Should You Really Be Exfoliating?

No matter what your skin type is, many people think that exfoliating the skin several times a week is important for maintaining healthy and balanced skin. But is this entirely true?

When we exfoliate, we are essentially clearing away all of our dead skin cells that may ultimately cause our skin to look dull. It is also a way to allow our other products and moisturizers to penetrate the skin more effectively.

Below, we will take a look at some of the pros and cons of exfoliating and then decide if it is really something we absolutely need to be doing.

Pros of Exfoliating

One of the biggest pros of exfoliating is how it unclogs our pores and clears away all those dead skin cells. In doing so, we are also helping to prevent acne, evening out our skin tone, boosting circulation, and stimulating collagen production.

When we leave the dead skin cells to linger on our face, we are clogging our pores, and when this happens, we can then develop those stubborn whiteheads and blackheads that can be a pain to remove.

The dead skin seals the pores, and when the sebaceous glands produce oil, the oil gets stuck under the skin because the pores are clogged, and it has nowhere to go. Exfoliating helps alleviate this problem and keeps the skin clear and free of this debris and excess oil.

Cons of Exfoliating

On the other hand, exfoliation can cause skin irritation as well as red spots, blemishes, and rashes. This happens because of the hard scrubbing motion many employs during the exfoliation process. They want to make sure they are removing all the dead skin, but in doing so, they are rubbing their skin raw.

The excessive scrubbing motion can potentially remove too much of the skin, and when different products are used, the skin may end up developing an allergic reaction to whatever exfoliating agent you are using on your skin.

In addition, you may also experience excessive dryness, redness, and increased sensitivity. This happens when you exfoliate too much, or you rub your skin too hard.

Is It Necessary?

The skin naturally exfoliates every 28 days, so if you are following a good cleansing routine for your skin, then you may find that it is enough. As long as you cleanse the skin thoroughly and purify the skin, exfoliation isn’t always going to be necessary to include in a regular skincare routine.

Meta: Believe it or not, but regular exfoliating may not be required for healthy and youthful skin.