EXFOLIATE!

Are you wondering why your skin isn't responding to your expensive serums and creams?  Is soft, smooth  skin an urban myth?  Unless you're a newborn babe with virgin skin, you may have to add a few tweaks to your skin care regime.  If you seem cursed with epidermal-sandpaper, it may be result of not exfoliating as often as you should. You should exfoliate your facial skin about twice per week (actinic skin should consult with their Dermatologist for the recommended amount). Body-skin should be exfoliated 2-3 times per week, using a combination

Think of your skin as a screen door. If the screen is clogged and the tiny holes are blocked, NOTHING will penetrate....nothing, nada, yilch! The same logic applies with skin. The epidermis is constantly renewing itself, turning over millions of new skin cells each day. If not properly sloughed away, these cells will accumulate and build-up onto the skin and prevent your precious serums, creams and sunscreen from penetrating and doing their job properly. 

Here's the low-down on slough: There are 3 types of exfoliators....."Mechanical" (scrubs), "Chemical" (acids such as Papaya Enzymes (an AHA) or BHA'a such as Salicylic Acid, and "Manual" (sonic-type machines or soft-stone scrubbers used during pedicure treatments).  Determine your concerns or problem areas, and assess which scrub will work best for that specific area.

MECHANICAL EXFOLIATORS:  When using granular scrubs on your face and neck, make sure the exfoliating beads are spherical and not jagged as in scrubs containing crushed apricot pits as their mechanical ingredient, for example. If the scrub feels scratchy, it will damage your facial skin by causing micro-abrasions. The skin on the face differs from, say, the skin on your arms or legs, so feel free to use these more abrasive scrubs on your limbs (in moderation), but not your face. If you have acne, nix the granular scrubs all together, they will cause irritation.  Beta Hydroxy chemical exfoliants, such as Salicylic acid, work best best for actinic skin *

PANTRY-ITEM EXFOLIATOR:
Good-old baking soda is an exfoliating WONDER! Combine the soda with your favorite mild cleanser (I like Cetaphil) until you have a pasty consistency (add a few drops of water, if needed, to thin out a bit). Massage the mixture into wet skin, in circular motions, for THREE minutes. Soda granules are sherical and make an excellent exfoliant...your skin will be soft and sloughed.  HOWEVER, baking soda is alkaline, therefore it is important to use TONER upon exfoliating with the soda.  A toner will bring skin back towards the acidic (*acid skin is healthy skin).   

This facial scrub from Clinique is one of my favorites. The granules are spherical so they gently slough away dead skin cells to reveal your new skin. 

Have you ever felt tiny hard bumps on the backs of your arms or lower back?  These "chicken skin" bumps (Keratosis Polaris...KP) affect 40% of adults. This condition occurs when the hair follicles (pores) get plugged with keratin and dead skin cells. Exfoliation is the best way to slough away these bumps, particularly granular scrubs, which are great for combating KP. I recommend using a daily Alpha Hydroxy body wash (chemical exfoliant) for daily proactive maintenance against Keratosis Polaris. 

I love love LOVE this body wash from Mario Badescu. It contains a fruit enzyme/Alpha Hydroxy acid, and smells great!  I'm a bit frugal (and prefer a granular exfoliant on my legs), so I limit my use to back, arms and décolletage. It really keeps my skin super soft and KP free!

If you're not inclined to make your own home-made body scrub then this sugar scrub from Tree Hut works beautifully. It's not too oily yet moisturizes with essential oils. It's deliciously granular, smells great, leaves the skin on my legs feeling fantastically smooth and invigorated....and best of all: it's made in the good ole USA and costs under $10.  I like this one :)

CHEMICAL EXFOLIATORS:  Cleansers with Alpha Hydroxy (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy (BHA) acids are fabulous exfoliators. The difference between the two is their solubility. AHA'a do not penetrate the skin as deeply as BHA's because they're water-soluble. BHA's are oil-soluble and therefore penetrate deeper into the skin.  When you apply an AHA onto the skin, it breaks down the "glue" that holds your skin cells together (inter-cellular cement), the acid actually melts this glue away, resulting in the shedding of dead skin cells (this is why we peel or flake after an AHA acid peel for instance).  BHA's dissolve the actual dead skin cell itself, rather than the inter-cellular cement, therefore not as much peeling will result.  Both acids are equally effective; one is not better than the other! AHA's are great for sloughing away those surface dead-skin layers, while BHA's work best to clean out clogged pores. Both acids can be found in serums, chemical peels and of course, cleansers. 

When massaged into wet skin, the acids in these products chemically melt away dead skin cells, leaving skin soft and smooth. The advantage of acid exfoliators is that they're not abrasive. However, both chemical and mechanical exfoliators can be irritating to those with sensitive skin (note the pH levels), as well as those who are product-sensitive.  I recommend testing these products on inconspicuous areas first, such as the skin on the inner arm.

This AHA serum from European Wax Center is great for preventing bikini in-growns.....YES ladies, all skin should be treated equally. Bikini-area-skin is vulnerable to in-growns and keratin build-up, therefore, should be treated with AHA or granular scrubs a few times per week. A daily AHA serum will keep this area smooth, soft and bump-free!

MANUAL EXFOLIATORS: Have you ever played footsies under the covers with your betrothed?  What about sandals...ever wear those?  If you've answers yes to any of these questions, then I would assume, and truly hope, that you use a pumice stone, on your feet, on a DAILY use.  Most women I speak to reserve their pumice use for their bi-monthly pedicures....THIS IS A NO-NO PEOPLE!  Take care of those tootsies and heels...keep a stone in the shower or tub, and use a scrub each time you bathe. If you make a habit out of it and have your stone handy, you'll ALWAYS have touchably smooth footsies...how divine!  :)

I CANNOT live without these Mr Pumice stones. They are the best manual exfoliators, in my opinion. Buy a few at a time and replace every 3 months or so, as they will eventually wear away. 

This mechanical foot exfoliator by Clarisonic sloughs away 10 times more dead skin then a pumice stone alone! It's pricey, but a worthy investment if you crave uber-soft tootsies like me :)

* see my blog on Skin-Care 101 and Keep Skin Acidic

Happy kissably-soft skin to you all  xoxo

---Ciao for now