Why You Should Be Exfoliating Regularly
Why You Should Be Exfoliating Regularly
Your body is constantly shedding dead skin cells and creating new ones. Just how constantly is this happening?
Approximately 75-90 percent of the dust in your home is dead skin cells.* So, your body is shedding dead skin cells daily, whether you notice it or not.
The typical response to this dry, dead skin is to rub lotion on it. Think about it, when you notice you have dry legs or dry hands, your first thought is most likely, “maybe I should start applying lotion more regularly.”
But, lotion is not enough. For truly smooth, hydrated skin, without the flaky, dry look, you should exfoliate your skin on a regular basis.
How to Choose an Exfoliant
There are two main types of exfoliation: chemical and physical. And, within these categories there are multitudes of products formulated for different areas of the body.
Chemical exfoliation involves chemically dissolving the “glue” that holds your dead skin cells together. A chemical exfoliation can either be acid based or enzyme based. Acid based exfoliants can further be divided into two categories: Alpha Hydoxy Acid (AHA) and Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA). AHAs, like glycolic acid, are naturally derived from fruits, sugars and milk. BHAs, like salicylic acid, are slightly more abrasive.
Chemical exfoliants are commonly used at home in low concentrations. They can be found in cleansers, wash-off peels, serums and moisturizers. Chemical exfoliants in much higher concentrations are only used in professional treatment rooms.
Physical exfoliation, also called mechanical exfoliation, involves the use of an abrasive substance to “polish” off dead skin cells. Physical exfoliation can be done at home with a large granular substance, such as a coffee scrub. It can also be done at home with an exfoliating sponge, a pumice stone, or a microdermabrasion procedure.
Not all areas of your body should be treated the same – especially when it comes to exfoliation. In other words, you should not use the same exfoliation product on your face that you would use on your feet. The delicate skin on your face might react better to a mild chemical exfoliant, whereas the thick skin of your feet would be better served by a form of physical exfoliation such as as a pumice stone.
Benefits of Exfoliating
Feel Softer
Exfoliants scrub away dead, flaky skin cells, leaving your skin feeling soft and smooth.
Fight Age
In addition to brightening and revitalizing your skin, a good exfoliant can reduce the appearance of fine lines and trick your skin into “acting young again.” As you speed up the process of removing dead skin cells, your body reacts by increasing the production of new skin cells.
Improve Skin Tone
Invigorating exfoliants improve the circulation of blood to the surface of the skin, helping to even and brighten your skin tone.
Increase Absorption
Properly exfoliating better prepares the body for other topical treatments. When you remove the layer of dead skin cells, you allow more lotion, cream or oil to get through and more deeply penetrate the fresh, new layer of skin.
How to Integrate an Exfoliant into Your Skin Care Regimen
As mentioned above, how you integrate an exfoliant into your skin care regimen will depend on what part of your body you’re exfoliating.
There are; however, two important steps you should take regardless of where you’re exfoliating:
- Drink water. Because you are increasing blood circulation and encouraging new skin cell growth, it’s important that you keep your skin hydrated from the inside.
- Apply moisturizer. It’s also essential that you keep your skin hydrated from the outside. Be sure to apply a proper moisture to rehydrate your skin after exfoliation.
The easiest way to exfoliate your body – minus your face – is with a cleanser or scrub that can be kept in your shower. If it’s a mild exfoliant, like ReTone Exfoliating Body Wash, you can use it daily in place of your existing body wash.
The ReTone Method combines a mild chemical exfoliant – a body wash – with a mild mechanical exfoliant – a microdermabrasion sponge. This unique combination allows your skin to receive the benefits of both types of exfoliation without emptying your wallet or experiencing any pain.
*Source: https://www.liveabout.com/what-percentage-of-your-dust-is-actually-dead-skin-cells-3013075