Throw It Out Thursday: Myth Busting Exfoliation
Exfoliate. Desquamate. Scrub. Polish. All these words are frequently used to talk about the removal of dead skin cells from the surface of our bodies, but why? What’s the big deal, why do we do it, do we even need to do it and what the heck is “desquamate”?!?!? Well don’t fret, this months Throw It Out Thursday is all about throwing out the myths and revealing the truth about exfoliation.
“My biggest beauty tip would be exfoliation, exfoliation, exfoliation! After a lifetime of almost no breakouts, I started having some pretty embarrassing ones and learned that if you don’t exfoliate, your skin has a hard time shedding the old skin and therefore clogs your pores and causes zits.”
What is “Desquamation”?
Did you know that around 90% of household dust is made up of dead skin? That’s right, when you are dusting you are removing your dead skin cells from your house, kinda gross but true, we are desquamating everywhere! It is also a vital part to our bodies internal systems, using enzymes internally as catalysts for metabolic functions, i.e. they break things down for us like food and waste. But we are here to talk about the external body system, aka our skin!
Exfoliation is pretty simple: through a process of either natural (desquamation), mechanical (scrub) or chemical (enzymes, acids) means, dead skin cells, debris and oil are removed from the surface layer of the epidermis. When you don’t dust your house, what happens? There’s a layer of film right? The same is true for your skin, when you do not exfoliate, the dead skin cells and debris just build up. They don’t fall off as easily as we would like to believe, just ask anyone who dusts their house often! It seems like this shedding of ours is happening all the time in, and large quantities! In reality desquamation, aka our bodies natural exfoliation process, slows down as we age, and is affected by many factors, like your overall health and lifestyle. Staying on top of removing this excess dead skin has many perks, but one of the main perks is the topical appearance of your skin, #glowing.
“According to the American Academy of Dermatology, exfoliation can leave your skin looking brighter and improve the effectiveness of topical skin care products by enhancing absorption.
Regular exfoliation can also help prevent clogged pores, resulting in fewer breakouts.
Long-term exfoliating can increase collagen production. Collagen is key to glowing, vibrant skin. The protein also promotes skin elasticity, minimizing the appearance of fine lines and related sagging”
Now, here is where the myth busting comes in. Myth Buster #1: our bodies naturally desquamate so we don’t need to. Yes we naturally exfoliate our body cells, but unfortunately life choices and aging can make this process go a lot slower than it is suppose to.Regular exfoliation of our body skin for example can aid in blood circulation, which again, as we age slows. Everything we do for our bodies should be helping it work better, howeve,r using harsh scrubs or nothing at all can create more damage. How do you know which exfoliant is meant for you and how often should you use it? First you need to break down the types available to you, and what they are for, and then hopefully, you will know which one is meant for your skin’s needs.
Professional Exfoliation Explained
There are two types of exfoliation: mechanical and chemical. Mechanical means scrubs or something like a microdermabrasion, where the skin is either rubbed with a seed, bead or diamond micro-head (in the case of microdermabrasion) to physically remove dead skin. This is great for skin that feels rough, builds up quickly, and in the case of microdermabrasion is great for acne scarring. It is meant for most skin types, the problem lies in the ingredient that is doing the scrubbing and also the fact that scrubs are not meant for skin with any active acne breakout. Scrubbing acne can not only irritate it but also spread the bacteria, creating more acne. Chances are, you don’t need the aggressive scrub you think you need to get your skin “smooth”, you probably need hydration.
Myth Buster #2: The rougher the scrub the better. Not true at all! Walnut shell is far too rough for the skin on the face, so St. Ives Apricot Scrub is by no means meant for your face but more for elbows, knees and toes. Due to its rough nature, it can actually cause microscopic tears in the skin that can lead to broken capillaries and an impaired acid mantle (for more on the acid mantle click here) which can lead to even more problems! Not everyone, actually no one needs to scrub the $%@t out of their faces to get the dead skin off, I promise you that your skin is not so rough and so awful that you need a rough scrub. The real question in that scenario is are you consistent with good (and proper) daily skincare? Probably not, hence the rough skin issue.
Chemical Exfoliants are not as scary as they sounds and becoming more popular in the skincare market than ever before. This process uses “chemicals” to digest dead skin cells, or loosen the “glue” that holds old dead skin cells together, allowing the cells to flake or “peel” off. You may have heard of chemical peels? That is what this process is, yet there’s quite a bit more to professional grade chemical peels. Let’s go back to the term “chemical” Myth Buster #3: Chemicals are bad. Well… chemical refers to anything that has been altered, isolated or formulated, which in today’s world is everything. Water in your ingredient list? Technically a chemical as they have to process it so that there are no bacteria present in the water when they use it in the formulation. Vitamin C in your product? Also a chemical as technically it is not taken straight from nature and placed in your product, Vitamin C is highly unstable and will oxidize if not treated. So when you see “chemical” what you are really seeing are ingredients, some found in nature, that are synthesized and utilized to treat your skin.
At Enlighten Bodhi Spa almost all of our facials are considered “chemical exfoliants” as we use plant enzymes to digest dead skin cells and polish skin. Here’s a little breakdown of what acids come from what food/plant:
Lactic Acid - Sour Milk
Glycolic Acid - Sugar Cane
Salicylic Acid - Willow birch, Wintergreen
Papain - Papaya enzyme
Bromelain - Pineapple enzyme
Retinol - Vitamin A Derivative
Myth Buster #4: Retinol is the go to for anti-aging and acne. Kinda true, but what the heck is retinol in the first place? Well in my research I found a really great article on Allure.com explaining it better than I can:
“[MYTH] All these ingredients starting with ‘R’ (Retinol, Retinoic Acid) basically do the same thing.
Yes and no. Prescription formulas contain retinoic acid, the magic ingredient that fights visible aging; nonprescription alternatives need to be converted into retinoic acid by the skin at the cellular level. ‘In off-the-shelf formulas, the ingredient called retinol is the only derivative of vitamin A worth using,’ says Dana Sachs, an associate professor of dermatology at the University of Michigan Medical School. ‘There’s a lot of literature showing that while retinol is more gentle than retinoic acid, biochemically it does exactly the same thing — it may just take longer to see results.’ The same can’t be said for the derivatives called pro-retinols (aka, retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate, and retinyl linoleate), which are the most gentle — but weaker, too. ..Retin-A requires a prescription, but others are available over the counter”
So again, derived from nature but adjusted for optimal usage. An important thing to note about retinol is that it is not the go-to-end-all-be-all for anti-aging, and on the wrong skin can cause more problems than good. You always want to know what you are putting on your skin, but also why that product. Always consult your Esthetician and/or Dermatologist about what’s best for your skins needs to ensure you aren’t using the wrong product. Second side note- retinol or retin-a are very sun sensitive, it is super important to only use as directed and at night, and to be very conscientious about your SPF. You wouldn’t want to use something for aging and then end up with pigmentation…
Polishing Your Skin At Home
What can we use at home to get this dead skin handled? While it is important to get monthly facials, what you do at home is the most crucial to the health of your skin. There are a lot of different product lines out there, and many different names for all their variations of exfoliants. Let’s take a look at a few of the most common you will find:
Scrubs:
The most prevalent on the market, and also one of the most abused. Scrubs are a mechanical exfoliation, like mentioned before, however not all seeds and beads are created equal. Some scrub ingredients that are too abrasive (i.e. walnut shell) can actually damage skin and create an impaired acid mantle. The good ingredients might cost a little more, but you my dear are worth it! Look for Jojoba seeds (pronounced ho-ho-bah), sugar (brown sugar tends to be a little softer and more hydrating) or rice starches like those found in Origin’s Modern Friction or Dermalogica’s Daily Microfoliant. Remember, scrubs are best for rough texture due to excessive build up of dead skin but not necessary for every skin.
Leave On:
This category falls under chemical exfoliants, as those are typically the ingredients doing the work here. You might find leave-on’s in the form of pads/wipes, serums or moisturizers that you would apply to the skin after cleansing, and then leave on.
Spot treatments for acne also fall in this category, but just aren’t applied to the whole face. Great for anti-aging or frequent gym users, especially as a wipe. One here we retail at the Spa has some salicylic acid and glycolic acid to gentle remove impurities, they can be used on the face or the shoulders and back to help prevent breakout after a sweaty workout. Almost anyone can use a leave on, except be careful with sensitive skin types.
Enzyme Masks:
These are similar to leave on, but as they have quite active ingredients you will definitely have to remove! One of my absolute favorites right now is Alana Mitchell’s Brightening & Exfoliating Pumpkin Anti-Aging Mask, it tingles like crazy and leaves my skin soft and glowing for days. You only need to use it once a week, followed by a mask typically hydrating. This is the best type of exfoliant for almost everyone, but like always be careful if you are a sensitive skin type. Always follow the directions from the product line and be aware that “feeling the burn” is not necessary for your skin to be exfoliated!
Clarisonic:
I am using this term for clarification, but there are many rotating brush tools out on the market now so this is just one of many. For sake of the rest of this blurb, I will refer to it as a “rotary brush”. Using one in and of itself is a form of exfoliating, mild yes, but it definitely does do some work! When using your rotary brush at home, you won’t use it with an exfoliant, but with a mild cleanser. The cleanser is able to do it’s job better and not leave your skin irritated. Again, I feel I need to clarify that doing extra, like using a scrub and a clarisonic at the same time, are not going to give you the results you want but instead give you one irritated and red skin surface. There are also non-rotary brushes, meaning they don’t rotate on their own so when using them you move the brush in upward, outward circular motions. Remember to clean your brushes at least weekly!
I am sure there are more exfoliants and variations out there, but these are the main four that I run into my clients using. I hope this blog helped you discover what myth’s about exfoliation you were holding on to, and maybe “shed” some light on how to better care for your skin, pun totally intended. Stay healthy and happy and as always, be good to the skin you’re in cause you’re going to wear it your whole life!
Till next time, be good to your skin and even better to yourself,
xx eri