Simply put, exfoliation is the removal of dead skin cells from the surface of your skin, and there are 2 main ways you can do this – either physical exfoliation or chemical exfoliation.

Physical exfoliation involves the use of granular, gritty type scrubs that you rub over the skin and wash off.

Chemical exfoliation is generally achieved using enzymes and acids through peels or toners, to dissolve the bonds that hold the dead skin cells together on the surface of the skin.

Now, I’m very cautious of exfoliation, and personally prefer the latter – particularly for the skin on the face.

I’ve seen too many skins that over-exfoliate using granular scrubs, leaving the skin irritated, red and sore, which leaves it more likely to become inflamed, dehydrated, reactive and prone to things like telangiectasia (broken capillaries).

Chemically exfoliating the skin instead can gently dissolve the glue that holds the dead skin cells together (as a general rule), and so with careful use I prefer using these to gently exfoliate the skin whilst not being aggressive with our protective barrier.

The best ones for these include lactic acid, salicylic acid and glycolic acid, and all have different benefits including being anti-inflammatory, anti-pigmentation and deeply moisturising.

(If you want to know which would best suit your skin type – ping me over a message to hello@velvetbeauty.co.uk) 

Exfoliating the skin instantly brightens it  – the act itself brings more blood to the surface of the skin, feeding it with more nutrients and oxygen. It also improves the absorption of any other products you put on the skin afterwards!

And… it also encourages cell turnover (which slows down as we age!) and cell regeneration, as well as making your skin GLOW! 

Depending on the product you are using, the strength it is (if using a chemical exfoliant), what skin condition you are treating and more… you generally want to be exfoliating about twice a week on average.

The tendency is to start doing it every day, and some skins

a) don’t need it
b) can’t handle it

I always say go slow and steady with exfoliation. Your skin will tell you when you’re being overzealous with it.

Listen to it!

Any questions, feel free to send me a message, and if you’re liking these tips, let me know with a comment below