Exfoliating is one of the most important things we can be doing for our skin.  The stratum corneum is the outer most layer of the epidermis.  It is composed of dead cells that are continually sloughed off and replaced by new cells that have risen through the layers of the skin.

In young, healthy skin this process of healthy cells rising, dying and being slough off  takes approximately 30 days.  But as we age our hormones change and this process begins to slow down.  Quality exfoliation keeps the dead skin cells sloughing off and encourages the skin to continue turning over at the optimal rate.

Exfoliation comes in two forms.  Mechanical exfoliating ingredients can often be found in treatment products or are often added into cleansers.  These include things like crushed nuts, seeds or pits, manufactured beads or finely ground sugar or salt.  By working these ingredients into the skin the dead skin cells are manually sloughed or knocked off.

Chemical exfoliants come as either an acid or an enzyme.  Acids such as alphahydroxy acids or betahydroxy acids include ingredients such as glycolic, lactic or saliycilic acids.  The acids work by loosening the bond between the cells in the stratum corneum which allows the cells to fall away from the skin.  Enzyme peels have a similar effect, but work by dissolving the actual dead skin cell.  Acid and enzyme exfoliants are available for purchase “over the counter” at a certain concentration, are available at higher concentrations in salons and spas when applied by an esthetician, and at an even higher concentration at a Dermatologists where they can be used to entirely remove the top layer of skin.

By using exfoliation to accelerate the natural turn-over in our skin it is possible to emulate the turnover rates of young, healthy skin.  It is important to be careful though, as too much exfoliation can be very damaging to the skin, causing redness, sores, irritation and pigmentation changes, and the tolerance of individual skin types will vary.  It is best to use the most gentle form on a daily basis (I recommend using a wash cloth to wipe away cleanser).  Further exfoliation can be done at home on a weekly basis (such as a scrub) and professional exfoliation can be done monthly at a spa.