The Guide to Proper Exfoliation
No matter what your age, gender, or skin type, we all want to achieve the smoothest, more vibrant skin possible. And while there are tons of products out there that make claims to being the secret to healthy, glowing skin – exfoliation lies among the best methods to improve your skin’s tone and texture, no matter that type of skin you might have. And best of all, exfoliation is something that we can all do at home, as long as we know the proper products and techniques to use. However, according to the team at Koru NYC, the top medical spa Midtown Manhattan has to offer, the most important thing to understand about exfoliation is that we can just as easily overdo it – either by exfoliating far too often, of using the incorrect products for our skin types.
While exfoliation is one of the most important keys to a good skincare routine, its vital that we learn how to do it the right way – both in terms of frequency and the techniques that we use. According to the team at Koru, the top medical spa Midtown Manhattan has in practice, exfoliating the skin is the process of removing dead cells from the outer layer of your skin using an exfoliant, which could either be a chemical and physical exfoliant. When it comes to physical exfoliation, there are a couple of different methods that have been proven most effective. One such process involves using a skin care tool, such as a sponge, towel or facial brush. This process of physical exfoliation is fairly straightforward, as it simply entails rubbing the apparatus against the treatment area in question, allowing us to displace and remove the dead skin cells. The other method involves using a liquid, gel or scrub with granules like microbeads or sugar to smooth and refine the skin. With chemical exfoliation, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) or enzymes are used to loosen the glue-like substance that holds dead skin cells together so they are easily removed. These acids are commonly found within certain chemical peels, which help to remove the outer layer of dead skin, while helping us to empty or unclog our pores. Clogged pores are the key to skin infections, severe acne issues, and hyperpigmentation issues.
One important thing that we need to understand is that the skin is constantly trying to repair and rejuvenate itself. And as a result, we are often left with layers upon layers of unwanted, dead skin cells, all over our bodies. Over time, as we mentioned, these skin cells can clog our pores and lead to other more severe skincare issues. According to the Koru team, the top medical spa Midtown Manhattan has to offer, exfoliating helps rid your body of these leftover dead skin cells, revealing healthier, brighter skin immediately after. And while brighter skin is certainly a perk, proper exfoliation can not only help aesthetically, but drastically improve the health and wellness of our skin as well. Often, skincare creams and serums, may not be able to penetrate as deep as we would like, in these instances, by removing the outer layers of dead skin, our serums are able to get direct access to the inner action sites of the skin, known as the dermis. In addition to helping to tame acne-prone skin, and unclog pores, exfoliation can also help reduce the appearance of unwanted facial scars, acne scars, while helping to stimulate the production of brand-new collagen and the overall process of cellular rejuvenation – replacing the old damaged skin, for newly created connective tissue.
When it comes to proper physical exfoliation, the process generally begins with cleansing the face, and then applying a quarter sized amount of facial scrub and applying it to the face in a circular motion. Gently massage the product onto the skin, for about a full minute. Once that happens, you must rinse the face with warm water, as that will help open up the pores. Once you are able to do that, apply some type of hydrating mask, serum or cream. When using a chemical exfoliant however, after washing, you must apply it throughout your face, neck and décolleté area and allow it to soak into the skin for a few minutes – so that it might be properly absorbed and leave an area for a specialized treatment cream or serum. While this is an at-home option, these chemical exfoliants work similar to chemical peels that might be performed at a medical spa such as Koru. Generally, depending on the type of skin issues you might have, certain exfoliants will work better than others. Therefore, for the best possible exfoliation methods, or to set up an appointment for you, be sure to contact Koru Aesthetics today.
