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How do you know if you have over-exfoliated and what are the signs of over-exfoliation? Exfoliation can become very addicting that you begin to do it every day. It is so refreshing to see your skin look fresh and young. When it comes to exfoliation, it all depends on timing and how gentle you are on your skin. Before I get into signs of over-exfoliation, I would like to go over what exfoliation is and types of exfoliants. Table of Contents what is exfoliation?

Top 5 Signs Of Over-Exfoliation

How to heal over-exfoliated skin

Conclusion what is exfoliation? Exfoliation is basically removing excess dead skin cells from the skin which results in a more polished, smoother, and clear skin. Exfoliation has become very popular because of its immediate benefits and variety of products available. There are 2 types of ways to exfoliate your skin. You could either exfoliate through physical or chemical means. Physical exfoliation includes using scrubs, oatmeal, coffee, brushes, and sponges while chemical exfoliation includes fruit acids such as glycolic, lactic, malic to mention a few. Exfoliation can become very addicting that you start to exfoliate every single day. This act leads to over-exfoliation which causes the skin to purge. Here are the top 5 signs of over-exfoliation to look out for Top 5 Signs Of Over-Exfoliation 1. Dry skin If you have oily skin, the oils in the skin reduce drastically such that the skin becomes dry and the skin barrier is damaged. The natural moisturizing factors in the skin are also lost and there is nothing to protect the skin. This results in highly sensitized and thin skin that is very vulnerable to sun UV light. At this time, you might want to stay away from the sun and allow your skin to recover. 2. Flaky and rough patches Another sign you would notice is flaky and rough patches that look like the skin is peeling off. This is due to the dryness and irritation from skin care products. Avoid skincare ingredients that are harsh during this time. 3. Shinier than normal Exfoliation removes dead skin cells to reveal newer cells but when you over-exfoliate, the skin begins to shine like never before. It becomes so thin that it easily reflects lights. Staying in the sun will further aggravate the problem. 4. Redness and itch You may also experience redness and tingly sensation. This is because the skin is inflamed by over-exfoliating with chemical or physical exfoliants. If care is not taken, the skin barrier could damage and begins to bleed out. The skin may also become itchy but avoid itching the skin and allow it to recover 5. Irritation and sensitivity Due to over-exfoliation, the skin becomes easily irritated even with the most benign skincare products. Any addition of active ingredients could lead to breakouts. So what if you have over-exfoliated, how do you heal, and recover your skin? Here are my top 6 ways to heal over-exfoliated skin.

How to heal over-exfoliated skin

cleanse your skin

Active ingredients such as retinol, AHAs, BHAs can further irritate your skin. Try to use something simple starting with a cleanser. I would recommend that you wash your face with lukewarm water and allow your skin to rest for some days. But if you have to use a cleanser go for something gentle and mild. I would recommend Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser from Krave Beauty.

colloidal oatmeal

Colloidal oats have been used for centuries to treat different skin conditions such as skin rashes, burn, red and irritated skin. Just pour small amounts of oatmeal in a bowl and cover it with water, wait for 30 minutes. The water from the soaked oats can be used to wash your skin. The oatmeal water contains anti-inflammatory properties that help improves highly irritated and sensitized skin. Use a gentle non-abrasive cotton pad, this is one of my favorite cotton pads from Etude House

Use Fragrance-Free Moisturizer

When it comes to an actual skincare routine, just skip everything. All you need is a fragrance-free moisturizer that contains just simple ingredients. This will help your skin recover and heal quickly. I would recommend Avene Skin Recovery Cream. This moisturizer is so simple it contains 9 ingredients. It gets the job done perfectly and lowers your skin from getting sensitized.

skip sunscreen

I know this may seem shocking and goes against wearing sunscreen every day. But the idea here is to allow your skin to heal and recover. Sunscreen can be a bit too much that the ingredients might be too sensitizing. After your skin is healed, you should get back to using sunscreen but the priority is to, first of all, heal your skin.

Also, make sure during the healing period, you are not over-exposing yourself to the sun. Try to be indoors as much as possible and if you cannot, I suggest wearing sunglasses and using an umbrella.

avoid wearing makeup

Allow your skin to completely heal before wearing makeup. Some ingredients in your makeup can cause skin irritation. If for some reason you wore makeup, avoid removing it cleansing waters, toners, makeup removers, and the others. You can remove your make up with plant oils like jojoba oil.

Patience and avoid stress

Stay patient and avoid stress. Stress can really cause more inflammation and aggravate the redness and weaken the skin barrier. Also, get more sleep

Conclusion

Exfoliation should be done once or twice a week to avoid over-exfoliation. I hope you found this helpful and informative.

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