Estheticians agree that exfoliation is one of the most important, if not the most important treatment one can do for the look and feel of healthy skin. Exfoliation is essentially getting rid of dead, dry skin. As skin cells die, they can leave a residue that won’t flake off naturally. This residue hides the luster and radiance of your skin. When this layer of skin is removed, not only will your skin feel smoother, but it will look younger, too.As we age our ability to produce new, healthy young cells decreases. If we don’t take time to remove the dead cells, it is hard for our skin to maintain its freshness. Exfoliating helps this process naturally. Exfoliating can also resolve other skincare issues such as, blemished skin, post breakout red marks, clogged pores, hyper-pigmentation and dry skin.
There are three types of exfoliating techniques that one can use. The first is manual exfoliation. This entails using a scrub or brush to remove skin cells and can be a bit abrasive if you have acne. The second type is enzyme exfoliation and is the one recommended for sensitive skin. The enzymes used are like those found in papaya or pineapples. Finally, the third type is acid exfoliation. This is suitable for for oily skin or acne and can even heal skin that has been damaged by the sun.
The bottom line with exfoliation is to do it as much as possible, but without irritating the skin. It is usually recommended that exfoliation be done no more than twice a week.
At the school of Botanical Aesthetics students learn exfoliation techniques and how to blend ingredients to make scrubs to be used in exfoliation.