Exfoliation is a key step in a complete skincare routine, as it works to get rid of dirt, grime, and dead skin cell buildup — but how often should you exfoliate your face, and is it possible to over-exfoliate? Read on for the details.
What Does Exfoliation Do to Your Skin?
Chemical or physical exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells from the outer layer of the skin. Sometimes, a cleanser alone may not effectively eliminate all the dirt and buildup that accumulates during the day, so exfoliation can help clear that and promote new skin cell growth.
Exfoliation is particularly beneficial for blemish-prone skin. The accumulation of dead skin cells and makeup residue can clog your pores, contributing to breakouts and blemishes. By exfoliating, you can keep your pores clear and unclogged, helping to prevent further breakouts.
Removing dead skin cells rejuvenates the skin and contributes to a brighter complexion, and it can even offer anti-aging advantages. Exfoliation triggers skin cell turnover, which enhances collagen production. Collagen is vital for maintaining firm and youthful skin, and regular exfoliation stimulates collagen production — potentially helping to prevent visible wrinkles and fine lines on the face.
Exfoliation has numerous benefits for the skin — but how often should you exfoliate? Let's talk about the best times to exfoliate based on different skin types.
How Often Should You Exfoliate?
While exfoliation has many proven benefits to the skin, it should be practiced in moderation. Normal skin types can generally exfoliate a few times a week, alternating days. That said, how often you should exfoliate does vary based on skin type.
Dry Skin
If you have dry, sensitive skin, it may be best to exfoliate no more than once or twice a week. Despite its many benefits, exfoliating can be harsh on the skin, and may trigger particularly sensitive skin.
Dry skin requires extra hydration, and over-exfoliating can exacerbate the problem by stripping oils from your skin barrier. Over-exfoliating dry, sensitive skin can also trigger redness and itchiness. Keep skin irritation at bay, and, ideally, only exfoliate one or two times per week.
Oily Skin
On the opposite side of the spectrum, oily skin can typically handle more frequent exfoliation than dry skin or normal skin. Exfoliating two to three times per week may be well-tolerated, and it’s best to follow your exfoliation with an oil-free moisturizer.
Oily skin tends to naturally accumulate more buildup in the pores, and thus may need more attention.
While cleansers can do a great job removing a lot of the dirt and grime from the surface of the face, exfoliating goes the extra mile to scrub out the excess oil and dead skin cells from your pores. Exfoliating two to three times a week can help your skin remain blemish-free and smooth.
Combination Skin
For normal or combination skin, exfoliating two to three times a week can still be effective, though twice a week may be the sweet spot. Combination skin accounts for complexions that have areas that are oily, dry, and normal.
Much like individuals with dry skin or oily skin, it’s best to listen to your body’s reaction to determine how frequently you should exfoliate. If you experience signs of irritation, it’s likely your skin’s attempt to tell you that you’re exfoliating too often or too harshly.
What Are Some Key Ingredients in Exfoliators?
When you seek out the best exfoliator to incorporate into your skincare routine, there are certain key active ingredients to look out for in your exfoliating products:
- Salicylic Acid: A BHA (beta hydroxy acid) that is often found in exfoliants and helps to gently slough off dead cells from the skin and improve skin texture.
- Glycerin: A hydrating agent that pairs well in exfoliators to lock in moisture.
- Glycolic Acid: An AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) that is often found in exfoliators, thanks to its ability to effectively clean the skin’s surface and provide anti-aging benefits.
- Lactic Acid: Another AHA chemical exfoliant that effectively removes dead skin cells and grime from the skin, helping to create a more radiant complexion.
- Retinol: A form of vitamin A that works to create more radiant skin, decrease the look of dark spots and blemishes, and minimize the visible signs of aging.
How To Incorporate Exfoliation
Exfoliating at the right time in your skincare routine is a key part of making sure your lineup is effective. In general, your cleanser should be the first step in your routine, followed by exfoliation and a hydrating moisturizer to help prevent dryness and irritation.
Follow these steps for the best results:
Cleanse
Wash your face with a gentle cleanser to remove dirt, makeup residue, and oil from the skin’s surface. This step is crucial, as it helps prepare your skin for the rest of your skincare products and enhances their results.
Our Stem Cellular 2-In-1 Cleanser is a gentle, conditioning formula that removes makeup, deeply cleanses, and helps tone your skin with fruit stem cells and vitamin C.
Exfoliate
Use a physical or chemical exfoliant to exfoliate your skin and unclog your pores, removing excess oil and dead skin cells.
Our Stem Cellular Exfoliating Peel Spray helps instantly exfoliate your skin for a smooth, young-looking complexion. In clinical trials, 100% of participants reported that their skin felt softer, and 83% reported that their skin looked more radiant.
Our Green Apple Peel Full Strength Exfoliating Mask is another great option, and a bestseller for good reason. This exfoliant has clinically validated results — over the course of four weeks, 84% of focus group participants had noticeably healthy-looking, radiant skin. Within just two weeks of use, 100% of participants saw blemish-clearing benefits.
Twice a week after cleansing your face, generously apply the exfoliating mask over your face and neck and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Rinse it off with warm water, and then be sure to apply a hydrating moisturizer immediately following.
Unlike the mask, our Stem Cellular Resurfacing Grapeseed Micro-Exfoliant works as a gentle scrub and is another fan favorite among Juice Beauty customers. This exfoliant helps slough dead skin cells away and replenishes and restores your complexion.
To apply it, simply massage a generous amount onto your fingertips and rub it gently on your face in circular motions. This exfoliant can be used on the face and body, so you can rub it into your face, neck, and body. For an easier time with application, we recommend using this exfoliant in the shower or just rinsing it off with warm water.
Serums
If you have specific skin needs to target, use a serum or lotion with active ingredients to address that next.
For instance, to specifically target blemishes, you might use the Blemish Clearing Salicylic Acid Serum to address areas of your face that typically have breakouts. In trials, 100% of participants saw definite blemish-clearing improvement within two weeks, and 94% of participants saw definite improvement to complete clearing within four weeks.
Moisturize
Immediately following the previous steps, apply a moisturizer to the face to lock in moisture and prevent dryness.
With fruit stem cells and vitamin C, our Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer helps minimize the look of fine lines and wrinkles while boosting radiance. In our study, 100% of participants reported improved skin hydration, 88% reported an improvement in skin tone and radiance, and 88% reported an improvement in the overall appearance of the skin.
SPF
Finally, complete your daily skincare routine by applying sunscreen or a lotion with at least SPF 30. Doing so protects the skin from sun damage and ultimately helps prevent wrinkles and fine lines.
Our SPF 30 Matte Oil-Free Moisturizer helps hydrate and protect your skin’s moisture balance while providing SPF 30 to shield your complexion from the sun’s damaging rays.
Exfoliate Your Way
Exfoliating regularly is an excellent way to make your complexion radiant and slow down the visible signs of aging. Pay attention to your skin’s needs and exfoliate about twice a week to witness your complexion change for the better.
With Juice Beauty, you can enjoy the peace of mind of knowing that your skincare products are made with real ingredients that bring you real results.
All of our products start with our Bio70+ technology, creating a base of at least 70% organic ingredients, creating an antioxidant-rich environment for our potent actives. Our products are formulated with care so that you can achieve your dream skin.
Sources:
Ask the Expert: Does a High SPF Protect My Skin Better? | The Skin Cancer Foundation
How to Analyze Dry Skin vs Oily Skin vs Combination Skin | Scar Healing Institute