Thursday, July 2, 2009

Beauty Talk: Exfoliation - Part IV- How often should we exfoliate?


In our search for beauty we often forget that skin is a very complicated live organ and is not there to just please the eye. You may think exfoliation is beneficial for your skin and there can’t be too much of a good thing! But be careful: over-exfoliation and aggressive peeling, a strong recent trend among women, can lead to several very negative side-effects. Let’s remember that epidermis – the outer layer of skin - serves to protect the underlying layers and human organism on the whole from microbes and bacteria. It also helps to maintain balanced hydration and function of the skin as an organ. By aggressive exfoliation you can damage epidermis and make your skin vulnerable to invaders. This in its turn can trigger “inflammatory response” in the skin. Damaged epidermis will also cause increased transdermal water loss and result in dehydrated dry skin. In addition, your skin may respond to intensive exfoliation as to an injury and start producing more oil which will result in acne.

That’s why use this beauty treatment wisely. Follow experts’ recommendations to exfoliate 1-3 times a week depending on your skin type. Up to 3 times for oily and normal skin types and definitely, no more than one time for dry and sensitive skin.

Related Posts:
Beauty Talk: Exfoliation - Part II - Mechanical Exfoliation
Beauty Talk: Exfoliation - Part I - Skin Exfoliation
Beauty Review: YSL Exfoliating Lip Balm
Beauty Review: Sisley Buff and Wash Gel
Beauty Review: Caress Evenly Gorgeous

7 comments:

Adrienne said...

I think it's important to remember moisturize after exfoliation. Or vitamin recovery masques etc.

Jessica Allison said...

right on w/ your post- I roll my eyes every time I see a line that carries a "daily" facial scrub! Adrienne also brings up a good point- I love to treat after exfoliating, a nice serum with a light moisturizer is great- remember, without that layer of dead skin, products can soak in and do their job that much better!

Jessica Allison said...

Oh, BTW, I'm following you on twitter now- my name there is OutInAPout (like my website) in case you wonder!

Patrice said...

Great beauty tips! Is there such ways to treat those damage skin due to excessive exfoliation?

Galina said...

@Partrice
Thanks! If skin is over-exfoliated it is dry and its protective barrier is damaged... Sebum and lipids are both responsible for lubricating the skin, creating and keeping up the protective barrier. To rebuild this barrier and build up the moisture level in your skin you need to used special skin care routine. No harsh cleansers or exfoliators. use moisturizers with lipids, emollients and occlisives to lock the moisture in and help rebuild skin's balance.

Galina said...

@Adrienne, Jessica
I always do a mask and then moisturize after exfoliation. You are absolutely right, Jessica, exfoliation makes it possible for the active ingredients to get to those skin cells!

Amanady said...

Learning how to properly wash your face is not just for pre-schoolers. If not done correctly, it causes great damage to your skin. Understand you cannot just wash away acne or razor bumps with hot water and a rough washcloth. Washing just removes oils from skin’s surface. Scrubbing your face may actually make things worse causing irritation to skin and pores. Wash face with hands, as gently as possible. Be careful of over washing.

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