I once read that " if we are meant to sandpaper our skin it would be made of wood!'
which was a light hearted joke by a dermatologist in response to a patient who had clearly being going overboard with her skin exfoliation!
So how often should we exfoliate?
It depends on your skin type and condition but generally speaking 2 x a week works for most of my clients and also depends if they are using Retinol or not [ an upside down exfoliator , see my blog on Retinol]
There are 2 types of exfoliants in skincare: Physical & Chemical
Physical exfoliants are your 'scrubs'; the ones with exfoliating beads that should be biodegradable if you care about the planet
Chemical exfoliants cause a 'chemical action' on the skin ie they usually contain ingredients like glycolic, lactic acid, salicylic for example which act by detaching the glue like substance that bond our skin cells together. They can actually be a gentler and less abrasive way of exfoliating our skin & also help to reduce inflammation [ salicylic acid in particular]
They also penetrate lower into the skin layers than a physical scrub & encourage new cell renewal
A professional chemical peel will contain some or all of these mentioned chemical exfoliants but in a higher percentage for maximum outcome & fantastic results , your skincare professional will always customise these for you according to your current skin condition
As a rule, the better condition that your skin is in, the better the outcome from a professional peel as your tolerance will be much higher
e.g you will be able to run 10k much more easily if you have been training for it first!
Below are some of my recommended home products that I prescribe for maximum skin health & super clean pores!
