Gentle but Effective: How to Exfoliate Without Damaging Your Skin
Exfoliation is a tricky topic to cover because how you incorporate exfoliation into your skincare routine is going to look different for everyone. Some will use a daily exfoliation fluid or serum, some will only use a weekly mask, and some will work some of these items into their routine 2-5x a week. The key is to use this type of skincare to soften skin, remove debris, and help your skin function healthily.
So here I am with my best guide to properly incorporating exfoliation into your routine! Questions? Comment below and I’ll answer them for you💡
scrub me secret: Exfoliation is actually one of the least important parts of your at-home skincare routine. You more so want to focus on having the right cleansing products, proper toner for your skin, and serums and/or moisturizers that work for you. Exfoliation definitely adds benefit to your skincare routine, but it is not the answer to your skincare issues. Some of my clients don’t even have an exfoliant in their at-home routine; they just get their exfoliation done during facials. And that’s totally fine!
What Exfoliation Actually Does for Your Skin
We use exfoliation products to soften our skin, making it stronger, healthier, and brighter. Exfoliating products loosen and remove dead surface cells and debris that builds up in your pores. Exfoliation also increases microcirculation in the skin, helping to make it stronger and more radiant from the oxygen and nutrient flow that you receive.
Since exfoliation creates cell turnover and is very stimulating for the skin, you can end up damaging your skin’s barrier and your live skin cells if you overdo it. When it comes to exfoliating your skin, less is more if you desire results of smooth, healthy, soft skin.
scrub me secret: Boosting circulation in the skin is one of the keys to aging well. The more blood flow, oxygen flow, and nutrient flow your skin has, the healthier it will function and look. think firmer, more luminous, and soft. Since we don’t want to exfoliate daily, or too often
Types of Exfoliants: Chemical vs. Physical
Chemical Exfoliation:
Chemical exfoliation means to loosen and remove dead skin cells and debris, and create cell turnover using enzymes, alpha hydroxy acids, poly-hydroxy acids, or beta hydroxy acids. Each of these acids has different properties, some with more oil-clearing benefits, others with more brightening benefits, and some with softening benefits.
Read my blog post on chemical exfoliation for a full breakdown on all these skincare ingredients.
Physical Exfoliation:
This type of exfoliation is when you use a scrub product to remove dead skin cells, loosen debris, and promote circulation. Physical scrubs come in the form of jojoba beads, microplastic beads (no thanks!), crushed seeds, dried and crushed plant extracts, or loofah. There are also exfoliating facial brushes made from bamboo, horsehair, or silicon. I like silicon facial scrubbers best out of all those materials; they are gentle and easy to clean.
scrub me secret: For facial scrub products, you want something with a super fine grain if you’re choosing a product that uses seeds of dried plant extracts (such as grapeseed) because you don’t want any sharp or jagged edges to cause micro tears or other barrier damage. Jojoba beads are also a nice option because they are soft and round and don’t pollute like microplastic beads do.
How Often Should You Exfoliate? (It’s Probably Less Than You Think)
The thing about exfoliation is that if you overdo it, then you’re essentially doing the opposite of what you set out to do. Too much stimulation on your skin’s barrier and too much cell turnover will make your skin dry, flaky, red, itchy, and/or textured. Each skin type is different, so I can’t give you an exact number or days or times a week you are supposed to be exfoliating, but you probably need to exfoliate less than you think.
Here are general guidelines on how often you should be using exfoliation products
(Most should only have one of these items in their routine):
Gentle AHA, Salicylic, or Fruit Acid Fluid: 3-7x a week
AHA, BHA, or blended fluid that’s 2% or higher: 2-4x a week
Facial scrub: 1-2x a week
AHA, BHA, or Enzyme Mask: 1-2x a week
scrub me secret: I suggest having no more than 3 cell turnover products in your routine (and honestly, if you only have 1, that’s great). This includes retinoids, AHAs, scrubs, PHAs, and BHAs. And if you do have 3 types of exfoliants/cell turnover products in your routine (ex: retinol, salicylic acid, glycolic acid) you won’t want to use all the items on the same night. You will cycle them in your weekly skincare routine. Read this blog about skin cycling for all the info.
Read this blog post on over-exfoliation for more information on this topic and remedies for over-exfoliated skin.
Custom Exfoliation Routines by Skin Type
Here is what I would suggest if you were a client with balanced, non-irritated skin, and someone who’s consistent and happy with their skincare routine but doesn’t use any exfoliation.
scrub me secret: a monthly or bi-monthly facial is another perfect way to give your skin an effective, professional exfoliation. Your esthetician will choose a specific enzyme mask or other exfoliation method to soften and treat your skin. And then your skin will be rebalanced with calming and hydrating products. Hello, smooth and fresh skin!
For Dry Skin Types - Weekly facial scrub and/or a gentle AHA fluid every other day.
Antioxidant Powder Scrub & Nourishing Serum Pair
This exfoliating facial paste is the perfect scrub for dry or mature skin. Honestly, it’s great for congested skin too!
Using this as a once-weekly exfoliant after you cleanse and before toner and moisturizers will make your skin softer, more radiant, and healthier.
Josh Rosebrook Daily Acid Toner
This toner contains a small amount of AHA and fruit acids. They aren’t at a high enough percentage that daily use would result in over-exfoliation, but more sensitive skin types might want to use this every other day instead of daily.
Use this fluid after cleansing, before applying serums and moisturizer. It keeps skin bright, healthy, and soft.
For Acneic Skin - Weekly AHA/BHA mask -or- BHA serum 3-4x weekly
Herbivore Blue Tansy Mask
Acneic skin and skin with congestion will benefit from a mask with both AHA and BHA. This type of mask can control oils while also softening the skin and helping diminish debris in the pores.
Treating your skin to this BHA mask once a week after cleansing and before moisturizing will help reduce breakouts over time and even out your complexion.
True Botanicals Clear Repair Serum
Instead of a weekly mask, you could opt for a serum that contains AHAs and BHAs. This type of serum controls oil, reduces pore buildup, and evens out the overall tone.
You would use the serum after cleanser (and toner if you use it) and before moisturizer in the evenings.
For Oily and/or Congested Skin - 1-2x weekly facial scrub and/or 3-5x weekly exfoliating serum or fluid.
Josh Rosebrook Enzyme Scrub
This enzyme exfoliator is a combination of physical and chemical exfoliation. Ground walnut shells provide a physical scrub that buffs away dead cells, sloughs off debris, and creates that circulation boost that we want. Fruit enzymes in the product loosen and help dissolve debris in your pores. Making it great for skin that gets congested with blackheads easily.
Use this once a week for softer skin that won’t hold onto blackheads and congestion as easily.
scrub me secret: I use this exfoliant in the treatment room with steam to prep my clients for extractions. Remember, if you need blackhead or whitehead extractions, leave it to the professionals! You don’t want to damage your skin by trying to pick at or push out your own congestion.
True Botanicals Enzyme Fluid
A gentle exfoliating enzyme fluid dissolves dead skin cells, debris in the pores, and gives your skin a small boost of microcirculation that helps it to stay firm and healthy.
Using a fluid like this a few times a week in conjunction with a weekly physical scrub is such a great combo for congested skin. The physical scrub helps buff away debris and keep your skin firm and healthy while this fluid softens debris in the pores and helps them to stay tight and blackhead free.
You would use this fluid after cleansing a few times a week AM or PM, before moisturizer.
Herbivore Blue Wave Serum
This 2% salicylic acid serum is the perfect choice for those who are congested with high oil production. Salicylic acid helps to control oils while loosening and removing debris that clogs pores.
Depending on skin resiliency, oil production, and other skincare in your routine, you would use this daily or every other day. Serums go after cleanser and toner and before moisturizer.
For Mature or Delicate Skin - Weekly AHA/PHA mask and/or lactic acid serum 3-6x weekly
True Botanicals At-Home Facialist Peel
This blended AHA/PHA/BHA mask is a great at-home treatment option for those looking to preserve their skin and help it look even, youthful, and healthy. PHAs are a super-gentle exfoliating acid, which is perfect for more delicate skin. AHAs in this mask brighten and increase the circulation we want. A small amount of BHA clears the pores of any debris without taking away all your natural oils that you need to keep your skin soft.
Using this mask every 7-10 days is a great way to refresh and rejuvenate skin.
scrub me secret: This would also be a great option for acneic skin types or dry skin types.
Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Serum
Lactic acid is one of the best chemical exfoliants for delicate or dry skin. That's because lactic acid helps our skin retain hydration while it works to soften and remove dead cells.
This lactic treatment can be used every other night or a couple of times a week in the PM after cleanser, toner, and any serums with a thinner consistency. Say hello to softer, more hydrated skin!
For Skin Brightening - Daily gentle fruit acid or PHA fluid, and once weekly AHA mask
Josh Rosebrook Daily Acid Toner
This daily acid toner was one I listed above in the dry skin section! It’s a perfect product for daily use because of its low percentage of AHAs and fruit acids. These fruit acids have brightening properties that help work on pigment caused by sun damage and pigment caused by breakouts. Consistent use of a gentle product like this should yield results within a few weeks.
This pairs really nicely with a weekly brightening enzyme mask. This can be your daily gentle exfoliation, and the mask can be your deeper treatment. Use this toner once a day before serums and moisturizer.
The Inkey List PHA Toner
Another good option for a daily brightening fluid! PHAs deliver into our skin super slowly, making them a more gentle exfoliating ingredient. PHA can brighten the skin and give it an overall luminous glow by creating gentle cell turnover.
Like the acid toner I listed above, this pairs really nicely with a weekly brightening enzyme mask. This would be your daily gentle exfoliation, and the mask can be your deeper treatment.
PCA Skin Revitalizing Mask
Papaya fruit enzyme naturally contains AHAs that gently eat away dead and dry skin cells that make our skin look dull. This enzyme can also help address pigment caused by the sun and breakouts. Since this is a little bit more of an aggressive treatment vs. the fluid I listed above, your skin gets a big circulation boost from all the exfoliation; great for healing!
This mask feels a bit tingly and spicy while using it, and your skin will look flushed or pink after using it. This flushing lasts for only a few hours, and then your skin looks healthier and brighter in the following days. I recommend using this mask in the evening (once every 7-10 days) before moisturizer.
If you’re in a place with your skin where it feels tight, dry, flaky, or bumpy, you should first make sure you are not overusing exfoliants like scrubs, AHAs, BHAs, or enzymes. Then, assess your cleanser, toner, and any other facial products and make sure they don’t contain irritants (see this blog for skin irritants or red flag ingredients).
Finally, look at your skincare routine and make sure you have a good balance of hydration and moisturizing products among your cleanser, toner, moisturizer, etc. If all your items seem good and your skincare routine is balanced, then you’re good to go to add an exfoliant. But you first want to make sure it’s not irritation, allergy, or a sensitized barrier causing the dryness or texture.