It is no longer a secret that cleansing your skin daily is a very positive practice for the health of your skin, but it is not a substitute for exfoliation. This simple step, once or twice a week, removes accumulations of dead cells that give the complexion a dull appearance by preventing light from reflecting off the surface of the skin evenly. Physical exfoliation has an immediate luminosity effect, and another long-term effect because it allows all the active ingredients in your routine to better penetrate the skin and perform their function.
At Method R we like to insist that it is important that exfoliation is frequent and very gentle. It is not about completely removing your stratum corneum, which is an important part of the skin barrier, but about constantly evening out its surface.
However, according to the famous saying, virtue lies in the middle ground. It is just as bad not to exfoliate or wash your face as it is to wash or exfoliate too much , since the latter can cause sensitive and irritated skin. Ideally, you should wash your face once or twice a day with mild products (syndet) and exfoliate once or twice a week, in moderation.
Delving into exfoliants, there are both physical and chemical ones . Both are equally recommended and the choice will depend on your tastes, your routine and the tolerance of your skin.
We love physical exfoliants because they coexist very well with retinoid treatments, they have an immediate visible effect and you can choose to use them, for example, before an event to have luminous and fresh skin.
On the other hand, there are the different chemical exfoliants. First of all, alpha hydroxy acids, such as glycolic acid, are an excellent option and highly recommended for people with oily skin. It also has an aging prevention effect . Again, certain precautions must be taken, such as not abusing its use or not combining it with other ingredients that are aggressive or with other acids that together can have a negative effect on your skin, especially if it is sensitive. And never combine it with retinoids on the same day, you can alternate it in the same routine, if your skin tolerates it. And we cannot forget about betahydroxy acids, which are gentler chemical exfoliants.
Regardless of the type of exfoliation you choose, it is an important step in the cosmetic routine, especially after the age of 35 , which is when the skin begins to lose its ability to exfoliate naturally and begins to need help to fulfill that function.
The benefits of exfoliation are visibly more uniform, fresh and luminous skin.
