To Scrub Or Not To Scrub? That Is The Question

Exfoliation; the most misunderstood step in your beauty regime since EVER! We’ve seen it 100 times.

Whether a friend has recommended a 3-step beauty routine that they swear by, or a sales assistant in the cosmetic department insists you purchase their exfoliant for optimum results (got to love the up-sell), or that you are like most men and women who have heard it, seen it and therefore assume it’s imperative to your skin health so you purchase whatever you stumble across – The first mistake.

When it comes to applying your skincare, you’ll more than likely have no idea what, why and how often so you simply wing it and hope for best.

Cue “Highway to the danger zone” of the skin variety (you totally sang that in your head didn’t you)

If this sounds familiar and you’re scrubbing away on the daily without much knowledge of the product you’re applying, we ask you to put the kettle on and indulge in some light reading.

Exfoliation plays a significant part in your skincare routine.

For optimum skin health, we should all be using a series of quality products to wash away the daily grime and with the right education, exfoliation is the key to clearing the skin of the crap and allowing your cleansers and moisturisers to work their magic.

Selecting the product that’s right for you:

We love a recommendation. Restaurants, travel tips, wine – but keep in mind that when it comes to your skincare, no two faces are the same and the same goes for your skin. What could be working miracles on some, could mean facial catastrophe for you (eeek).

There are two main Exfoliants to consider when developing a treatment plan; Chemical Exfoliant or Physical Exfoliant.

Before making your selection, you need to first understand the underlying issues of your skin and therefore what TYPE will work best for you.

CHEMICAL EXFOLIANT: Simply put, chemical is what works to remove the dead skin cells as opposed to a scrub containing granules, beads or nowadays coffee (yum). Unlike a scrub, a Chemical Exfoliant does not contain the rough stuff.

It can remove debris, rough and dry skin revealing a silky-smooth finish sans heavy duty scrubbing.

Peels are also chemical exfoliants and are not only great for smoothing but also for brightening for the ultimate glow!

Let’s take a look at alpha hydroxy acids…

AHAs are derived from natural substances like delicious fruits and are ideal for exfoliating (without scrubbing) dry skin since they breakdown the stubborn “glue” that holds dead skin cells together. However, AHAs, because they’re water-soluble, can’t penetrate deep into pores for that OH EM GEE goodness. Unlike BHAs.

BHAs (beta hydroxy acids) are oil-soluble molecules. Thus, they can reach deeper into the skin and pores.

BHAs also has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties and as you all know, we LOVE a multi-tasker.

PHYSICAL EXFOLIANT: They are everywhere! Down the aisle of your grocery stores, every chemist, all over social media (cough, Frank Coffee Scrub) and more than likely, on your bathroom vanity.

They are great… in the hands of the right candidate and with the correct application!

The exfoliating agents in the product (i.e. beads, grains) is what do the heavy lifting in this scenario and with GENTLE rubbing, will physically remove the layers of dead skin on the face.

It is imperative to know that this must be executed with care. Too forceful or rough with scrubbing can create micro-tears and ain’t nobody got time for that!

Let’s break it down:

Who is a candidate for Chemical Exfoliants?

Those with sensitive skin, problematic skin, acne or oily skin. As chemical exfoliation does not involve scrubbing with an exfoliation agent, it is much kinder to the skin and won’t leave you inflamed, irritated or red raw!

Who Is a candidate for Physical Exfoliants?

Is your skin resilient? Do you generally have clear skin? Is your skin overall problem-free? If you answered YES to all, then Physical Exfoliants should be fine to incorporate in your weekly beauty regime.

We recommend twice weekly and nothing more (unless told otherwise by your skin specialist).

The Do’s & Don’ts

• If you have pain-in-the-a** skin and suffer from breakouts, do NOT use a Physical Exfoliant. Speak to a Specialist and opt for a Chemical Exfoliant instead
• Be GENTLE when scrubbing. Micro-Tears can occur when being too forceful
• NEVER use a body scrub on your face. The skin is completely different thus so are the ingredients in the product.
• Do not scrub daily! Excessive scrubbing can lead to irritation, inflammation, micro-tears, dry skin, oily skin and MORE breakouts.
• Consult a specialist to customise a treatment plan that’s right FOR YOU.

Exfoliation is SO important but in the hands of an inexperienced consumer, it can make matters worse.

Face Fit specialise in Advanced Skin Care. We understand that every face is different and take the time to customise your very own personalised treatment plan derived from quality products.

We also specialise in Medical-grade Cosmetic Peels to help breakdown and buff away your dead skin to have you feeling shiny and new.

Contact our team for a Skin Consultation at Face Fit. Just $60 redeemable on a product.