Written By: Jasmine Amabile
Exfoliation is the act of removing dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. If you’re not exfoliating, there’s a chance the dead skin cells sitting on your skin are causing flaky patches and clogged pores.
Exfoliation can leave skin looking brighter and improve the absorption of topical skincare products, in addition to helping prevent clogged pores.
Now that you know what exfoliation is let’s talk about the two types of exfoliants: physical exfoliants and chemical exfoliants.
Physical exfoliants can be things such as cleansing scrubs, body brushes, and loofahs.
I would recommend Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant for your face, a good pumice stone for your feet, and a loofah or body glove for your body.
The Daily Microfoilant is a rice-based powder that activates upon contact with water, releasing Papain, Salicylic Acid, and Rice Enzymes to polish skin to perfection.
Chemical exfoliants have chemicals such as beta and alpha hydroxy acids and retinol.
Alpha hydroxy acids are water-soluble acids that help work to peel off the surface of your skin for cell regeneration. Beta hydroxy acids are oil-soluble that penetrate deep into your pores to both dry out oil and unclog pores. Retinol is derived from Vitamin A and is used to target aging, acne, and sunspots.
But of course, I would recommend seeing an esthetician who would be most knowledgeable about what would work for your specific skin type and skin concerns. Check out Fenya Abramian at www.guidancetoglow.com.
