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Have you ever wanted to exfoliate your face but don’t know how? And do you know you could be picking the wrong exfoliant for your skin? There are different types of exfoliants and lots of products from peels, chemical exfoliants, scrubs, clay masks, and so on. Therefore, choosing the right exfoliant for your skin will help your skin become healthier and smoother.

Think of exfoliation like an onion. When you peel an onion, it reveals the nice smoother, radiant surface that is different from the initial skin type. In this post, I will explain in detail how to exfoliate your face based on your skin type and the top signs of over-exfoliation to look out for.

But first, why should you exfoliate your face?

Top reasons to exfoliate your face

One of the top reasons to exfoliate the face is that it removes dead skin cells. Dead skin cells are cells that lie on the epidermal layer, which is made of cells that produce Keratinocytes. These old skin cells slowly push their way up by newer skin cells where they break away and eventually fall off. The skin does this itself every month meaning that the cell you had the previous month in completely different from the cells you have this month and the cycle keeps going.

But one thing is the skin cannot completely slough off these dead skin cells on its own hence it requires further assistance from us. If we leave it up to the skin to renew itself, it could lead to breakouts by clogging pores. Therefore, helping the skin with exfoliants will help reduce the risk of acne and dull-looking skin.

Now before I go into how to remove dead skin cells with different exfoliants, I would like to address some tips you should know before exfoliating.

tips to know on how to exfoliate your face

Hydration: Lol, I know this probably sounds cliche but it is important to stay hydrated. Drinking a lot of water, eating fruits and having a good amount of sleep helps to boost natural skin exfoliation.

Use a warm towel: Before you exfoliate, try using a warm non-abrasive towel on your skin. This will help open up pores and will make the exfoliants more effective in removing dead skin cells.

Choosing the right product: This is vital to ensure you are not using products that might irritate your skin. So make sure you use a product specific to your skin type

Moisturize: It is extremely important that you moisturize your skin after exfoliating. This will help make your skin plump and supple.

Sunscreen: lastly, don’t forget to apply sunscreens daily. This will protect your skin to sun radiation and reactive oxygen species that damage the skin.

how to exfoliate face based on skin type

1. Foaming exfoliating Products – Ideal for sensitive skin type

Foaming exfoliants will help sensitive skin types because they are gentler and milder on the skin. For sensitive skin type, you have to look for products that exfoliate whilst not irritating the skin. I find foaming exfoliators milder and really gentle.

My product recommendations are:

Green Tea Matcha Gentle Foaming Exfoliator as the name suggests contains Green Tea extracts. Green Tea is one of the most researched ingredients out there, it contains catechins which has antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic properties. This product also includes Glycerin that hydrates the skin. The downside is that it contains fragrance which I personally feel might irritate sensitive skin. However, there are raved reviews on this product talking about its effectivity.

2. Scrub exfoliating products – Perfect for Normal or combination skin type

Normal or combination skin type do not easily get irritated, unlike other skin types. So there are high possibilities to try scrub exfoliating products. Scrub exfoliators are very common and they vary in sizes from salt, sugar, to oatmeal. You can make your own scrub or buy already made from the market. These little grains help to slough off dead skin cells to bring up a fresher, newer cell.

My favourite products are:

YourGoodSkin Energizing Facial Scrub is non-abrasive scrub on the face, might be your best bet if you are looking for a drugstore scrub that is not harsh on the skin. This product is fragrance-free with small silica grains for the scrubbing effect. It contains Bisabolol and green tea extract for an anti-inflammatory and a soothing effect.

Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse-Off Formula is a creamy formulation that contains coconut oil. Therefore, normal or combination skin type would benefit from this due to its creamy nature and ease of removal. It leaves the skin softer and smoother. The silica in this product is very gentle on the skin.

3. Chemical exfoliating products – perfect for acne-prone and Oily skin type

AHA, BHA, and PHA are a chemical way to exfoliate your skin. I have a blog post explaining what these chemical exfoliants are and how they can benefit the skin. You can find out more about chemical exfoliation here. The main difference is in their solubility. AHA is water-soluble which means they work on the surface of the skin while BHA is oil-soluble; they penetrate deep within the skin layer to control the oil level. PHA works on the skin surface as well, perfect for sensitive skin type.

Product recommendation:

Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum is a combination of AHA’s glycolic and BHA’s salicylic acid. The package comes in a hard plastic tube that keeps the ingredients away from sunlight and air. Plus it is a lightweight gel-like texture formula which makes it good for any skin type. With 12% glycolic acid and 1% salicylic acid, this makes the product work on the surface of the skin to reduce dead skin cells as well as penetrate into the deeper layer of the skin to reduce sebum production. It is a fragrance-free product that contains green tea, grape, raspberry as an antioxidant. Overall, this product helps to remove blackhead, improve uneven skin tone and help with clogged pores

Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant as the name goes, comes in a 2% BHA (Salicylic acid) which makes it most suitable for acne-prone skin. The formulation is fragrance-free and creamy in texture to help soothe sensitive areas of the skin. Paula’s Choice claims that this product is perfect for all skin types not just acne-prone skin.

4. Peeling gel exfoliating products – Ideal for Dry or sensitive skin type

Dry skin type can try peeling solutions as peeling gels hydrates while exfoliating. This type of exfoliant comes as a wash off or peeling pads. It is good for dry, normal, combination and sensitive skin type. You gently massage it on the face to slough off dead skin cells

Product recommendation:

The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution presents a 10 minute exfoliating facial that contains 30% AHA (glycolic, citric, tartaric and lactic) with 2% BHA (Salicylic acid). This adds up to 32% exfoliating acids, isn’t that a bit much? Well, the ordinary thinks the percentage in this exfoliating peel is ideal and can also be used as a facial mask. Make sure you do not leave it any longer than 10 minutes just so it does not irritate your skin. It comes with a good mix of hydrating formulae such as water, hyaluronic acid and glycerin.

Image Courtesy of Lovelyskin

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Extra Strength Alpha Beta® Peel is aimed specifically for sensitive skin type. It combines two-step exfoliating pads; the first step is the “exfoliant” while the second step is the “firm and lift” treatment. Another benefit of this peel is that it blends AHA such as lactic, glycolic, malic acid with salicylic acid for skin renewal and diminish the signs of aging as well as improve uneven skin tone.

5. Wash off mask exfoliating products – Ideal for oily skin type

Wash off type of mask such as clay mask can be applied onto the skin and removed within 10 to 15 minutes of application. This helps to remove dead skin cells and improve skin tone. Oily skin type will benefit from this type of exfoliant as it warms the pores and soaks those dead skin cells off the skin. I find oily skin type really tricky and the oil is not usually easy to remove. So for oily skin, I recommend products with low oil such a clay mask.

Product Recommendation:

Cetaphil Pro Dermacontrol Purifying Clay Mask is not only ideal for oily skin, but also for sensitive skin type as well. It is formulated in a thick creamy mask texture that is soothing to the skin. The clay contains Kaolin and Bentonite to help remove excess oil and dead skin cells for a newer and fresher looking skin. I love the fact that it is fragrance-free.

Dermalogica Charcoal Rescue Masque is a cruelty-free product that brings you all the benefit of charcoal with other antioxidants and skin calming agents such as Niacinamide. The activated charcoal in it helps to absorb excess oil and impurities on the skin for a fresher, newer radiant glow.

conclusion

When exfoliating it, very easy to get addicted and over-exfoliate. Read the top signs of over-exfoliation and how to fix it. This will help with a better sense of exfoliation and how to exfoliate your face. Also, it is important to pick the right exfoliant for your skin to avoid irritating your skin

What kind of exfoliant do you use? Please comment down below, I would love to hear from you

Photo by Raphael Lovaski on Unsplash

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