5 Things Your Mom Never Taught You About Exfoliation

Exfoliation should be an essential part of your skincare routine. Why? From lifting away dry skin to improving blood flow, it can drastically change your skin for the better. 

Want to find out how?

Here are five things your mom probably never taught you about exfoliation, and five solid reasons to start exfoliating today.

1. It Expedites Skin Healing

Did you know that the vast majority of non-invasive cosmetic procedures are designed to cause controlled skin damage?

Yup. It’s true. When you undergo a chemical peel, laser resurfacing, micro-needling, or other such procedures, your provider is essentially tricking your body into healing itself.

Also known as induced non-dermal or dermal skin damage, these are superficial wounds that have a major impact on how fast your skin heals.

As the body’s largest organ and first line of defense against outside invaders, the skin ranks pretty high on the body’s list of priorities. Sloughing away dead, damaged skin causes the body to expedite its cell renewal processes.

So, if you’ve got dark blemishes or patchy, uneven spots, regular exfoliation offers a natural, easy way to start evening out your complexion.

2. It Aids Toxin Removal

Your body’s filter organs largely handle toxin removal. But this doesn’t mean that a toxin-loaded person won’t have troubled skin. Just as toxins are routed out through your waste, they can also exit through your pores.

Exfoliating moves things along by expediting the removal of dead, toxin-loaded cells. This is one reason why people who don’t exfoliate often have dull, tired-looking skin. It’s also important to note that many toxins actually enter the body via the skin in a process known as dermal absorption. Basically, exfoliation allows you to target toxins right where they’ve entered.

3. It Makes Your Beauty Products Work Better

Do you have a favorite cleanser or moisturizer that has suddenly stopped delivering the outstanding results it once provided? If the product manufacturer hasn’t changed its formulation, the problem likely lies with you.

But don’t worry. It’s a quick fix!

Cleansers and other products can’t really do their jobs when you’ve got blocked pores or layers of dry, dead skin on your face.

Once these build-ups have been cleared away, the products that you use to pamper your skin will be better able to deliver skin-supporting nutrients.

4. It Minimizes Breakouts

Exfoliation helps minimize breakouts in a range of ways. Clearing pore debris and removing dead skin cells at the surface layers are but two.

With the right exfoliation methods, you can actually stimulate improved blood flow and oxygen delivery. In certain areas of your face, some forms of exfoliation can even help stimulate stagnant lymph nodes to improve toxin removal, alleviate puffiness, and minimize inflammation and other problems.

5. It Helps Turn Back the Hands of Time

Are you looking for a natural and entirely non-invasive way to turn back the hands of time? If so, exfoliation is a great way to minimize the appearance of superficial fine lines. This comes from increased oxygen and nutrient delivery, better blood flow, reduced inflammation, and healthier, more resilient skin overall.

Skin that’s covered in dry, dead skin cells often has a dull, crepey look. Your complexion will be instantly brighter once it’s cleared away.

 Long-term exfoliation can even have a hand in expediting collagen production, or collagenases. So, if you stick with it, you can look forward to ongoing improvements as you continue to make exfoliation a regular part of your routine.