Do you Exfoliate Your Skin Regularly?

How Much Exfoliation Is Too Much?

A radiant complexion is possibly the most universal beauty goal, and smooth skin is the easiest way to get there. And yet, the rules of exfoliation are often somewhat opaque – how do you know when you're doing too much? How much is enough, and could you be making your skin worse?

To scrub or not to scrub – that is the question. We all know that exfoliation is the key to maintaining smooth, radiant skin, and yet, it's a topic that inspires fervent debate. Some espouse the benefits of nearly-daily scrubbing, others swear by a chemical combination of fruit acids, and some will tell you that you must only do it once a week.

Indeed, exfoliation presents something of a Goldilocks problem for many. The sweet spot between being kind to your delicate skin barrier and still managing to slough off debris eludes many, and alarming expressions such as "micro-tears" being thrown around certainly doesn't help.

Vogue asked cosmetic doctor Dr Ifeoma Ukeleghe and Beauty Pie founder Marcia Kilgore (Kilgore previously worked as a facialist and launched Bliss) to explain the science of exfoliation. "It's all too common for me to see patients who have really overdone it on exfoliating," cautioned Dr Ukeleghe. 

"I can always tell when that's happened, as the skin looks inflamed, sore, and sometimes it makes

breakouts worse or causes scarring."

 

Should you use a physical or chemical exfoliant?

"In almost every instance, I advise against the use of a scrub," said Dr Ukeleghe. "Generally speaking, the granules or particles used to exfoliate can be very large and irregular in shape, which can cause micro-tears in the skin." Kilgore echoed this fear about tears, adding, "As we all know, inflammation ages the skin, and micro-tears do eventually cause inflammation. That being said, we do use micro-bamboo in our Fruitzyme Five Minute Facial, because it's very soft and perfectly spherical, so it's not abrasive to the skin."

If a scrub feels very grainy or chunky, that should be an immediate no – "Or use it on your body," offered Dr Ukeleghe – but there are a few exceptions. For example, peeling and patchy dryness on the skin, as opposed to dull skin, may respond better to gentle manual exfoliation. "I like to take a two-pronged approach," said Kilgore. "I use a chemical exfoliant first to loosen everything  up, and then a physical scrub to sweep it all away." Any kind of sugar or kernel-based scrubs will most likely be too harsh due to their irregular particle shape and chunky size.

 

How often should you exfoliate?

"I do worry that some of these pre-soaked pads and at-home peels are making it too easy to over-exfoliate," cautioned Dr Ukeleghe. "I've even seen women using these pads up to twice a day! It always leads to to irritated, dry and uneven skin, or scarring, in some cases."

Instead, Dr Ukeleghe advocated for a slow and gentle introduction to exfoliation. "Something like the Ultra Gentle version of the Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel once a week is a good starting point, and you can work your way up to a maximum of three times a week," she advised, adding that both frequency and strength should be tapered in gradually.

Likewise, be wary of any contraindications. "I use retinol every night, which is exfoliating in itself," added Kilgore. "So I don't necessarily need to be adding a strong daily exfoliant on top of that." Dr Ukeleghe agreed, explaining: "If you're using retinol every night, once a week exfoliation really should be sufficient."

 

What exfoliating acid should you use?

 

 

Do you know your azaelic acid from your polyhydroxy acid? Some of the most commonly-found acids in exfoliators are lactic, glycolic, PHA, and azaealic. "I really like azealic acid for rosacea and oily-prone skin," said Dr Ukeleghe. "But something like lactic acid is good for more sensitive skin as it's also slightly hydrating and conditioning."

PHAs, or polyhydroxy acids, are larger molecules than say, glycolic, and so are often better-tolerated that other acids - Exuviance Moisture Balancing Toner is a pro favourite. Kilgore favours fruit AHAs and salicylic acid in the Beauty Pie Plantastic Micropeeling Super Drops, which she says she uses every day.

Glycolic is extremely effective, but also can be sensitising, so Dr Ukeleghe advised working up to it. "I would always recommend using a slightly more conditioning moisturiser after exfoliating to help repair the skin – something like Epionce Medical Barrier Cream or CeraVe Moisturising Lotion."

 

How can you work out what's right for you?

Working out how much exfoliation you need all comes down to understanding your skin type. "I think people often misunderstand their skin type and then get frustrated when they aren't seeing results and so exfoliate even more and just exacerbate things," warned Dr Ukeleghe. "You can have an oily skin type but really dehydrate it by exfoliating too harshly."

If you think you're oily, ask yourself the following questions: Do you need to blot throughout the day? Do you have enlarged pores and fairly regular breakouts? Do you need primer to make your make-up stay in place? If you do, then you may need more exfoliation than a dry skin type. On the other hand, dry and dehydrated skin is generally oil-poor, often looks matte and may go hand in hand with eczema or psoriasis. "If you have dry skin, it tends to be something you've been aware of most of your life," added Dr Ukeleghe.

Oily skin can often withstand more vigorous exfoliation, both in terms of frequency and strength, but it's still advisable to ease into a routine and give your skin time to acclimatise, rather than always searching out near medical-grade products. If your skin is more on the dry or sensitive side, Dr Ukeleghe's advice was to stick to lactic acid or PHA-based exfoliants, and to consult with an expert before really cranking up the volume.

In skincare, like in life, it really is possible to have too much of a good thing. As tempting as it may be, especially on those dull, congested skin days, to throw everything but the kitchen sink at your face, remember that skincare is a marathon, not a sprint. "Don't sacrifice your long-term skin health for a short-term glow," said Dr Ukeleghe. "It just isn't worth it."

Credit: Vogue