
Signs You're Under-Exfoliating:
Dull skin skin is an easy sign that your corneocytes aren't shedding quickly enough, leading to a build up that scatters light unevenly across your face (quite literally the opposite of glowing, glass skin). You might also experience an increase in congestion, whiteheads and blackheads if you aren't exfoliating enough.
Finding a Balance:
Our general rule of thumb is to exfoliate 1-2x a week. This may be more or less depending on your skin condition. Sensitized skin may only need to exfoliate once a week with a gentle enzyme cleanser, while thicker/oilier skin may need to exfoliate 3-4x a week.
When it comes to exfoliation - your skin is the biggest teacher. I can always tell that I need to exfoliate when no matter how thoroughly I cleanse, my skin doesn't feel quite clean enough. Others start to notice small areas of congestion. Sometimes, there's no other way to describe it than your skin just feeling 'blah'.
Exfoliating Musts:
After exfoliating it's important to re-hydrate & nourish the skin. I love using my Environ Hydrating Serum and Anfisa An-Balm after exfoliating. It's also important to be diligent with your SPF the next day.
As always, email us with any questions at hello@faceclubskin.com
xo,
Meg & Nic
