Exfoliation – Why it’s Important for our Skin
Why should we be exfoliating at home as well as during professional facials?
General health and well-being.
Exfoliation is the superficial removal of dry and dead skin cells.
When you exfoliate the face and body you are increasing blood circulation, lymph flow and speeding up the metabolism to drain toxins from our skin.
Exfoliation also helps to break down fatty deposits, which reduces the appearance of unsightly cellulite.
After exfoliating the skin is left feeling smooth and hydrated – ready to fully absorb a lovely moisturiser.
Anti aging and general skin appearance.
Regular prescriptive professional facials and clinical peels are a great and effective way to improve uneven skin tone and the general appearance of our skin and they all involve skin exfoliation.
Exfoliation helps with many common skin problems, including dull and congested skin tone and is also a really effective way to ensure we achieve glowing skin by getting the best results from our precious serums, moisturisers and creams, which can penetrate much more effectively through smooth, healthy skin cells.
Hyperpigmentation.
Pigmentation is term to describe the general colouring of our skin.
Hyperpigmentation refers to patchy, darker skin tone which can be caused by sun exposure, hormonal changes, pregnancy or injury to the skin including acne and general aging.
Regular exfoliation helps to break up these hyper-pigmented cells, encouraging them to fade.
Congestion and blemished skin.
Stripping the skin using harsh cleansers will dry out the skin, possibly causing further irritation and accelerating the production of more oil (sebum) which can lead to more congestion so a gentle approach, involving gentle exfoliation will really help to clear this congestion, reduce build up of bacteria, remove dead skin cells and stimulate cellular metabolism to encourage new skin cells to grow and also help to fade old marks and blemishes.
TIP: Always follow with an application of a gentle, light moisturiser – applied with clean hands of course.
Preparing our skin for a tan.
If you do want to expose your skin to the sun to develop a tan then pre holiday exfoliation to remove dead skin cells will help to achieve an even, longer lasting tan and to give your skin a pre-holiday boost.
Make sure you use a high factor sunscreen to protect your skin and exfoliate at least 48 hours prior to sun exposure. Also, moisturise well after being in the sun.
Fake tanning – the safer tan option 🙂
A good self tanning regime should always start with a body exfoliation.
Removing dead skin cells will give an even, smooth surface to your skin when applying your fake tan and will help to avoid those telltale unsightly uneven patches!
Exfoliation will ensure your tan looks amazing and lasts longer.
TIP: Pay particular attention to elbows, knees, shoulders and around feet, toes and ankles.
Ingrowing hairs
Particularly now that we’re going to be attempting our own home waxing and hair removal, we may experience ingrowing hairs where the hair cannot pierce through the skin as it regrows.
Gently exfoliating this area will remove dead skin and encourage the new hair to break through healthily.
How Often?
Ideally exfoliate once, or at most, twice a week as part of a good home skincare routine for both face and body.
Remember that excessive exfoliation can strip away natural oils so it’s important not to over exfoliate.
Aftercare For Exfoliating:
Drink lots of water.
Apply a good moisturiser.
Do not expose your exfoliated skin to UV rays, sun, sunbed for 48 hours.