How to Easily Exfoliate from Head to Toe
Sometimes when we wash our face, dab on our favorite toner and then moisturize, we’ll still feel like something wrong. Our skin may feel rough and flaky. But no reason to panic because it may just need some exfoliating.
What is Exfoliation?
In skin care, exfoliation means casting off dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. There are two types of exfoliation methods namely mechanical and chemical exfoliation.
Mechanical exfoliation pertains to physically sloughing off dead skin cells from the skin’s surface by scrubbing the skin with exfoliating skin care tools or your hands.
Meanwhile, chemical exfoliation is the process of using acids, like salicylic acid, alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), or enzymes to chemically break down the buildup of dry skin cells on the surface of the skin and remove them. Chemical exfoliators are often formulated in liquid form and they can also be included in cleansers, serums or creams.
The Benefits of Exfoliation
The aim of exfoliation is to remove dead skin cells from your skin so that new skin can resurface. As you age, your skin’s natural ability to shed dead skin slows down. This can lead to lackluster skin.
It’s advisable to exfoliate regularly to help your skin rejuvenate and recover. You can try exfoliating once a week, and if you feel that it isn’t enough then you can do it two to three times a week. It all depends on what your skin needs.
How to Exfoliate
It’s important to take care of yourself, especially during stressful times. Exfoliating is one way you can pamper yourself at home. In this article, we’ll focus on the mechanical exfoliating process. Follow the steps below for smoother, fresher, and more vibrant skin.
Exfoliating Your Face
Experiment with exfoliants as the one that will work for you will depend on your skin type. You can try St. Ives Oatmeal Scrub or Aveeno’s Positively Radiant Skin Brightening Daily Face Scrub. Put a small amount of product fingers tips and then rub both of your hands together. Apply to your face by rubbing gently before rinsing with warm or cold water.
Creating your own face scrub is also an option. You’ll need 1 tsp of honey, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp of olive oil, and 1 tsp of lemon. Mix all the ingredients together and apply them to your face. Scrub gently for a minute or two and then rinse with cold water.
Exfoliating Your Scalp
You might experience some breakout on your scalp or even heavy dandruff, that’s because we can get so much build-up on our scalp. The build-up can exacerbate inflammation and can even lead to seborrhea which is the condition for greasy and scaly scalp. It’s a condition where dandruff happens. Aside from a good anti-dandruff shampoo, exfoliation needs to be incorporated into your weekly regimen.
Exfoliating your scalp is also conducive to healthy hair growth since it frees your hair follicles from blockages that make it difficult for new hair to get out.
You can exfoliate your scalp with the skincare you already have and you’re already using on your face, or you can make your own scalp scrub at home. You can do this by using 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp of coconut oil, 2 tbsp salt, and 1 tsp of honey. Mix all the ingredients together and apply the mixture to your damp scalp. Let it sit for 10 minutes and rinse off with warm water.
Note that you shouldn’t use your fingernails when exfoliating your scalp. Use the pads of your fingers instead and gently massage the product on your scalp.
Exfoliating Your Body
Exfoliating your body will help you get that glowing skin as it will eliminate build-up, thus, allowing your skin to breathe and better absorb other skincare products. If you choose to do it at night, it’s an effective way to relax your mind prepping you for a good night’s sleep.
To exfoliate your body you’ll need exfoliating gloves or a loofah. Before you hop into the shower, gently rub your dry skin with your exfoliating gloves. After that, get in the shower and shower with lukewarm water. Next, get an exfoliating cleanser and then rub it all over your body in circular motions. Go through your neck, elbows, knees, feet, and back. Rinse after.
Don’t forget to apply lotion or your favorite moisturizer to hydrate your skin.
How Often Should You Exfoliate?
People’s needs vary from person to person. As a general rule of thumb, you should exfoliate twice a month. However, many do exfoliate once a week, while others do more than that. Avoid over-exfoliating especially if you’re using chemical exfoliators as this may lead to irritation and other negative skin reactions. Talk to a physician or your dermatologist if you need guidance on how to safely proceed with exfoliating.