Exfoliating regularly will help to encourage soft, smooth skin but do you know how often should you use face scrub or AHA exfoliant? Read on to find out how often you should exfoliate your face.
What are the benefits of exfoliation?
All skin types can benefit from weekly exfoliation. Regularly exfoliating promotes a smooth and even complexion by helping the skin to shed excess dead skin cells. This helps to keep the skin free of congestion and to allows moisturising face creams to permeate the skin with ease.
By supporting skin cell turnover, exfoliation also brings young fresh skin cells to the surface and a good face scrub should be an essential part of a brightening skin care routine.
The benefits of exfoliation for your face:
- Unclogs congested pores
- Improves skin texture
- Increases skin cell turnover
- Helps the skin better absorb moisturisers and serums
- Helps make-up and fake tan products sit better on the skin
However, some care needs to be taken to make sure you’re not over-exfoliating, as this can increase your chances of skin barrier damage or photosensitivity.
These days there’s a choice of facial exfoliators available, including AHAs, retinols and natural face scrubs. In this next section we’ll explain how often you should exfoliate your face using our exfoliating products and share tips for protecting the skin whilst you scrub.
How often should you exfoliate your face?
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU USE AHA EXFOLIATOR?
We recommend using AHA exfoliator one or two times a week. Age Defy+ AHA Radiance Peel Mask features 5 AHAs which work in synergy to exfoliate the skin. Infused with Aloe Vera and a blend of nourishing plant oils, when used once or twice a week, skin feels noticeably smoother and has a velvet soft touch.
Promotes cell renewal and radiance for velvet-soft, glowing skin
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Age Defy+ AHA Radiance Mask 30ml
Most people should leave the mask on for 10-15 minutes each time but those with very sensitive skin might be less able to tolerate the AHA exfoliating action. We advise that those with sensitive skin patch test the product before use and leave it on the skin for just 3-4 minutes at a time.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU USE FACE SCRUB?
You may prefer to use a physical face scrub than an AHA exfoliant. Face scrubs should be used one or two times a week to exfoliate dry, normal and combination skin types.
If you have oily skin or acne-prone skin you may wish to exfoliate two to three times a week to help keep blemishes at bay.
Our organic face scrubs are extremely gentle on sensitive skin, and all contain small, natural exfoliating grains and organic essential oils.
We suggest that those with sensitive skin carefully exfoliate once a week and do not applying too much pressure when massaging the product into the skin.
Skin that is irritated from shaving, sunburn, wounds or allergies should never be exfoliated. This is because the action of rubbing the skin with a coarse ingredient could trigger further irritation and discomfort.
Is it possible to exfoliate too often?
Absolutely yes! Excessive exfoliation speeds up skin-cell turnover to an unhealthy rate.
This damages the skin barrier function and leaves skin feeling tight, sensitive, prone to allergic reactions and acne breakouts and, in the worst-case scenario, over-exfoliating can lead to infection.
If you have accidentally over-exfoliated your skin, then we recommend avoiding any form of exfoliation for two to three weeks to allow your skin to recover.
How to exfoliate your face
1. ALWAYS EXFOLIATE AT NIGHT
The process of exfoliation brings young skin cells to the surface and these can be more vulnerable to sunburn. For this reason, we advise exfoliating at night and applying SPF skin care the following day.
2. CHECK THE GRAIN
Over-scrubbing the skin can cause irritation so it is best to choose a gentle scrub made with small, natural grains. Large grains may tear the skin so are best avoided.
At Green People, we use a variety of ingredients such as AHAs, Bamboo Stem Extract, Bentonite Clay and Cranberry Seed Powder to gently but effectively exfoliate the skin.
Use your face scrub when in the bath or shower or after washing your face with warm water and the warmth will soften any debris and help unclog congested skin.
Apply a pea-sized amount of exfoliator to a damp face and neck and work the exfoliator into the skin using small, circular motions working upwards.
4. RINSE & REPLENISH
Rinse any excess face scrub thoroughly with lukewarm water, taking care not to damage skin capillaries by using water that is too hot. To nourish freshly exfoliated skin, apply moisturiser straight after exfoliation.
Shop natural exfoliators for your face
We hope this blog post helped you work out how often you should exfoliate your face. If you’d like any more information about our natural face scrubs and AHA exfoliator, our friendly UK customer care team can help and can be contacted on 01403 740350.
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