Exfoliation is the theoretical fountain of youth.
In the world of skincare and health, Anti-aging protocols focus on one major factor which is exfoliation. For the body and mind, this may be called detoxing. Either way, the objective in aging gracefully is to get rid of anything damaged or harmful on the body. In this post I will focus on why exfoliating the skin on your face will keep you young.
Exfoliation is the removal of dry/dead skin cells on the surface of the skin and is one of the most important aspects of your home skincare routine for face and body. Exfoliation not only helps many skin problems, it also increases blood circulation, which in turn helps you to achieve healthy and glowing skin.
As we age, the process of cell regeneration slows down. This means that the body is slower to shed skin cells and generate new ones. When old skin cells start to pile up on the surface of the skin, it can leave skin looking dull, rough, and dry. Furthermore, the build-up of dead skin cells can result in excess oil and clogged pores, leading to blemishes and acne.
Proper exfoliation removes the barrier of dead skin cells clogging the skin and uncovers fresh new cells below. This opens the way for moisturizing products to penetrate more deeply into the skin, which makes them more effective. In short, a regular exfoliating routine will leave your skin looking fresh and healthy.
There are many ways to exfoliate. The most common form of exfoliation is physical exfoliation, or mechanically removing superficial layers of the skin. This can be done with a drybrush, clarisonic, or with exfoliating cleansers containing sugar or salt crystals, ground up pits or seeds or any other small abrasive particle. It is important to make sure the scrub has uniform sized beads in a smooth sphere to avoid micro tears on the skin.
Chemical exfoliation involves peels or products containing a form of alpha hydroxy acids and/or beta hydroxy acid that dissolve the glue around the skin cells, hastening the shedding of several layers of the epidermis. Other topicals such as retinol, salicylic, and benzoyl can trigger cell turnover and clean clogged pores.
It doesn’t matter which method you use, but you are never too old to stay young via exfoliation.