Exfoliation 101

Spring is a great time to think about exfoliation to get rid of dry winter skin. This month select facial services that offer exfoliation are on special and Team AG wants to make sure you understand the basics about this very important part of your skincare routine.

Welcome to Exfoliation 101

What is Exfoliation anyway?

Great Question! Exfoliation is the physical or chemical removal of older, dead skin cells that can make the skin appear dull and dry. Physical exfoliation uses a scrub or a tool (like the one used for dermaplaning) to immediately remove dead cells and reveal fresh glowing skin. Chemical exfoliation uses a serum that stays on your skin for varied amounts of time depending on what is being used. The chemical exfoliation will take place over time and promote the growth of new healthy skin cells. Either way (and we suggest doing both, more on that later!) you will get younger, fresher looking skin. What’s not to love about that?

Why should I exfoliate?

Well, we are all getting older, that’s why! And as we age the rate at which we generate new skin cells slows down incredibly. Did you know that babies grow all new skin every seven days?!? No wonder their skin is so soft and plump! Unfortunately adult skin doesn’t turn over nearly that fast which can result in that dry, dull look with some fine lines thrown in just for fun (NOT!). The goal of exfoliation is to stimulate your skin to turn over every 28 days. That’s not quite fast enough to make you look like a baby again, but it will definitely turn back time a little.

Watch the video below to hear Tarrah explain more about exfoliation.

When and how often should I exfoliate?

Estheticians recommend getting a professional facial that includes some type of exfoliation (chemical, dermaplane, microdermabrasion, etc) at least once a month to help promote that 28 day skin cell turnover you just learned about.

In addition to professional facials, you should also be doing some lighter exfoliating at home on a weekly basis to try to get as close to a 7 day skin cell turnover rate as possible. You can use a physical scrub 1 to 3 times per week. And we recommend also using a serum that promotes exfoliation. This can be used twice a week up to every day, depending on what your esthetician recommends.

Spring and Fall are the best times of year to get a little more aggressive with exfoliation under your esthetician’s guidance. In addition to the techniques we just talked about, this is the time to add in a chemical peel.

How do I know which exfoliating products to use at home?

There are so many to choose from, we know! So the best way to choose at-home products that exfoliate is to speak with your esthetician. If you aren’t getting professional facial services with us and you still want to add some exfoliating products to your at-home skincare routine, feel free to ask one of our Guest Experts for help. Just stop by the front desk and let them know what you are looking for.

Homework:

More homework this week (optional, but highly recommended): 1. Schedule a facial with exfoliation and take advantage of the $10 savings on exfoliating upgrades. 2. Pick up a scrub or serum to take home and add to your skincare routine. 3. Be ready with a great answer when your friends ask you why your face looks so fresh and bright!