Exfoliating your face: Get smooth and clear skin
Just like a snake shedding its skin, your skin continually renews its cells. The skin regenerates itself, and old, worn-out cells are replaced by new, healthy and supple cells.
Exfoliation can support this very process when your skin needs extra pampering and a helping hand to regain its glow and vitality. Here we explain both physical and chemical exfoliation, and how best to cleanse your skin gently.
What is exfoliation?
Exfoliation is a method of deeply cleansing the skin’s pores. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells from the skin’s surface, allowing the skin to renew itself with fresh, healthy cells.
Over time, oil, dirt, pollution and dead cells build up in the pores, and a facial cleanser is not always enough to free the skin so it can breathe freely again. Exfoliation loosens all the residual substances that no longer benefit the skin and boosts the natural regeneration process, leaving the skin fresh, healthy and radiant again.
In skincare there are both physical and chemical exfoliation:
Physical exfoliation
Physical exfoliation includes, for example, face scrubs, which exfoliate the skin using physical grains that manually remove dead skin cells and dirt from the skin. There are both mini exfoliators with a very fine texture and coarser exfoliators, which should only be used on resilient skin.
Chemical exfoliation
Chemical exfoliation is also called a peel, and exfoliates the skin’s outermost layer using acids such as AHA and BHA acids. This technique is an effective and gentle form of exfoliation in which dead skin cells are dissolved and removed from the skin’s pores without manually scrubbing the skin.
Daily Peel 7%
Fragrance-free exfoliating toner with 7 % glycolic acid for daily peeling, gi...
Peeling Mask
Fragrance-free peeling mask with AHA acids that exfoliates with lactic acid a...
Why exfoliation is important for healthy skin
Especially with age, the skin’s natural regeneration slows down, causing dead skin cells, oil and dirt to build up in the pores. This makes the skin rougher and more uneven, and less healthy and radiant.
Exfoliation gives your skin a helping hand with its renewal. By deeply clearing the pores of accumulated dirt, grime and dead cells, you also help prevent skin problems such as blemishes, sebaceous bumps and pigmentation changes.
As the skin renews itself, cell regeneration is activated, reducing fine lines and wrinkles and refreshing and smoothing the surface. This leaves the skin looking fresh, firm and healthy.
How to exfoliate your face
For everyday use, a gentle facial cleanser in the form of a gel, foam, milk or balm is sufficient to cleanse your skin. But a couple of times a week, your skin can benefit from a deep cleanse - both for its well-being and its radiance.
- Start by cleansing your face with a regular facial cleanser
- Then gently massage your exfoliating product around your face with clean fingertips. Avoid delicate areas such as the eye area or areas with wounds or eczema
- Rinse face scrubs and masks off with lukewarm water after a couple of minutes. Toners and serums are not rinsed off.
- Apply the products that benefit your skin most and take advantage of your clean, open pores to receive the effective ingredients. Use, for example, a Moisturizing Mask for intensive moisture or an Energy Serum for elasticity and care.
- Finish with a nourishing face cream and sunscreen with a high SPF
When you exfoliate your skin, you open your pores and prepare your skin for the skincare products that follow. In this way, facial exfoliation is multifunctional: it improves the skin on its own while also increasing the effect of the active ingredients in your serum, the moisture in your cream and the nutrients in your mask.
How do I exfoliate my skin without damaging it?
The skin is the body’s largest organ. When you want to give the skin on your face a helping hand with its natural regeneration, you should also treat it as gently as possible and respect its natural processes and balance.
The grains and active ingredients in your exfoliator are enough on their own to loosen dirt and dead skin cells from your pores. Therefore, avoid pressing the product into your skin or leaving it on for too long, as this can scratch your skin’s surface and hinder its natural ability to rebuild itself.
Also pay attention to your skin type, and choose a mild chemical peel to exfoliate your face if you have sensitive skin. The skin on the body is more resilient, so you can benefit from using a cleansing scrub to combat dryness, blemishes and ingrown hairs on the body.
Always pay attention to your skin’s signals and adjust your use of exfoliation according to how your skin reacts.
Also read: How to get rid of blemishes and pimples
How often should I exfoliate my face
As a general rule, you should exfoliate your face a couple of times a week. However, the frequency and strength of your exfoliation depend on your skin type:
Oily skin with blemishes: Oily skin is often more resilient and can therefore tolerate more frequent exfoliation. Use an exfoliator with AHA and BHA acids once a day or every other day.
See our skincare for oily skin and skin with blemishes.
Sensitive or dry skin: If your skin is more sensitive, stick to exfoliating 1-2 times a week. Choose a gentle peel or mini exfoliator that is not too harsh, and pay attention to your skin’s signals.
See our skincare for sensitive skin or dry skin.
Normal or combination skin: Normal skin benefits from exfoliation a couple of times a week, and if your skin is more resilient and accustomed to it, you can increase your use to every other day. Choose either a peel or a mild face scrub.
See our skincare for normal skin and combination skin.
Shop by skin type here
Important things to know about facial exfoliation
When exfoliating your face, you should pay attention to coarseness, active ingredients, your skin type and how you combine products.
- Physical exfoliation: Your face scrub should be gentle and natural so that it exfoliates your skin’s surface without scratching it or damaging its structure. At ECOOKING, our face scrubs contain fine cane sugar and caring aloe vera.
- Chemical exfoliation: Peels contain active ingredients such as acids or vitamins, which can be too harsh for skin with a sensitive skin barrier. If you are very young, stick to a gentle facial cleanser, and choose a natural and moisturising peel for delicate skin.
- Protection after use: After exfoliation, the renewed skin is more vulnerable. It therefore needs extra protection with both sun protection and a rich cream. Also take care not to use products that are too harsh after exfoliating, so your new cells can rest.
- Overuse: If you struggle with very dry, rough or uneven skin, you may be tempted to exfoliate frequently in an attempt to get your smooth and healthy skin back. Excessive exfoliation causes redness, irritation and possibly small scratches, so be patient - results are just around the corner.
Daily Peel 7%
Fragrance-free exfoliating toner with 7 % glycolic acid for daily peeling, gi...
Peeling Mask
Fragrance-free peeling mask with AHA acids that exfoliates with lactic acid a...
Gentle facial exfoliation from ECOOKING
Perhaps you have tried making a homemade exfoliator on your kitchen counter. Some people use coffee grounds for physical facial exfoliation, while others try cooling yoghurt and cucumber slices on their eyes.
In fact, this technique is very similar to our own at ECOOKING. We use effective and caring ingredients to strengthen the skin’s own balance and give it the helping hand it needs.
Is it gentle exfoliation for clogged pores? Or a moisturising cream for a cracked surface? Our family members are ready to protect, balance and strengthen your skin and its well-being.
See our full range of exfoliators here
