Exfoliating the skin

If you refer to exfoliating your skin, or talk about scrubbing the skin, you still refer to the same thing - the removal of dead skin cells from the uppermost part of the skin. Skin is living tissue, but as it ages it goes through a replacement cycle. It keratinizes and forms the horny layer - also referred to as the Stratum corneum.

on this page Removing dead cells from the skin Cycles of skin exfoliation Be gentle with your skin

Removing dead cells from the skin

The dead cells shed naturally over a period of time, but should the cells not naturally and totally shed, a build-up of dead skin cells results, which then forms dull ashy patches on the skin, or can cause an all-over lack-luster look.

To restore the skin's appearance - and here we are not just referring to the facial skin, but the skin of the entire body as well - you need to manually or chemically remove these dead cells.

To look at chemical removal is a bit on the drastic side, since a good facial scrub and a good body scrub can achieve far better and gentler results, since harsh chemicals can cause problems to the living cells as well.

One thing that a person must look for in a good exfoliating medium is that the granules used are of such a nature so as not to harm the skin, or to cause micro-wounds through the use of sharp edged granules.

In our Dermaxime range, which relies heavily on natural botanical extracts, we used powdered apricot kernels as exfoliating medium, as this gentle granule removes dead skin effectively without causing harm to the skin.

Cycles of skin exfoliation

Some people can be over zealous when it comes to skin exfoliation, and only in cases of extreme skin neglect is it necessary to exfoliate weekly or every couple of days - and then for a very limited time, and normally under supervision of a therapist.

Normal exfoliation can be done every three weeks, although in some cases the time can be shortened to two weeks - but in general, three weeks is a good cycle to look at.

Be gentle with your skin

Your skin is not a greasy dish, and although the whole exercise is performed to remove the build-up of dead skin, the entire action must still be done with gentle care.

The area around the eyes must NOT be exfoliated - this very sensitive area is very thin and does not need to be exfoliated.

Hardier areas, such as your buttocks or legs can be scrubbed with greater vigor, while the more sensitive facial skin should be handled more gently.