Exfoliation, everyone loves it! It’s so satisfying to scrub off those old, dull skin cells that are no longer serving you. Kinda like dropping off a load of last seasons’ clothing donations to your local Goodwill. But maybe you don’t love exfoliating at home because it’s messy or you’re just not sure which kind of exfoliator will achieve perfectly glowing skin and not leave you red or irritated. We can help!
If you’re looking for expert guidance from a trusted spa Cincinnati OH clients rely on, understanding exfoliation is the first step toward healthier skin.
First, there’s three forms of exfoliation: physical, chemical, and enzymes. Physical exfoliation uses tools or abrasive skin care products to slough off old skin cells. Professional physical exfoliation includes microdermabrasion and dermplaning which are some of our favorite facial add-ons for a deep clean. At home options include facial brushes, and scrubs with grit made of sugar, salt, or nut shells to name a few. Scrubs are the most common exfoliators we see on the market today for home care. And we don’t love them. Often they’re just too harsh for human skin. The grit should either be perfectly round or soft to avoid causing microabrasions that can lead to redness, irritation, dry skin, and breakouts.
At our spa Cincinnati OH location, we carefully evaluate exfoliation methods to ensure they support the skin barrier rather than damage it.
Chemical exfoliators are acids that activate cellular turn over and dissolve away the upper skin cells from the surface layer of your skin, the stratum corneum. AHA’s are water soluble acids like glycolic, lactic, and mandelic that are best at treating dry, sun-damaged / discolored, or uneven skin. BHA’s are oil soluble acids like salicylic that can penetrate or by-pass oily skin and clogged pores to help clear acne. We love, love, love these acids to improve texture and tone, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and unclog pores.
Enzyme exfoliators use proteolytic enzymes derived from fruit that dissolve the keratin bonds holding your skin cells together without disturbing your skin’s pH or disrupting your skin barrier. The most popular enzymes are papain (from papaya), bromelain (from pineapple), and pumpkin. Additionally, bromelain has anti-inflammatory properties helping to calm skin and pumpkin is rich in antioxidants and vitamin A & C helping to liven up tired looking skin. Our go-to professional exfoliators at the spa all contain enzymes.
Clients who visit our spa Cincinnati OH for facials often notice how much brighter and smoother their skin feels after incorporating enzyme exfoliation into their routine.
Now that we have a lay of the land for exfoliator options, which is the best for your at-home needs?! As a clean beauty spa our favorites always lie in simple yet effective plant-derived options.
For face exfoliation our all-time favorite is a scrub that provides both physical and chemical exfoliation. It contains soft seeds and AHA’s in the form of extracts including bilberry, sugar cane, and sugar maple all which help to reduce rough skin texture, improve brightness, reduce blemishes, and enhance product absorption. Bentonite clay is included in the formula for the added bonus of purifying the skin by removing pore clogging impurities and debris.
For bikini / brazilian area exfoliation we recommend the same scrub! This is because face and bikini areas are some of the most sensitive skin on the body. Bikini lines need skin smoothing, too! Exfoliating off old skin cells means they’re less likely to become trapped in hair follicles.
This reduces the chance of ingrown hair because the follicle will be open when the hair grows back and tries to emerge from the skin 2 to 3 weeks after waxing. The AHA’s also help to quickly clear post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (the red or brown spots that hang around for months after an ingrown hair heals).
So what’s the best way to exfoliate at home if it’s not your favorite activity? We recommend exfoliating in the shower to contain any messiness. Easy peasy! Don’t forget to follow your exfoliation with the rest of your skincare routine. We retail our favorite exfoliators so pop by for a spa facial so we can give your skin a professional assessment and pair you with the best option to reach your glowy skin goals.