Exfoliate skin how many times

Need a place to start? Shop Dr. Read Original Article. How Often Should You Exfoliate? Share Share Share. What are the benefits of exfoliation? Which exfoliation method is best for me? How often should I be exfoliating? Is it possible to exfoliate too much? Are exfoliants safe for sensitive skin? As a refresher, combination skin is oily through the T-zone with dry cheeks, normal skin has the same amount of oil throughout, and sensitive skin gets red and irritated easily.

According to Vargas , "a versatile exfoliant that is both mechanical removes dead skin cells through friction and chemical dissolves dead skin cells using enzymes or acids is best. It allows you to scrub your problem oilier areas and be more gentle with the drier parts of your face. We also like Juara Radiance Enzyme Scrub , which contains jojoba and bamboo beads that easily slough away dead skin cells, while cinnamon and apple enzymes gently purify pores.

For skin that irritates easily, Dr. Tanzi recommends "very gentle, smooth bead exfoliants just make sure they're not plastic beads, which can harm the environment because they gently remove debris and aren't overly harsh.

Plus, the orange extract is super-invigorating and wakes me up on those mornings when I am especially sluggish. I use it in the shower once a week, and always emerge with a brighter, more luminous complexion. Tanzi, if you have sensitive skin like I do, it's best to use exfoliating toners like P50 one to two times a week. Otherwise, every other day at the maximum for normal and combination skin types. Just as it sounds, a physical exfoliant uses an abrasive substance to actually remove the dead skin cells from the surface of your face.

Chemical exfoliation, such as exfoliating masks or scrubs, uses substances like acids or enzymes to dissolve or lift dead cells off your skin. When choosing what the type of exfoliator you would like to use it is important to consider your skin type [3]. Sensitive skin can be further irritated by harsh exfoliators so it is best to use a product which boasts ingredients like aloe vera and pumpkin enzymes that gently exfoliate and smooths skin.

A good rule to follow is the more intense the exfoliate or sensitive your skin, the less often you should exfoliate. For example, those with sensitive skin may only want to exfoliate once a week but even those with oily skin using an intensive treatment may want to limit to once or twice a week as well.

In addition, specific ingredients can determine how often you should use an exfoliate. Lactic acid exfoliators, for example, are milder and may be appropriate for more frequent use such as 3 to 5 times per week.