People have been exfoliating as early as ancient Egyptian times. Back then, they had abrasive masks, mineral, and particles to help them achieve glowing skin. Now, we have a wide array of exfoliators with different methods and ingredients catering to different types of skin, thanks to the wonderful human advancement.
TYPES OF EXFOLIATORS
1. Physical Exfoliator
A physical exfoliator is one that has particles or beads in it.
It is the obvious choice for most people, mainly because the grittiness tricks our brain into thinking that it works. However, the scrubbing of particles or beads on our skin can hurt the skin’s layer and cause micro-tears.
In reality, you do not need to scrub your face when using a physical exfoliator. The particles or beads present in the exfoliator will do the work for you. Instead of pushing down on your skin and scrubbing it, you should gently roll the particles or beads on your face.
2. Chemical Exfoliator
A chemical exfoliator is one that contains acid to exfoliate your skin, without all the grittiness. The acid will gently get rid of the dead skin cells, unclog pores and also smoothen the skin, just like a physical exfoliator does.
However, for this to work, it will require the right type of acid for your skin type so be sure you know what your skin type is!
These are generally the kind of acids that will work for your skin, but be sure to do a patch test beforehand:
- Dry Skin: Gentle AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) or BHA (beta hydroxy acid)
- Oily Skin: Salicylic acid
- Combination Skin: Glycolic acid will work on both oily and dry areas
- Mature Skin: Lactic acid
- Sensitive Skin: Lactic acid or enzymatic exfoliants
EXFOLIATE TO GET YOUTHFUL SKIN
When done properly, exfoliators can help you achieve youthful, healthy and glowing skin!
The older we get; the slower the skin’s turnover rate will be. Exfoliating aids in speeding up the skin’s natural turnover rate so that the skin can regenerate cells to give you a healthy glow.
It also unclogs pores, smoothens the skin and gets rid of the built-up dead skin cells.
Other products that you pile on your skin after that can also absorb into your skin better as there are no dead skin cells or clogged pores to block it from penetrating the skin. This means that your toner, serums, and moisturizer can now serve you better as they are effectively working deep under the layers of your skin!
WHEN TO EXFOLIATE
If you have normal, dry or combination skin, you can exfoliate 1 -3 times a week, depending on how well your skin handles the exfoliating process.
For sensitive skin, be sure to only exfoliate once a week, so that your skin will not be irritated.
Exfoliating is important as it can help you achieve healthier and more youthful skin! However, it is important to note that over-exfoliating will cause the opposite effect.
If you exfoliate too often, the skin’s natural turnover rate would be slower, the ageing process would accelerate and your skin will look duller. This is why it is important to ensure that you exfoliate consistently, but do bear in mind how often you do it!
You can get your hands on HYSSES’ Face Scrub series at our retail outlets or eStore!
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