Ask Baie Botanique: How Often Should you Exfoliate?
Exfoliating is considered to be a key step in any skincare routine, but what are the benefits, why should you do it, is it suitable for every skin type, and how often should you exfoliate? Read on to find out…
THE BENEFITS
Exfoliating regularly offers lots of benefits to the skin. With regular exfoliation, you can remove dead skin cells which can clog the pores and create dry and dull-looking skin. Exfoliating also encourages new cells to turnover, boosts circulation, and evens the skin tone. This leaves your skin looking bright, glowing, and younger.
As you get older, your skin cells turnover at a slower rate, making exfoliating particularly important as we age. This is because it essentially ‘tricks’ your skin into acting young again, and with continued use, it will look smoother day by day. Exfoliating also works well for younger skin too, giving it a boost and an instant glow.
TYPES OF EXFOLIANTS
When choosing an exfoliator, there are three types - physical, chemical, and enzyme exfoliants. The physical exfoliants are usually scrubs which are more abrasive, the chemical are acids that tend to go deeper and the enzyme are usually from tiny molecules found in fruit that removes dead skin from the surface of your skin. All 3 are effective, but generally, chemical exfoliants offer more benefits to the skin, and enzyme exfoliants are the gentlest.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU EXFOLIATE?
It’s advised that you don’t use a physical scrub more than twice a week, whereas, with products containing chemical exfoliants, many can be applied every other evening or even every evening. If you choose to use a chemical exfoliant, build on this slowly, allowing your skin to get used to the product over time. Chemical exfoliants such as BHAs (Beta Hydroxy Acids) and AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids), are really effective at brightening the skin but can be harsh, so start slow and always follow the instructions. Enzyme exfoliants are the gentlest of all exfoliants and these can be used daily or twice daily.
There are also other gentle methods that can be used regularly with good effect such as;
MUSLIN CLOTH
This can be particularly useful to perform when removing a cleansing product like The Rose + Cupuaçu Enzyme Cleanser to add a little more exfoliation. Use the muslin side of the cloth such as our Dual Action Facial Cloths making medium circular movements over the face and neck with the cleansing product or with only water for a deeper exfoliation.
KONJAC SPONGE
Konjac sponges are ideal for exfoliating dead skin cells, without irritating healthy skin due to their softness. This makes them both safe and effective option for people with both sensitive skin and skin concerns such as rosacea or other dry skin conditions. They work best when used with the Rose Face Wash, the sponge also helps the face wash to lather very well.
With the above methods of exfoliation, you will want to pay particular attention to the most congested areas of the face around the nose and crevice of the skin.
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHEMICAL EXFOLIATION
Containing glycolic acid (an AHA), the Rose Renew Face Cream provides daily gentle exfoliation to increase luminosity and remove dead skin cells. The addition of Rosehip Seed Oil, Rosewater, and Rose Absolute nourish the skin, providing vital vitamins A and C. Co Q10, Squalane, and Rasberry Seed Oil all increase the anti-ageing benefits, reducing fine lines and wrinkles by stimulating collagen production leaving the skin smooth and supple.
Gentle yet effective, this face cream can be used day and night, to keep skin cell turnover going, and deeply nourish and hydrate the skin.
The Rose Renew Regenerating Serum contains several natural exfoliators which explain why it brightens and smooths the skin so well. Kojic acid, which doubles up as a mild AHA along with white willow bark, is a source of natural hydroxy acids that gently exfoliate. The salicin in willow bark is a lipophilic beta hydroxy acid (BHA) that can penetrate skin oil and dissolve blackheads. Willow bark has keratolytic properties, meaning it breaks down dead skin cells, gently exfoliating by dissolving pore-clogging impurities. Therefore Kojic acid also works well as a pore minimiser. Our Face Serum also contains glycolic acid at a lower level than in the Face Cream. Glycolic acid comes from sugar cane and is the smallest AHA, so it's the most effective at getting into the skin.
We combine our willow bark extract (BHA) with glycolic acid (AHA) to reveal the newer, younger-looking cells underneath thicker, more sun-damaged skin. This combination also stimulates collagen and elastin production to minimize fine lines and wrinkles.
The Regenerating Eye Cream uses white willow bark in a far smaller quantity than the Serum, to very gently smooth and brighten the eye contour, without causing any irritation.
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ENZYME EXFOLIATION
The Rose + Cupuaçu Enzyme Cleanser uses Pomegranate enzymes. As the name suggests, they exfoliate using enzymes rather than abrasive granules or acids. Enzymes help break down the keratin in the skin’s upper layers, dissolving and essentially ungluing the bonds between the dead skin cells, causing them to slough off. The enzymes literally digest the dead skin on your face.
SUMMARY
As you can see from the above, different exfoliators can be found across a wide range of facial skincare products from cleansers to eye creams and everything in between. For cleansing products that contain enzymes or acids, we recommend leaving them on for at least a minute so that they can do their work.
Exfoliating can offer fantastic benefits to the skin, and the best thing is, when you use a beauty product with added AHAs or BHA’s, you don’t need to include an additional step in your routine of physically exfoliating with a scrub. For a dual approach to exfoliation, enzymes and acids are frequently used together.
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