How many times have we talked about facial exfoliation in this blog? And I have been looking for an article explaining what types of exfoliation there are, how they work, for which skins they are recommended… and I realised that there is nothing that talks specifically about that ????.
So here we are on another Sunday to find out all about exfoliation.
WHAT IS EXFOLIATION?
Exfoliation is a process in which we remove dead cells from our skin. Thanks to exfoliation, we will have a much more uniform, luminous, clean skin, free of blackheads and impurities, and the active ingredients that we put on top will penetrate much better. For all these reasons, we should exfoliate at least once a week. If you do not already, do it, I advise you to try it because you will notice huge changes.
As not all skins are the same, not all exfoliants or exfoliation techniques can be the same, so let us take a look one by one.
TYPES OF FACIAL EXFOLIATION
First of all, let us get to know the mechanical exfoliators, those in which the exfoliation is done through a physical process. They are the best known and I am sure you have heard of them. They have a granular texture that is usually salt, sugar, micro plastics, or even crushed fruit pits.
They are used by applying the product on the skin, and with a gentle massage we remove the dead cells and get all the benefits we mentioned before. This type of exfoliation is recommended for all skin types with two big exceptions: sensitive skin and acneic skin with outbreaks, as in both cases it will worsen the skin situation.
My favourite is Scrub & Mask by Filorga, the granule is hyperfine and leaves the skin clean, uniform, and super bright. It should be applied with a small massage, it will start to foam, and we should remove it when the foam disappears, if you try it, you will love it as much as I do, I am sure.
Another type of exfoliants are chemical exfoliants, they are a bit more aggressive than the previous ones as they are made with acids. They work by breaking down the fat that binds the dead cells and in this way, we achieve exfoliation.
There are two main groups, AHAs (alpha-hydroxy acids), which are more suitable for dry skin, and BHAs (beta-hydroxy acids), which are especially suitable for oily skin. These types of active ingredients should always be applied at night and in these cases, it is especially important to apply sun protection the following day, as the skin will be more sensitive and unnecessary spots may appear. And, of course, sensitive skins will have to wait for the next type of exfoliator because they should not use this one either.
The last group of exfoliants are the enzymatic exfoliants, these will exfoliate much more gradually and more gently, so they are the most suitable if you have sensitive skin. They come from fruit enzymes such as pineapple (bromelain) or papaya (papain), aloe vera, pumpkin… and they will help the dead cells to come off in a very gentle and progressive way.
Do you exfoliate your skin regularly? What are your favourite products? Now that you know what facial exfoliation are and which one should be used by each skin type, are you going to renew your skin?
