Exfoliation 101

Read on to learn about the benefits of exfoliating!

Exfoliation. What a fancy and sophisticated word, right? It's probably some super complicated and confusing skincare trend. Nah, that's where you've got it wrong. It's honestly super simple to understand. Or... at least it is when we explain it.

So, what even is exfoliation? Simply put, exfoliation is a process of removing dead skin cells and dirt from your skin's surface. Our skin sheds dead skin cells almost every 30 days, and eventually, that leads to an unhealthy buildup on the surface. Exfoliating your skin can lead to so many benefits, which is probably why so many people talk about the importance of doing it. If you're a skincare junkie, you've probably seen multiple posts about different exfoliating scrubs or serums on social media. A lot of influencers rave about it, often doing product reviews of some popular products. Even dermatologists take time to spread the word about why exfoliating is important.

Honestly, exfoliating your skin can make your break your skincare routine. It's important not to overdo it so you don't cause damage to your skin barrier, but you also want to make sure to reap the benefits. Check out some of our other posts on exfoliation and how to do it properly. Today, we are going to talk about why exfoliating is loved by skin junkies and dermatologists alike. We want to go over some of the most important reasons you should add exfoliants to your skincare routine!

Reason #1 - Increases Cell Turnover

So, we just went over what exfoliating does to your skin. Right? Every 30 days or so, our skin will rid of those dead skin cells when those new layers of skin start to generate. When we exfoliate, no matter the method, we are essentially removing that built-up layer of dead skin cells and dirt. Even in the middle of those 30 days, when your skin is in the process of shedding, the exfoliation process will loosen up those skin cells. This will help them to shed faster and help to create room for new skin layers.

So, why should you care about cell turnover? For kids and teenagers, skin cell renewal can take from around 15 to 30. However, here's an interesting fact. Did you know that as you age your skin cell turnover slows down? When that cycle of shedding is delayed, our skin starts to look dull and "dead". Nobody wants that, right?

Reason #2 - Increase Collagen Production

Everyone wants to look ageless, right? Well, exfoliation can take you one step closer to that. When we exfoliate our faces, we are rubbing and stimulate our skin's blood flow. This can bring that blood to the surface and help to jump-start collagen production.

So, how does collagen production relate to our skin? Or looking ageless in general? Let us explain. Collagen is a protein found in our bodies, specifically in bones, connective tissues, and... skin. This protein is what helps our skin to look plump, smooth, and young. However, as we began to age, our collagen production slows down. This leads to our skin elasticity decreasing as well, which leads to sagging skin and wrinkles.

As we said, exfoliating can help us boost and stimulate collagen production. It can keep our existing collagen happy and healthy, while also preventing the breakdown and damage of the protein. This, of course, helps with wrinkles and fine lines, and more! So, look no further to have plump and smooth skin, once again!

Reason #3 - Prevent Breakouts

Oof. We all know what acne is, right? Pimples, blackheads, and bumps galore! Exfoliants can be an absolute game-changer when it comes to this. How? Well, we'll explain. Pimples happen when our hair follicles become clogged. This can happen when dead skin cells and sebum (oil our skin produces to protect against dryness) clog the pore, which is the area where the hair follicle resides. When you exfoliate, as you slough off those dead skin cells and that built-up dirt, you get rid of surface debris. That mixture can clog your pores and harbor an environment for acne-causing bacteria.

Reason #4 - Evens Skin Tone

Hyperpigmentation, dark spots, acne scars... do these all ring a bell? These are all forms of excess melanin. We talked about this concept a lot in some of our other skincare posts. But, let's do a quick recap anyway. To put it simply, it's a pigment in our eyes, hair, and skin. Whenever our skin takes damage, especially from the harsh Sun and other factors, our skin's "self-defense" system kicks in.

When cells are getting damaged or they are unhealthy, our skin is trying to protect itself from damage by creating more melanin. This is going to cause your skin some issues. Sometimes, the skin can produce more melanin in some areas than others. Now, you have dark and uneven spotting on your face.

Exfoliation can help to even out the skin tone and fade those spots and pigmented areas, which will lead to overall brighter skin. So, how does it happen? It's simple. As you exfoliate to get rid of dead skin cells and dirt, you also reduce that excess melanin by shedding those pigmented cells.

Reason #5 - Enhances Skincare Products

Honestly, this is probably our favorite reason why you should use exfoliants. Before you use exfoliants, you might notice that your skin is dull and a bit... dead. Our skin's surface is layered with dead skin cells and dirt that are clogging our pores. After exfoliating, our pores are clear and ready for your other skincare products. Now that your skin is clear, it will work better to absorb any serums and creams you might apply. So, it will basically enhance the effects of your products.

So, that's pretty much it! We've just covered five of the most important reasons you should use exfoliants. It's a powerful process that makes your skin look and feel amazing! But, there's more to learn too! Make sure to keep a lookout for our post on the different types of exfoliation and which one is right for your skin!

Leave a comment down below and share what you've learned.