How often should you exfoliate your face is a question that many people have, and the answer can vary depending on your skin type.
We recommend exfoliating your face about two to three times a week. Exfoliating your face has numerous advantages, such as clearing clogged pores, enhancing the production of collagen, and getting rid of dead skin cells.
In this article, I will discuss what is exfoliation and how often you should use it.
What is Exfoliation and What Are the Benefits?
The method of exfoliating your skin involves scraping off dead skin cells. This can be accomplished chemically, with an acid or enzyme, or mechanically, with a physical exfoliator such as a scrub.
Exfoliating has many benefits for your skin, including:
- Improving circulation
- Promoting cell turnover
- Unclogging pores
- Smoothing your skin texture
- Reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Gives you a glowing complexion
Another crucial step in anti-aging is exfoliation. Our skin cell turnover decreases with age, which can result in uneven, dry, and lifeless skin. Exfoliation contributes to the complexion’s brightness and increased cell turnover.
Now that you are fully aware of the advantages of exfoliation, let’s discuss the various kinds of exfoliators.
How Often Should You Exfoliate Your Face?
Your skin type, the products you use, and your surroundings are some of the variables that affect it.
If you have normal skin, you can probably exfoliate two to three times a week. Try exfoliating once a week or every other week if you have dry skin, and avoid using too abrasive an exfoliant.
If you have oily skin, you can exfoliate three to four times a week if your skin can handle it. Reduce the amount of exfoliation if you notice any redness, irritation, or dryness.
If you have combination skin, you can probably exfoliate two to three times a week, but pay attention to how your skin looks and feels after exfoliating.
If you have sensitive skin, you may exfoliate only once a week and see how your skin reacts. For more tips, check our guide on How to Exfoliate Sensitive Skin.
The type of product you use will also affect how often you can exfoliate. For example, if you are using a physical exfoliant, you can probably use it more often than if you are using a chemical exfoliant like glycolic acid.
Lastly, the frequency of exfoliation depends on your surroundings. To get rid of the accumulation of filth and grime on your skin, you might want to exfoliate more frequently if you live in a city with high levels of pollution.
What Could Happen If You Over- Or Underexfoliate?
Signs of over-exfoliationare pretty obvious. Anger, for instance, is a red flag that something is off.
Any visible skin flaking or redness should not result from exfoliation.
These are indicators of skin damage that may worsen over time and result in chronic illnesses like eczema and infections.
Small tears in the skin and broken capillaries may also occur from excessive exfoliation.
But if you don’t exfoliate frequently enough, dead skin will accumulate and can cause dullness, congestion, and a rough texture.
Without adequate exfoliation, other skin care products might also not have the opportunity to penetrate as deeply as they should.
Read More: Should You Exfoliate Eczema?
Conclusion: How Often Should You Exfoliate Your Face
The question of how often to exfoliate does not have a universally applicable answer, as you can see. It is dependent on your needs and type of skin.
If you’re not sure how often you should be exfoliating, talk to a dermatologist or esthetician who can help you figure it out.
FAQs
How Often Should You Exfoliate Your Face If You Have Acne?
If your skin is oily and acne-prone, we suggest upping it to four times per week.
When Should You Exfoliate Morning Or Night?
Exfoliating in the morning will provide you with the greatest results when compared to exfoliating at night.
How Many Minutes Should I Exfoliate My Face?
Do this for about 30 seconds, and then rinse off with lukewarm — not hot — water.
