The Importance of Exfoliation

If glowing healthy skin is the aim, exfoliation may very well be the solution – for blemishes, dark spots, clogged pores, hyper-pigmentation, oily skin and dry skin (basically, everything!). Therefore, whether you have dry, oily or mature skin, you can benefit from a little exfoliation.

Your skin’s job is to protect you day and night from the elements of the outside world, and part of this process involves the constant regeneration of cells. You might not be aware of it, but your body produces new skin cells nonstop around the clock. Sometimes old skin cells don’t slough off as well as they should, leading to dry skin or clogged pores (resulting in breakouts!). Exfoliation works to remove dry, damaged and dead skin cells from the surface which can often congest and clog the pores, causing hyper-pigmentation and breakouts. This allows new cells to be exposed –revealing smoother, firmer and brighter looking skin.

For dry skin, especially in the winter, exfoliation is very important. Often when our skin is dry, we tend to load up on moisturiser in an attempt to re-hydrate the skin. But dry skin means dry and dead skin cell buildup, and no amount of moisturiser is going to bring a dead skin cell back to life… Therefore, exfoliation is necessary to remove the dry and dead cells from the surface, allowing new healthy cells to be exposed.

People with oily skin have a thicker epidermis layer, which is prone to excessive sebum and acne being produced. Exfoliation helps to deeply cleanse and remove dead skin cells, grease and impurities from deep inside the pores – thereby reducing the occurrence of acne and blemishes.

As we age, our skin cell regeneration deteriorates. This means that more and more dead skin cells are unable to desquamate, leaving your skin dry and flaky. Therefore, exfoliation can help remove dead skin cells from the surface – revealing rejuvenated, younger looking skin.

Exfoliation should leave your skin feeling smoother and softer, not red and irritated. Therefore, only use gentle and natural exfoliants rather than harsh chemical scrubs, and keep exfoliation to a maximum of twice a week. Linden Leaves Radiant Exfoliating Wash uses natural jojoba oil beads to gently lift away dead skin cells, and aloe vera and kowhai to hydrate, soothe and minimise irritation, making it a gentle way to effectively cleanse and rebalance your complexion; reducing oiliness, drawing out impurities from clogged pores, and speeding up the healing of blemishes – to reveal smoother, brighter and healthier looking skin.