To have clear and smooth skin, exfoliation is an essential step. It is a beauty routine to adopt as quickly as possible since it effectively eliminates dead cells accumulating on the surface of the skin. Thus, exfoliating the skin frees the pores to promote oxygenation of the skin and the evacuation of sebum. But that's not all, by removing dead cells from the epidermis, the absorption of moisturizing products and cell renewal will only be favored! Among the exfoliating products, the choice is varied: natural exfoliating products, synthetic agents, exfoliating accessories or even chemical agents, they all allow you to perform exfoliation. You still need to adapt your technique according to your skin type or the area in question, face or body...
This article was updated on 04/08/2023What is an exfoliant and why should you exfoliate?
An exfoliant is a cosmetic product intended toremove excess dead cells present on the skin; but if you know these little whitish films which stagnate on the surface of the epidermis... Because of these, the skin appears drier, devitalized, dull and the pores become clogged by the accumulation of cells. dead skin, sebum and impurities. Blocked pores can lead to skin infection and consequently inflammation, small pimples and even ingrown hairs depending on the area.
It is then important to exfoliate the skin to free the skin pores and thus:- improve theoxygenation skin
- facilitate theevacuation of sebum
- facilitate the penetration and theabsorption of moisturizers
- accelerate the cell renewal consequently slow down cellular aging and therefore the appearance of wrinkles
What is cell renewal?
There skin also has the right to its particular cells, and among them: keratinocytes. Its last ones are located at the level of the basal layer, the deepest in theepidermis and are responsible for cell renewal. Indeed, the epidermis continually regenerates and this turnover is possible via the division of keratinocytes which subsequently migrate to the surface of the skin. When they reach the stratum corneum, they transform into corneocytes, the famous dead cells forming a natural protective barrier for the epidermis. The accumulation of these will gradually lead to their detachment, this is called desquamation.
And that's where theexfoliation comes into play... It makes it easier to get new skin and prevent skin pores from being blocked by excess dead cells!
How to exfoliate?
How is exfoliation done? Face, body, does each part of the body exfoliate in the same way? How often to exfoliate? Oily, combination, damaged or dry skin, same conditions?
Generally speaking, exfoliation is a process that must be done slowly respecting the upper layer of the skin, the famous epidermis. Exfoliations that are too aggressive or too frequent damage the integrity of the skin barrier and thus leave the skin more fragile and sensitive to external aggressions... And there are some! It starts with your tap water, the composition and pH of which are not really suitable for our skin. The climate, whether it is the wind, the cold, the sun, all attack the skin, drying it out and dehydrating it... Not to mention the famous pollution and its share of dust, impurities and other toxins that the skin absorbs and stores in its pores. This is why exfoliation must always be followed by good hydration, one cannot go without the other!
THE face as the body need to be exfoliated. And yes, cell renewal and dead skin are a process that concerns the entire body. However, between the face and the body, certain distinctions must be made, the skin of the face often being much more sensitive. It is important to respect your skin by choosing an exfoliating product adapted to the part of the body or face to be exfoliated.
What exfoliant should I use for my face?
To exfoliate facial skin, this is the skin type which absolutely must be considered. This makes it possible to determine on the one hand the choice of exfoliant and on the other hand the frequency of exfoliation.
- For some normal to oily skin, it is recommended to exfoliate weekly with very fine-grained exfoliating agents such as rhassoul clay or green clay.
Example of use : make a homogeneous paste based on Witch Hazel hydrosol and Rhassoul clay. Exfoliate with your hands using a circular massage.
- For some dry skins, exfoliation 1 to 2 times a week can be carried out using fine exfoliating agents such as baking soda or apricot kernel powder.
Example of use : mix vegetable oil and baking soda in the palm of your hand. Exfoliate with your hands using a circular massage.
- For a overly irritated and sensitized skin, exfoliation is not recommended.
What scrub for my body?
- For'body exfoliation, mechanical exfoliation carried out weekly can be a solution. Exfoliating agents with thicker grains can be used such as sugar, salt, walnut shell powder or exfoliating gloves and sponges.
Example of use : mix in the palm of your hand a tablespoon of vegetable oil and a teaspoon of sugar. Exfoliate with your hands using a circular massage or using an exfoliating glove.
- Special case of horn and calluses
Certain parts of the body like the heels, knees or even elbows react to the daily trauma they experience. This results in thicker and harder skin... In this case, exfoliation can be done daily until improvement using mechanical exfoliating agents and accessories such as exfoliating gloves or sponges. Pumice is also a possible solution, more suitable for heels, used on skin previously softened and moistened in lukewarm water.
Two exfoliation processes: Exfoliation, Peeling, what are the differences?
Exfoliation: mechanical exfoliation process
The elimination of dead cells and impurities can be effective via a process mechanical, that is to say by applying an exfoliant having a grainy texture in circular massage. Mechanical exfoliation helps reactivate blood microcirculation thanks to the granulometry of the exfoliant rubbing the skin. In this way, it participates in the oxygenation of skin tissue and cell renewal. THE mechanical exfoliants are different depending on the nature and size of the grain. They can be in the form of fruit stone or seed powders, salt, sugar, clay, activated vegetable charcoal, baking soda, etc. Mechanical exfoliants can also be in the form of accessories. , we are thinking here of exfoliating gloves and sponges.
Peeling: chemical exfoliation process
Exfoliation of the skin can also be done via a chemical and/or enzymatic action. For so-called superficial peels, chemical exfoliants act by destabilizing the adhesion of dead cells to the skin and their cohesion between them. This makes their elimination easier. They are generally used for face.
Peels can be superficial or much deeper depending on the nature of the exfoliant used and/or its dosage. However, this process requires several steps: preparation of the skin, carrying out the peeling in several sessions, and post-peeling. Different stages requiring advice and guidance from health professionals such as a dermatologist.
Exfoliation: examples of mechanical exfoliants
Natural agents
Some examples :
The criteria to check:
- quality: an exfoliating ingredient must be 100% pure and natural
- the particle size: this corresponds to the diameter of the powder grains, it tells you the size of the grains and therefore allows you to target their uses
- the culture and the process of obtaining
Synthetic agents
While waiting for 2018, nothing prevents us from avoiding cosmetic products whose name “Polyethylene” appears in the list of ingredients, the famous INCI list.
Exfoliating gloves and sponges
The famous loofah or kessa is a glove with a rough surface used to perform a scrub, traditionally in the Orient with black soap. Originally, this glove was made from animal hair but nowadays it is instead made of viscose from plant fibers. Moistened, the horsehair or kessa glove is used as a body scrub, preferably or delicately on the skin of the face.
The one that combines exfoliation and ecology: theKonjac sponge. It is made from the roots of the plant of the same name found mainly in South Asia. It is then 100% natural and biodegradable. It is used on both the body and the face, obviously more gently on the skin of the face. Konjac sponges sometimes combine clays, vegetable charcoal or natural extracts in their composition.Peeling: examples of chemical exfoliants
Fruit acids
- lactic acid, found in tomatoes, honey and even milk
- glycolic acid, present in sugar cane, apricots, grapes and even beets
- citric acid which, as its name indicates, is part of the composition of lemon but also orange or redcurrant
- malic acid which is also found in redcurrants or apples
- mandelic acid, present in bitter almonds
- tartaric acid, present in grapes
Obviously as acids, they make it possible to rebalance the pH of a solution for example. But it is for their exfoliating property that they are interesting here... The connections between dead cells or corneocytes depend on several mechanisms. They are influenced firstly by the links between the corneocytes themselves and secondly by the environment present between the corneocytes called intercorneocytes.
Exfoliating property of AHAs
AHAs intervene at a second level by influencing the composition of the intercorneocyte space (between corneocytes). The acidic pH of AHAs makes it possible to dissolve components serving as attachments between cells. Another way to detach corneocytes from the epidermis...
Moisturizing property of AHAs
Actions of AHAs on cellular aging
Fruit enzymes
- papain in papaya
- bromelain in pineapple
- ficin in fig
- pumpkin enzymes
Their mode of action? It is the proteolytic action of enzymes which is of interest here. Proteoly-what? If we break down this word it simply means to lyse proteins, that is to say to dissolve proteins by the action of an enzymatic agent. The fruit enzymes will then dissolve proteins, but which ones? You know the famous keratin that you hear about all the time? Well it's a protein. It largely gives the epidermis and therefore the skin its protective function. The dead cells that we want to exfoliate are filled with keratin. Under the action of fruit enzymes, the dead cells will lose cohesion and detach one after the other: this is the enzyme-accelerated desquamation.
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