Done correctly, exfoliation helps your skin purge dead cells, revealing a better complexion underneath. That magic draws us to the practice but also makes us overzealous. At home, aggressive exfoliation can cause skin damage, irritation and breakouts.

So what kinds of products do the job best? We turned to dermatologists and an aesthetician for answers.

Your cells shed on their own, but they do need help.

Exfoliation happens primarily in the outer layer of your skin, the stratum corneum. The dead skin cells there should shed in a process called desquamation, but it is slowed by a number of factors: hormone fluctuations, sun exposure, vitamin deficiencies and aging. That leaves most of us in need of some intervention. Exfoliation, either mechanical or chemical, accelerates the shedding process, and when done right, reveals healthy skin cells.

Don’t exfoliate severely inflamed skin.

Some skin conditions are worsened by exfoliation. Arash Akhavan, the founder of the Dermatology & Laser Group in New York, tells patients who have inflamed cases of acne or rosacea to skip exfoliation. “Exfoliation inherently causes some level of trauma to the skin, leading to a small amount of inflammation,” Dr. Akhavan said. That irritation would overwhelm skin that is already inflamed from acne or rosacea.