I believe exfoliation can make drastic changes to people’s skin – sometimes positive other times unfortunately not. The key with exfoliation is choosing the right product but more importantly the right product for your specific skin needs.
Why exfoliate?
Our skin naturally renews or exfoliates itself and this process is happening all the time. When we are young this happens every 28 days but as we age it starts to naturally slow down.
Ageing along with many other factors can impact the skins ability to renew itself effectively. Some of these factors include water intake, cosmetic product use, professional treatments and your daily environment. These personal factors that impact your skins renewal make it vitally important to pick an exfoliant that will work best for you.
When used correctly exfoliants should help stimulate cell turnover, brighten skin, help prevent congestion and help with overall cell regeneration playing a key part in your anti-age programme.
What’s the problem?
Over exfoliation can leave your skin fragile, dry, parched, open to UV damage, flaking and reactive. If used incorrectly it can exacerbate oily/acne skins and make all skins more prone to ageing. Our skin is an organ designed to protect us. Any products that we choose to use on it should respect this organ and help support its natural functions – not take over. This is the fine line between positive and negative results.
What’s available:
• Acid exfoliants – glycolic, lactic, salicylic etc. Helps loosen top layers of dead cells allowing products to penetrate more effectively. Can help increase cell turnover. A very popular method and can be very beneficial for ageing skin but best avoided unless specifically prescribed to you. Acids used correctly can be great for your skin. Over use of acids could accelerate ageing and cause sensitive dehydrated skin.
• Grain exfoliants – best avoided unless specifically prescribed for you by someone who has analysed your skin.
• Enzyme exfoliants – a gentle way to lift superficial dead cells. Generally safe for all skins.
