Ever wake up and your skin looks dull? What about that loss of a beautiful glow that you once had before? Something we overlook in our skin care routines is the exfoliation or polishing step and let me tell you why it is important to make sure you are focusing more on this step when it comes to anti-aging.

Polishing energizes your skin and and is key in any skincare routine. Why you ask? Well it is because when you polish your skin, you are eliminating those dead skin cells that like to spend time on the surface of your skin. They eventually will build up and lead to dullness and an uneven texture and even increase in the depth of your facial lines making them more apparent.

Once you polish your skin you will allow a fresh and radiant complexion to shine through. The number one benefit is that your skin’s texture will feel smooth and silkier. The reason why this step is important is because it will change the physiology of your skin to make it act younger. Restoring your skin’s radiance is a sign that your skin is working in overdrive under the skin’s layers to support cell renewal and increase your collagen production in your dermis.

Reasons why need to exfoliate:

1. Accelerates cell turnover, which slows as you age, for fresher looking skin.
2. Further improve the moisture balance of your skin by stimulating natural moisture factors.
3. Plumps up your skin by creating controlled inflammation that leads to the production of collagen.
4. Promotes penetration for your skin care products by removing the surface layer of dead skin calls, which otherwise limits how much lotion could be absorbed.
5. Gives your skin the rosy glow by increasing oxygenation.
6. Stimulates the production of epidermal growth factor.
7. Removes the dead skin cells that make your skin look dull and flaky.

You have two choices when it comes to exfoliation, mechanical or chemical. Chemical polishers are normally made with enzyme-based ingredients whether from plants like papaya and pineapple that will dissolve dead skin cells. Mechanical polishers can be anything from a loofah to a tiny grain facial scrub. Problem with a loofah or a washcloth when it comes to exfoliating is, that a washcloth or loofah can’t get 100% clean and it may carry more bacteria than you think. When bacteria is harboring over time, you have more of a chance to cause more damaging to your skin than you think.

If you have trouble with this step and you will like to try it for the first time, start off by adding it twice a week. Introducing it will help your skin and also help you feel amazing. Stimulating your skin by exfoliation is one of the best ways to look more awake and that amazing glow that everyone wants. But you don’t want to over exfoliate either. Over exfoliation can lead to problems so you need to find your balance. If you are more prone to breakouts and oilier skin, keep it to twice a week so you don’t over stimulate the oil production causing you to become more oilier.