Exfoliating your skin is the best way to ensure that it is as healthy as it should be. You are not taking proper care of your skin if you are not exfoliating it regularly. Regularly exfoliating your skin can make your skin look more youthful, radiant, and clear. The process of exfoliating can help you feel relaxed and refreshed.
What is Exfoliating?
Shedding of dead skin cells every thirty days is a natural process that everybody undergoes. During this process, the dead skin cells get replaced with new skin cells. Although this process usually goes without a hitch, the dead skin cells sometimes don’t shed properly and form dry, flaky patches and clog up pores.
Exfoliating refers to the process of removing these dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. This removal of dead skin cells helps our body make room for new skin cells and provides our skin with many benefits.
Benefits of Exfoliating
There are many benefits to exfoliating, some of which are given below.
1. Exfoliating Unclogs Pores
Dead skin cells and debris can clog up the pores on your skin. And when sebaceous glands produce oil, it gets stuck underneath the skin, resulting in breakouts as the oil is stuck underneath the skin and has no place to get out. Hence, this can lead to the formation of blackheads and whiteheads. These two conditions can be tough to get rid of.
Exfoliating eliminates the problem from the root by unclogging the pores on your skin that have clogged up with debris or dead skin cells. This allows the oils from the glands to get out from underneath, the skin unhindered, and thus prevent whiteheads and blackheads. Exfoliating can also minimize the bacteria on your skin and help increase the speed at which new skin cells are produced.
In short, exfoliating can minimize the risk of breakouts.
However, it is not a good idea to use a harsh exfoliant or scrub the skin on your face/body too hard. Doing this can dry up your skin, resulting in increased production of sebum, which in turn may cause blemished skin.
2. Exfoliating Boosts Cell Turnover
Regularly exfoliating your skin can help boost cell turnover and make your skin look more glowing. Exfoliating makes your skin more radiant by removing any dead, dying, or dry skin cells. Hence allowing your skin to keep healthy and fresh skin cells on the surface.
3. Exfoliating Can Offer Anti-Aging Benefits
As you age, your skin ages with you. As your skin ages, it becomes less elastic and develops rough patches and pigmentation throughout the skin. Regular exfoliating can help break up these hyperpigmented cells and remove the rough patches of dry skin. Regularly moisturizing and exfoliating your skin will make it soft, smooth, and visibly glowing.
Exfoliating your skin can help promote collagen synthesis, allowing it to look tighter and younger. This process also reduces fine lines and wrinkles by improving your skin’s texture and integrity. In the long run, exfoliating regularly can provide you with anti-aging benefits by helping your skin be more firm, polished, and plump.
4. Exfoliating Increases Circulation and Stimulates Lymphatic Drainage
Exfoliating helps increase blood circulation, which is caused by the motion that occurs while exfoliating your skin. Increased blood flow helps our body flush out toxins that can be harmful to us and our skin. Increased blood flow also helps oxygen-rich blood reach your skin, which nourishes your skin and boosts cellular health. This increases the elasticity, glow, and radiance of your skin.
Exfoliating your skin also stimulates lymphatic drainage, which works as a sort of internal detoxification by removing any harmful toxins or debris.
5. Exfoliating Helps Prepare Your Skin for Tanning
Exfoliating your skin before tanning is an important part of the process of getting a tan. Whether you are going for a fake tan or tan under the sun, exfoliating is important in both scenarios. Exfoliating your skin before fake tanning will prevent the tan from going patchy by removing dead skin and making your skin even and smooth.
If you exfoliate before tanning in the sun, it will remove dead skin cells and help the tan last longer and be more even.
6. Exfoliating Can Help Other Skin Products Be More Effective
You might be using some skincare products that are not providing many benefits because of the dead skin cells and harmful debris covering up your skin and clogging up the pores. Exfoliation of skin can help remove these dry and dead skin cells as well as the harmful debris, which will allow skincare products to penetrate your skin more deeply and effectively.
This way, the skin care products you use can provide you with the maximum benefits they have to offer. Ensure that you exfoliate your skin regularly so that you can reap the maximum number of benefits from your skincare products.
7. Exfoliating Makes Skin Tone More Even
Regularly exfoliating your skin can work wonders towards making your skin more even. It can be tough to get rid of skin issues, such as rough skin patches, dark spots, scars from acne, etc. Exfoliation can help you a lot in getting rid of these issues, as it smoothens skin’s texture as well as removes the dead skin cells. It would be best to exfoliate regularly and be patient as the blemishes take time to heal and disappear once you start exfoliating. Over time you will start seeing the difference, as the skin will start looking more even and uniform.
8. Exfoliating Prevents Acne
Exfoliating your skin can also help prevent acne and unclog the clogged pores (a major reason for acne). However, be gentle and light on your skin because scrubbing too hard can harm it and cause other major skin issues.
How Often Should You Exfoliate?
Don’t just exfoliate every day, and listen to what your skin has to tell you, i.e., watch it carefully. If you experience any redness or sensitivity after exfoliating, reduce the frequency of exfoliating your skin. Furthermore, if you have any skin issues, make sure to ask your St George dermatologist for advice before doing anything to your skin.
If you have oily skin, you can exfoliate as often as necessary, but not too much as it might irritate your skin. Lastly, for all other skin types, exfoliating your skin once or twice a week is recommended.
Why Should You Avoid Microbeads?
Microbeads are used widely as an ingredient in exfoliating scrubs. But they have a terrible downside: they contaminate the water supply when they go down the drain. Hence, they are catastrophic for marine life as they mistake these beads for food. Microbeads have even been banned in many states. You can always find alternatives to microbeads on the market and help keep the environment and marine life safe.
Conclusion
Exfoliating the skin is an integral part of any skincare routine, as it can work wonders for the health of your skin as well as help other self-care products benefit you. It is essential to be well educated on the subject of skincare.
We hope now you know how exfoliating your skin works, what its benefits are, and what to avoid doing for the best results. It is advised to consult your healthcare provider or dermatologist to create a personalized skincare routine. Lastly, if you have been ignoring your skin for a long time, it is time to think again and give your skin the time and care it deserves.