Proper Techniques for Daily Exfoliation

Exfoliating daily is part of a regimen towards healthy, clean, soft skin. There are several steps to this process and they all stem from first recognizing what your skintype is. You may have skin that is dry, normal, oily or a combination of all of the above. For example, some people will have an oily forehead and dry face. Others may typically have normal skin but it’s been sun-damaged. Skin types are as follows (note: the t-zone refers to the forehead, nose and chin):

• Oily Skin: shiny and sometimes tight with large pores and a propensity for blackheads and blemishes.
• Combination or Normal Skin: medium-sized pores, smooth and with good circulation. Sometimes dry around the cheeks and oily in the t-zone.
• Sensitive Skin: thin with fine pores. Prone to broken capillaries and allergic reactions.
• Dry Skin: tight, especially after washing. Shows the beginnings of fine wrinkles, flaking, red patches or dry, ashy buildup
• Aging or Sun-Damaged Skin: tight with noticeable wrinkles, leathery texture and more visible broken capillaries or spider veins

Now that you know your skin type, follow these steps to successful daily exfoliation:
• Select a cleanser that matches your skin’s chemistry, preferably a creamy cleanser over standard bar soap. Wash once at night to avoid skin damage due to over use. Use luke-warm water without soap to clean your face in the morning. Avoid very hot or very cold water as they can cause skin damage.
• Exfoliate the skin through microdermabrasion. Use a quality scrub as cheap ones ofte contain large granules that will damage your skin. Work away the dead, outer layer of skin. If you wear makeup, you can try a toner, but it’s probably not necessary.
• Moisturize your skin thoroughly after the laser treatment to stimulate healing. Using an eye cream around your eyes might improve the health of your skin.
• Apply sunscreen to the treated areas of your body. The sun is the top cause for wrinkles.