Exfoliation promotes and maintains healthy, youthful looking skin.

Once our skin cells mature, they migrate to the surface and there is an exchange of skin cells. As the older cells die, the new cells take their place. Sloughing off the old dead skin prevents build up, so that new cells are the ones that are pronounced and visible. The result is radiant, glowing skin.

As we age, our skin’s functions slow down and our skin’s ability to repair itself becomes slower and slower. This makes it difficult to remove dead skin and produce new cells. Exfoliation aids in this process.

The slow-down of the cell-turnover process produces rough, dry, dull skin. Dead skin cells mixed with topical treatments will not only clog pores, but bring about breakouts, blemishes, comedones, and milias (blackheads/whiteheads).

Our skin is built to naturally facilitate cell turnover. Gently exfoliating the skin aids in the cell turnover process. A properly exfoliated skin promotes good texture, tone, and hydration. Exfoliation allows the skin to absorb nutrients given to the skin in the exfoliation process. Feeding the skin with the right ingredients at after exfoliation will do wonders to the skin.

WHAT IS EXFOLIATION?

Exfoliation is the chemical or mechanical action used to remove dead skin cells from the uppermost layer of the skin – the stratum corneum.

Here are some types of common types of exfoliation:

• Manual exfoliation—uses a mild abrasion to gently remove the dead cells with a gentle scrubbing action. Usually, a gentle cleanser or scrub is recommended.

• Facial masks–serve both as manual as well as physical exfoliation. Masks physically remove the dead skin cells and use gentle ingredients to slough off dead skin cells.

• Chemical peels—utilizes mild acids or enzymes for deep exfoliation of top layers of the skin. Common ingredients include alpha hydroxy acids, beta hydroxy acids and Trichloracetic acids. Chemical peels are generally performed by a trained skin care professional.

BENEFITS OF EXFOLIATION AND CELL TURNOVER

Both skin renewing processes are vital to achieving and maintaining healthy, beautiful skin.

Skin cell turnover:

• Enables elimination of cells that are dead or beyond repair, including pre- cancerous cells.
• Ensures adequate protection – both in thickness/texture and resistance – from environmental toxins.
• Improves appearance by revealing cells that are healthier, hydrated (i.e., plumper) to rise to the surface for a fuller, more youthful appearance.
• Improves skin tone by removing skin cells over-saturated with debris and discoloration.

Exfoliation:

• Removes excess keratinous cells that block absorption of healthy nutrients. Keratinous skin is skin that has become thicker from accumulation of keratin – Keratin is a tough, fibrous protein found in fingernails, hair, and skin
• Exfoliation unclogs pores and aids in ridding the skin of comedones and milias (blackhead and whiteheads). Since there is nowhere for the oil to go, oil produced by the sebaceous glands are trapped in the pores and sealed by dead skin. This produces breakouts, comedones and milias. Unclogging pores allows the oils to lubricate the skin and move on without remaining as another layer on the skin.
• Stimulates skin cell turnover.

Remember…

Gentle exfoliation and natural skin cell turnover give us improved confidence in our skin as our skin looks younger, feels better and is nourished by the nutrients the skin is now able to absorb.

Aiding in hyperpigmentation and dark spots, exfoliants help to break down dead skin while smoothening the overall texture and tone. This also promotes the skin cell turnover process, which replaces older cells with newer cells, creating a more uniformed skin tone.

Exfoliation helps remove the dead skin cells and toxins from the uppermost layer or skin. 

Exfoliation helps oxygen to reach the skin and to improve circulation and detoxification of the skin, promoting a fresh rejuvenated appearance.

Cell turnover also stimulates the skin to produce collagen, reducing the appearance of fine lines and aging.

Make sure to take your exfoliation routine seriously for your freshest face!