Exfoliation 101: What You Need to Know, So You Don't Scrub Your Face Off

I am about to date myself here – but those of you that recognize the struggle, come on in for the hug. Long gone are the days of St. Ives Apricot Scrub, sitting with your feet in the bathroom sink; one hand scrubbing your face, the other on the record button of your cassette player, waiting for that slow jam you requested to play to your crush, on live radio. You paid more attention to the radio, and suddenly, you realize you scratched half your face off! So, so annoying. Oh well, tomorrow we will use the Noxema and Oxy pads. If it doesn’t burn – it ain’t doing anything, amirite?

Yikes. I cringe at the thought of those days.

Thankfully, many of the smart people my age decided to become the geniuses of my generation and find better ways to take care of our skin – and just in the nick of time. As many of us have watched the laxity and years change the surface of our epidermis, our understanding and improvement of skincare has grown exponentially, and helps us prevent, maintain or improve our outer brain shells. To that point and a moment for digression – have you seen on Instagram or TikTok, the videos that have the audio that says the 70’s and 80’s babies looking younger than some of the others out there, born later? It is true – skincare advances have improved our overall skincare game, and the ingredients we now use are markedly more advanced than the days of Olay and Pond’s.

With that being said I wanted to talk a little bit about exfoliators; what types there are, which ones are right for you and how/ when to use them. Despite being so many options – there are SO MANY options. It is hard to discern the right product for our individualized terrain of tissue. Good news is – I am an accidental aficionado – I have enough information to be oddly useful. It is impressive, but not something I would rely on at parties to impress people. Because I don’t go to parties. So here I am, spilling the beans for passersby, to put in your proverbial pocket for future use – whether it be to help you find a better product than ground up stone fruit pits to grind into your pores, or better yet- slap it out of some poor soul about to make a mistake and take a tube home from the Walgreens. Either way, this one’s for you. In the words of one of my favorite actors...

"Alright, alright, alright"...let's go!

The Unfortunate Truth About our Skin Cycle and the Hopeful Future

So, sad news – as we age, our skin’s ability to turnover and produce glowy, beautiful and youthful looking skin starts to deteriorate – the older we get, the harder it is for our skin to make new skin cells at the same rapid pace it once did when we though Limp Bizkit was the best band, EVAR. Does that make you feel good about yourself? Here’s some more depressing facts about slowing skin cell turnover – it is one of the main culprits of wrinkle development, uneven texture, clogged pores and acne. If you weren’t already sad, you’re welcome. Yet there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You see, we (meaning other sciencey, lab humans) have known about this for quite some time, and also knew that we could see a marked improvement of the surface of our skin if we helped it a little bit by removing the dead skin cells and help produce new skin. And I will give them an “A” for effort, but the products they put out are somewhat embarrassing by today’s standards – thank goodness for epidermis evolution.

Now, we have a myriad of products that contain a plethora of ingredients, percentages and various methods of exfoliation – how do we choose the right one? Let’s take a closer look at the various types of exfoliators to give you a better handle.

Chemical vs. Physical (a.k.a Mechanical)

The main categories of exfoliators break down fairly simple: chemical exfoliators and physical exfoliators. Chemical exfoliators are often made from types of acids which are in liquid form. Some examples of chemical acid exfoliators you might have heard of: AHA/glycolic acid, BHA/ salicylic acid, lactic acid or PHA . The gist is – these exfoliators help remove skin cells by essentially breaking down the ‘binders’ that hold the skin and other impurities in and on your face. Over time and usage, the consistent application of chemical exfoliators leaves your face with a pretty glow without scratching your skin. There are many chemical exfoliators out there, and it is important to note how to pick the best one for your beautiful face; we will go into that, later. Overuse or too high of a concentration of a chemical exfoliator can irritate – even burn – your skin.

Physical exfoliators, also known as mechanical exfoliators – are just that – they can contain bit of fruit pits, microbeads, sugar or salt – even hand held brush devices are in the realm of physical exfoliators. Many of these products are quite useful so long as they are used properly, however – it is a delicate line between proper use and abuse. Often we think that if we press harder, or grind the product deeper into our skin it will work better, but the truth is – many of the physical exfoliators micro ingredients can have microscopic, sharp edges – and when used improperly – can put tiny tears into your skin. This in turn, can leave your skin susceptible to infection, and for some, can exacerbate an already annoying condition.

How to Choose the Best One for You

Now that we have an idea of the difference, how do we know we are making the right choice? *In my Ursula voice* - my dear, sweet child, it’s what I do, it’s what I LIVE for…

First, we have to understand our skin; each of our lovely skin landscapes is unique to our environment, age, hormonal or health balance. What we eat or drink, where we live, our levels of stress all play a part in our skin’s health. And while there are a bazillion different combinations that could impact our skin’s health, picking the general best option for ourselves isn’t that difficult.

If your skin is normal to dry or even combo or oily, you could get away with almost any of these options; chemical exfoliates like AHA/BHA or lactic acids also help the skin with moisture retention, and offer the glowy look almost immediately after use. Additionally, these acids help with removing impurities, so if blackheads are an issue, these exfoliators would be great for your skin. There are many to choose from out there, but when it comes to efficacy and price, The Ordinary takes the lead, in my opinion. My fave products from this brand are: 5% Lactic Acid Peel, The Ordinary’s BHA (purple) peel and the 7% Glycolic toner. Not to be used all at once, these products can be incorporated into your daily skincare routine – with the exception of the BHA peel – that one I would recommend only once per week, to start. My one rule when employing any new product into your skincare regimen is this – TEST IT, FIRST. Try a little patch of skin on your face (your neck tends to be more sensitive, your hands, useless) and see if there is any reaction. From there, you can gradually add in, up the frequency and even consider having a higher percentage chemical peel exfoliation done at a medical spa or your fave esthetician’s office (we will cover that, in another blog).

For skin that is more oily – I would note that salicylic acid would probably be the better option of all, as salicylic acid is a fantastic ingredient to combat acne and control sebum, in addition to getting rid of the extra dead skin cells. In time, consistent use will produce clearer, healthier skin.

In the realm of physical exfoliates, I would simply warn of a few things; people who have sensitive skin or experience acne breakouts – when using a washcloth or a mechanical face brush like this one – using clean products and keeping them clean is extremely important. Without properly caring for your tools and devices you can invite bacteria into the mix, possibly causing more harm than good. With products that have micro abrasion pieces mixed into the serum or cleanser, avoid heavy handed cleansing, and target mainly the areas which give you the most grief. Gentle, circular motions will allow the product to do its job effectively, as nowadays these products are designed to be workhorses with minimal heavy-handedness. Otherwise, those who experience a great deal of debris build up – a physical exfoliate is great to incorporate, every so often. And – surprise- I do have one in my arsenal and it is a repetitive purchase! If you read my Trashed 2022 blog – you will see that one of my faves of 2022 made the list. I use it about once a week to help keep my black head’s at bay, and the microbeads are gentle, yet effective. See, I bet you thought by now I was anti-physical, but I am not. At least, not with exfoliators.

When To Use an Exfoliate

Once you have determined you are not having any adverse effects, you can incorporate your new-found friend into your skincare regimen starting once a week for some, daily for others. Depending on the percentage, glycolic and salicylic acids can be used once a day 10% glycolic/AHA and 2% salicylic/BHA is pretty much the running industry max for over- the -counter products, and they are effective. My recommendation would be to incorporate them into your AM skin routine. These products play well with Vitamin C and other products/serums. Do not use in combination with Vitamin A/tretinoin/retinol, as it could cause your skin to be more irritated. As far as the heavier hitters in the chemical realm (like the 10% BHA) relegate those to once per week, maybe twice at the most, if you have built up a tolerance. You will grow to understand your skin more as you develop a routine.

For physical exfoliants, wash cloths, mechanical devices can be used on the daily, using gentle pressure and motion, and cleansed after use. Products that contain micro beads or pieces of exfoliates can be used 3-4 times per week, so long as they are gently applied. I would not recommend using a mechanical appliance and a physical/mechanical product combined - that may be a little too harsh for even the toughest of skin.

So, there you have it – enough to get you started, right? If you want to know more, let’s keep the conversation going; comment below or shoot me an email, and I would be glad to help. Otherwise, signing off from this blog has made me strangely excited to head to the bathroom stick my feet in the sink, play some 90’s station from Amazon. #stivesparaeva

XoXos,

Jackie