Do you feel like you already have a thorough skincare routine yet you’re still experiencing acne, ingrown hairs, and rough, dull, and blemished skin?

If that’s the case, then there may be one step in your skincare routine you’re missing that could help your skin become clearer, softer, and smoother: exfoliation. In fact, adding exfoliation into your skincare routine can be viewed as the key to unlocking all of the other skincare goals you desire to accomplish.

In today’s blog, we’re going to explain 5 ways that exfoliation can transform your skin into the soft, glowing look you’ve been desiring, as well as how to know if you may actually over-exfoliating!

 

1. It unclogs your pores

Exfoliating away the dead and dry skin, along with the other grime and debris that may have been sitting on your face even after cleansing, helps prevent your pores from getting clogged with these particles. The reason why you want to prevent your pores from getting clogged has to do with our next point, which is…

 

2. It helps prevent acne

Acne forms as a result of clogged pores, which occur when sebum and dead skin cells mix in your pores and plug the follicles. The acne then appears as a plugged follicle that is bulging outward on your skin. By exfoliating regularly (about 1-3 times per week), you prevent your pores from clogging and thus prevent potential acne breakouts.

If you consistently have issues related to acne, try these tips.

3. It evens skin tone

Sometimes, no matter how well we take care of our skin, the occasional pimple or two will stubbornly make an appearance, and after it eventually goes away will leave us with acne scarring and discoloration. While it’s a slow process to getting rid of acne scars and hyperpigmentation, exfoliating will gradually help to remove the layers of the scarred and discolored skin, slowly revealing fresher, healthier skin over time. Remember: consistency is key!

Applying a cream that contains Vitamin C will also help to brighten and even the appearance of skin blemishes.

4. It helps other skincare products penetrate deeper

When you have an excess amount of dead skin sitting on your face, it essentially acts as a barrier between your skin and the topical skincare products you apply. Through exfoliation, you remove this barrier and thus allow your moisturizers and cleansers to work much more effectively.

 

5. It gets rid of ingrown hairs

Aside from acne, another skin issue that clogged pores cause is ingrown hairs, which occur when your pores are covered by excess dead skin cells, preventing your hairs from growing out properly and thus forming a little bump where the hair should be coming out from. By exfoliating these areas regularly, you are sloughing off the dead skin cells that are covering your hairs and will prevent any ingrown hairs from forming.

With all of these incredible benefits that regular exfoliating offers, you should exfoliate everyday to maximize these benefits, right? Wrong.

With exfoliation, you can have too much of a good thing. Typically, depending on your skin, it’s recommended to exfoliate 1-3 times per week. If you over-exfoliate, however, there are several skin issues that can start cropping up. Check out our list below of the 3 warning signs that indicate over-exfoliating.

 

1. Increased oil production

Your skin may produce extra oil to compensate for the oil lost from excessive exfoliation. This excess oil can lead to breakouts, so if you find that your skin is becoming increasingly oily from exfoliating and are starting to experience more acne, scale back the frequency to get your oil-producing levels back to normal.

 

2. Inflammation is triggered via a damaged and weakened skin barrier

While exfoliating is great for “unroofing” clogged pores, by exfoliating too often you end up removing too much skin prematurely and leave the skin barrier vulnerable to sensitivity, irritation, and infections from bacteria and fungi.

If you notice that your skin is shiny and almost translucent after exfoliating, it’s an indication that your skin barrier may be damaged.

 

3. Tight and dry skin

If you find that your skin is becoming extremely tight, dry, or even cracking, it’s a sign that you’re exfoliating too much and are stripping away your skin’s natural moisture. If this is happening to you and/or your skin type is dry, dial down the number of times per week you exfoliate and make sure to always apply a heavy moisturizer to keep your skin’s moisture levels balanced and your skin barrier strong.

If you are also cleansing before or after exfoliating, to reduce further dryness you’ll want to use a non-foaming gel cleanser that won’t strip away your skin’s precious moisture and will keep your skin plump and nourished.

When it comes to proper exfoliation, the most important thing is finding the right amount of frequency for your skin! At minimum, you should be exfoliating once a week, and can increase your usage to up to three times a week, depending on how you find your skin reacting to the Yu-Be Foaming Skin Polish over time. Once you find the right frequency for yourself and make exfoliating a regular part of your skincare routine, all of the benefits mentioned above await you with open arms!