Why It’s Important to Exfoliate

In the beauty and skincare community, we hear the word “exfoliate” thrown around a lot. It seems like every skincare brand has some sort of exfoliant wash or scrub or mask, but what does it all really mean, and why is it important for our skin?

Exfoliating is removing the layer of dead skin cells from the skin's outermost surface. Sounds gross right? But what’s even grosser is letting that dead skin hanging around. Exfoliating allows the healthy skin to receive more moisture, oxygen, and nutrients. That means you will have glowier softer skin, and who doesn’t want that!

There are different types of exfoliants for different parts of your body and each part of your body will benefit in a different way. Let’s start from the top and work our way down shall we?

If you have sensitive skin, are acne prone or are taking medications for your skin please consult your dermatologist prior to trying any of these tips.

Facial Exfoliation: Exfoliating your face will help with breakouts, signs of aging and application of makeup, it will also help your skincare products do their job better. You can exfoliate your skin through face washes, masks or with an exfoliating tool. Your facial skin is quite sensitive, so make sure you aren’t to rough on it. Regular facial exfoliation will have your skin looking and feeling more youthful in no time. For more information on facial exfoliation click here.

Torso Exfoliation: Exfoliating your chest, back and arms will leave you with smoother skin that can absorb your moisturizer more easily. You can exfoliate these areas using an exfoliating scrub, exfoliating soaps, or exfoliating shower tools like a bamboo back strap, exfoliating shower gloves or a bamboo shower mitt. Utilize any of these items during your shower, moisturize after and your skin will feel as good as new!

Hand Exfoliation: Our hands are treated pretty roughly and can get a little rough sometimes. Exfoliating the hands will make them softer and help the cuticles from tearing. You can use exfoliating soaps or DIY hand scrubs or you can opt for a premade hand scrub like this one.

Leg Exfoliation: We all want silky smooth legs, but it seems like they are only truly soft right after you shave them! Exfoliating will help you maintain that feeling longer by allowing moisturizer to penetrate the skin deeper. Similar to your upper body, you can use exfoliating soaps and scrubs on your legs or use an exfoliating mitt. Always exfoliate before shaving, as your skin can be quite sensitive after.

Foot Exfoliation: If there’s any place on your body that needs deep exfoliating, it’s your feet. Our feet are used and abused every single day, especially in the summer. Keep your feet looking nice and feeling great by exfoliating. While the bottoms of our feet are quite tough, the tops can be very sensitive. Opt for a light scrub or exfoliating soap on top and use a more intense exfoliant on the bottom. You can maintain soft feet by using a foot paddle or a pumice stone weekly and moisturizing regularly. If your feet are in serious need of some care, try a foot peel mask.

Different parts of your body will need exfoliation more often or more vigorously. Maintaining full body exfoliation will leave you will smooth skin all over and will also help you achieve a more even tan both naturally and from self-tanner or spray tanning. Using a dry brush is also very beneficial for your skin and has many health benefits. Learn more about the benefits of dry brushing and the proper technique here.

An important step in achieving soft skin is to keep it nourished and hydrated. Once you’ve exfoliated it is crucial to put some moisture back into your skin. Argan creams, aloe-infused creams and shea butter creams are all great for getting your skin moisturized and feeling great.

Now that you have all the tips and tricks, it’s time to add exfoliating to your skincare routine. Happy scrubbing!