Exfoliation is one of those words that is always thrown around by beauty experts and can be seen as part of the product description on products. Because of how often we see or hear this word, one is left wondering what exactly exfoliation is and how important it is for your skin.

What is Exfoliation?

Our skin is always shedding dead skin cells and allowing new ones to emerge. This shedding process is natural and occurs regularly.

Since it is dead skin that’s on the surface, it makes your skin look dull and ashen. And obviously, a glowing healthy skin is the first step towards beautiful skin. In order to effectively remove the dead skin, exfoliation is required. Through it, the dead skin cells are lifted off and the new healthy and vibrant skin underneath is revealed.

There are two types of exfoliators – physical and chemical. The physical exfoliators are your loofahs, towels or bath washes with grains in them. These use friction to remove the dead cells from your skin. Physical exfoliators are usually used on your body’s skin and not the face. They are generally too rough for the face’s sensitive and thinner skin.

Chemical exfoliators are products that contain a mild acid such as salicylic acid, glycolic acid and lactic acid. These exfoliators work by dissolving the ‘glue’ that holds together the dead skin cells to the newer skin. These are usually found in face wash products. Chemical exfoliators for the face are effective because they get rid of dead skin without the need for rubbing, which is not good for your face’s sensitive skin.

What Do I Need for Exfoliation?

The skin on your face is different to the skin on the rest of your body. This is why you have products for your face and products for the rest of your body. When it comes to exfoliation, your face requires different products for gentle but effective exfoliation as compared to your feet.

For the body, an easy way to incorporate effective exfoliation daily is to use a loofah during your daily bath or shower. These have a slightly rough surface that give your body’s skin a good, but gentle scrub to lift off dead skin and so, exfoliate it.

For the face, on the other hand, a very gentle exfoliator is necessary. A loofah is definitely not a good idea as it will dry out your very sensitive face skin and will cause early signs of aging. Instead, depending on your skin type, a cleanser, face wash or exfoliator will help you get the younger glowing skin hiding beneath.

These home exfoliation remedies are generally very gentle and allow you to have smoother and brighter skin from day to day.

Do I Need to Exfoliate?

The short answer is YES. As mentioned before, dead skin cells are pushed to the top and these prevent the newer skin from being visible. And, as we get older, the process of skin turnover gets slower, which means the older cells start to pile up unevenly on the skin’s surface. This leads to dry and dull looking skin. Exfoliation removes these cells that are clinging on and reveals the younger and smooth skin beneath.

How to Exfoliate

The experts say that when you exfoliate, using a circular motion will help lift the dead cells off your skin, while also being gentle on your skin.

You need to be extra careful when it comes to your exfoliation routine…especially for your face. Some skin types are more sensitive than others. In addition, an exfoliation skincare regimen for oily skin will be different to that of a person with dry skin.

A person with oily skin can help keep blackheads and acne at bay with daily exfoliation. This is because the pores will be cleaned out and clog-free.

For a person with dry skin, gentle exfoliation every other day or once a week should be sufficient. This is because exfoliation can also strip your skin of oils, which can lead to over drying of the face.

You could enjoy your daily shower with these The Body Shop Exfoliating Bath Gloves and have clean and glowing skin every day.