Exfoliating your skin may seem like a simple step in your skin routine, but there’s actually a lot more to exfoliating than you think. Depending on your skin type, exfoliating can be a no-no unless you do it right, so we thought we’d take a look at five things that you should bear in mind before you exfoliate your face.
Timing
Whether you exfoliate in the morning or at night doesn’t make a huge amount of difference…depending on the other products you’re using. For instance, if you use retinol products before bed, exfoliating beforehand would be wise as this can help to increase the effectiveness of the retinol, allow it to get straight to fresh cells, rather than dead ones.
Sensitivity
If you have sensitive skin, it’s easy to think that exfoliating wouldn’t be the best idea as abrasion could make it worse. However, it’s still possible to exfoliate if you have sensitive skin, you just need to think about what you use. Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant is designed for use on sensitive skin and provides effective, non-aggressive retexturisation while increasing hydration and smoothness.
Frequency
With some products, the exfoliation effect is pretty strong, which means it’s only possible to use it on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. There are, however, some products which allow you to exfoliate daily – Dermalogica Daily Superfoliant is a resurfacing, anti-pollution powder exfoliant is a must for those who are concerned about premature skin ageing and the effects of pollution and can be used every day.
Areas
Many people think that the eye area should be totally avoided when exfoliating, because the skin is so delicate, but using gentle exfoliation can be hugely beneficial to this area. Dermalogica Total Eye Care SPF15 smooths and re-texturises the skin around the delicate eye area, helping to diminish fine, dry lines, while a non-chemical sunblock with SPF15 provides non-irritating protection from harmful UV rays.
Products
If you’re trying to keep costs down, you could be tempted to try using your body scrub to exfoliate your face, but this is a SERIOUSLY bad idea. Body exfoliators contain particles which are much larger and could cause damaging micro-tears to your face. Make sure you stick to an exfoliator which is designed for faces only!