Over-exfoliation – When less is more

Skincare routine is a necessary aspect of our life. We sometimes face extreme tiredness and anxiety when we are stuck in a hectic routine. It is the time when you need rest for a good startup and a lively day. In the same way, your skin holds great importance as it is the largest organ of your body. Excess exposure to air pollution and using different makeup products can lead your skin to look dull and grimy. You might have heard from your friends and colleagues that skincare requires a long series of steps including cleansing, scrubbing, exfoliating, moisturizing, using serum and eye creams. But, you might think that how can I manage this long series of skincare in my hectic routine?

It is not necessary to follow all these steps on daily basis. The main concern should be to get rid of damaged skin cells occasionally to brighten up the inner layers of skin which are often masked up by the excess dirt and air pollution. Exfoliation is also the main part of the skincare routine. It is an additional step in your skincare routine that can be attempted twice a week to amplify your results. It removes a build-up of dead skin cells and assists the natural shedding process which tends to slow down as we progress in age.

Correct exfoliating gives a fresh, healthy, and clean epidermal skin surface which leads to achieving good skin and a clear complexion. But, sometimes you can lead to over-exfoliation to achieve dirt-free skin. Over-exfoliation can lead to redness, inflammation, dermal impairment, irritation, burning, and peeling. Over-exfoliation can make the skin dry and flaky and can even develop an uneven patchy skin tone. There is no need to over-exfoliate your skin as it can result in harsh and long-lasting effects on your skin.

Your skin is capable of naturally shedding dead skin cells frequently. It is the organ that exfoliates itself according to an hour of need. This natural skin exfoliation mechanism of skin is called as desquamation process which is a twenty-eight-day cycle in which your skin develops new cells. These cells then mature to form the outer layer and then shed naturally and the cycle repeats itself. This desquamation process slows down when we progress in age. The natural skin exfoliation process can also interrupt due to environmental factors including imbalanced oil production and air pollution.

Always look for exfoliators that match your skin type. There are physical and chemical exfoliants available on the market which you can select according to your skin type. Physical exfoliants include gentle abrasives such as milled rice and spherical particles. You should avoid using non-spherical particles like grains and scrubs for your face as these can cause small micro-tears on your skin damaging the delicacy of your skin. Other than this, if you use chemical exfoliants then alpha hydroxy acids are the best option to consider if you own dry and sensitive skin. If your skin is acne-based and oily, go for beta hydroxy acids such as salicylic acid-based exfoliants. Choose the ingredients which can react with the outer layer of your skin to dissolve the intercellular glue which bonds the dead skin cells.