Why Exfoliate?

We have all heard the word exfoliation, but what exactly does it mean, why do we need to do it, what are the different choices.

Let me address all of these for you. 

What is exfoliation?

Exfoliation is removing the dead cells from the layers of your skin to reveal the live cells beneath.

Why do you need to do it?

There are several benefits to exfoliation. 

•  Removing dead cells allows fresh live cells to surface giving the skin back a healthy glow. 
•  Dead cells are dead, and cannot be brought back to life. Products wet down these cells and dry back out. Removing the dead cells allows products to nourish the live cell.
•  Dead cells block off the oxygen to the skin, making it dull, and unable to breathe.  This also contributes to pores filling up and causing breakout.

What are the choices?– There are 4 basic types of exfoliation.                                                                     

•  Scrubs are granular products that are used to buff off the upper layers of dead cells.          
•  Enzymes are mask-like products. They can come from Green Papaya, Pumpkin, Mango etc. The enzymes digest the dead cells within the skin. They are able to penetrate within the skin to eliminate dead cells that are glued in place.                                                                                                                    
•  Alpha Hydroxy Acids(AHA) come from natural sources such as Sugarcane, Sour Milk, Apples, Grapes etc. These burn off the dead cells. Each source has a different molecule size, and this governs how far the acid penetrates or whether it simply exfoliates the surface of the skin.     
•  Beta Hydroxy Acids(BHA) (Salicylic)  is an oil lover. It does exfoliate the surface of the skin, but its greatest benefit is that it is pulled into the oily pores, and exfoliates the lining of those pores. This helps eliminate the Blackheads that are so hard to get rid of.

Now you have some facts on exfoliation, you can see why it is such a useful step in your skin routine, to help you get the skin you want.  You can spend a lot of money on products, but if they never get past the dead cells to nourish the live ones it is just wasted money.

Keep a look out for the next blog… More ways to identify the right exfoliation choice for you and your skin type.

 Catherine Sir, Master Esthetician, Educator, and Certified Reflexologist

As always let me know if you have any questions, or comments on this blog.  You can always reach me at... believable.skincare@yahoo.com

See you next time!!! Catherine