Most of us feel that glowy skin equates to healthy skin - this is what many of us strive for! Shining, glowing skin however, can also mean that you are over-exfoliating which should try to be avoided. As an esthetician, I am a strong advocate for regularly exfoliating, but it is important to know how much exfoliation is too much.

Take Your Skin Type into Consideration

Oily skin will naturally appear shiny form excess oil, but dry or normal skin shouldn’t look as shiny.

If you tend to have oily skin, then you would know that shine on your face is inevitable, but for those of us who don’t have oily skin we tend to not be as naturally shiny. Even dehydrated skin (which is different from dryness) can have a shiny, as well as crepey look to the skin. If you tend to have a normal to dry skin type, then you will want to be careful when trying to achieve that glow, as you can over-exfoliate and cause problems. You can tell if you have exfoliated too much if your skin is extra shiny and feels tight.

Why You Should Avoid Over-Exfoliating

Over exfoliation can lead to sensitivity, acne and even pre-mature aging.

Dead skin cells due tend to have a dull look to them and when we slough them away, we reveal fresh looking skin cells that have more of a light reflecting capability to them, which is great! The problem is when we do too much exfoliation and the skin’s natural texture vanishes along with the protective lipid layer. Once this happens you will most likely notice that your skin feels tight. Although, you may view this newfound shine as healthy, it can compromise your skins natural barrier function and lead to skin sensitivities, dryness and ultimately inflammation that speeds up the aging process! Which I know is the last thing we all want. Over exfoliation can also lead to breakouts because when your skins natural barrier is impaired it can’t protect your skin from bacteria intruding and causes breakouts. If you notice more breakouts that aren’t going away as quickly, you could be exfoliating too often.

Exfoliate Regularly but Carefully

The amount of exfoliation your skin needs depend on your skin type.

It can be difficult to know how much exfoliation is too much because it varies depending on skin type and skin conditions. This means that you should always air on the side of caution. If you have oily skin your skin can probably handle a bit more exfoliation while if you have dry or sensitive skin your skin won’t be able to handle as much. First, make sure you choose an exfoliation method that supports your skin type and conditions. For example, sensitive and acne prone skin should for the most part avoid physical exfoliants and stick to mild chemical exfoliants. Oily skin individuals without acne or sensitivities can use both physical and chemical exfoliants. A physical exfoliant should only be used 1-2x per week especially at first. Chemical exfoliant usage depends on the product and its concentration, but if you are testing out a new active product it is best to do a patch test or only use it a few times a week at first to see how your skin handles it.

Chat with your esthetician or consult with a Pomp Beauty Esthetician to learn what exfoliant is best for your skin and how often to incorporate it into your regimen!