Exfoliation is incredibly important when it comes to having healthy, young looking skin. Not only does it give the skin a smoother healthier look by removing deposits of dead flaky skin, it’s also helpful in clearing up and healing several different skin problems. Brushes and scrubs can be great for exfoliation, but they aren’t the only option.
There is a wide variety of chemical compounds and vitamins that gently exfoliate the skin more thoroughly than a brush or scrub can. Here are some of the skin issues exfoliating can help treat, as well as some of the best ingredients to use on your skin to help exfoliate.
Blemished skin/clogged pores: Excess dead skin cells on the surface of the skin can worsen, or even cause blemishes and clogged pores. The dead skin buildup (which is sometimes WORSENED by acne cleansers that dry out the skin) prevents the skin from properly releasing oils, and can cause them to become trapped in pores. Exfoliating can help prevent this, and helps in keeping the skin clean, further preventing blemishes and clogged pores.
Glycolic Acid and Retinol (Vitamin A) are great ingredients to exfoliate, and are both great at breaking down and removing layers of dead skin buildup.
Hyperpigmentation: These brown spots come from a variety of sources, including age, pregnancy, and hormonal changes. As the skin ages, these spots darken and become more visible. Proper exfoliation is essential in breaking up the pigmented cells, fading the visibility of these spots.
L-Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) Is a great option because not only does it exfoliate the skin, it also has skin lightening properties that help further reduce the visibility of these spots. There are also Skin Brightening Serums that contain Glycolic Acid that are great for serving this purpose
Dry skin: Dry skin can increase dead skin buildup on the face, but it also prevents moisturizers from penetrating the skin to heal the dryness. Exfoliation is crucial to removing dead skin in order to allow the skin to absorb moisture and heal.
Vitamin C and Retinol are great exfoliants for this purpose, especially when paired with moisturizing ingredients such as Vitamin E and Hyaluronic Acid.
All of the ingredients listed above are excellent at exfoliating the skin for any purpose. Here’s a breakdown of what they are and how they work:
L-Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) is not only an excellent exfoliant, it also has great skin lightening and anti-aging properties. It also helps the skin resist harmful elements and external stressors. L-Ascorbic Acid is also the most highly researched form of Vitamin C when it comes to skin care, making it an excellent, reliable ingredient to incorporate into your skin care routine.
Glycolic Acid is an alpha hydroxyl acid (AHA) and is found naturally in sugar cane. It has the smallest molecule of any AHA, and thus has the greatest level of penetration into the skin. Glycolic Acid deeply exfoliates, removing dry, dead, and coarse skin by loosening the substances that hold skin together, allowing for deeper exfoliation than scrubbing or brushing.
Retinol is the whole molecule form of Vitamin A, and this form helps it exfoliate the skin thoroughly, forcing the skin to create new cells. Low concentrations of this ingredient are enough to be affective, and people with sensitive skin or those who are new to Retinol should start with lower concentrations first to see how their skin reacts. It is also incredibly effective when paired with collagen-boosting peptides and antioxidants.