Dry Skincare Exfoliation for Women and Men | Anti-Aging Alpha Hydroxy Acids

Dry Skincare Exfoliation

If you have dry skin, you may notice that it tends to develop a flaky appearance. This is because skin cells accumulate on the surface of the skin and start to build up. This is where exfoliation can be helpful.

Exfoliation is a way to speed up the process of shedding the upper layers of dead skin cells. they basically "sloughed off." When you exfoliate skin, you're speeding up a natural process. In other words, your skin is always renewing itself, pushing dead cells to the surface. These dead cells can sometimes result in a flaky appearance, especially for people with dry skin. They can also clog pores.

If you have dry skin, you should be careful when you exfoliate, as this can irritate the skin if you're not careful. But, done correctly, exfoliation can help make the skin look better.

On your body, you can use a loofah sponge, or a brush. For the face, there are also exfoliating creams and lotions. Many of these contain fine granules that do the exfoliation. There are also lotions that use a mild acid to peel the skin, such as alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) or salicylic acids (beta hydroxy acid or BHAs). Using such lotions is sometimes called micro dermabrasion. The lotions can also be known as mild chemical peels. Retinoids, such as Retin-A and Renova can also cause the upper layers of dead skin to shed more quickly.

How to exfoliate skin

If you have very dry skin (or any other skin conditions), always talk to your doctor before starting any new procedure. It's also important to start slowly, testing any new procedure on a small patch of skin to make sure you're not overly sensitive or allergic.

On your body, using a glove, sponge or loofah. First wet your skin. Then, gently rub the brush, sponge or loofah over the area of your body being exfoliated. Again, go gently so as not to overly irritate the skin. If you are exfoliating the skin on your face, there are special pads which are not as rough as a loofah.

If you are using a lotion or cream that contains exfoliating granules, you would also first wet your skin, then apply the exfoliating cream or lotion to the skin and rub with gently circular motions. Be very careful to avoid sensitive areas of the skin.

If you are using Renova, or a lotion containing alpha hydroxy acid or salicylic acid, follow the directions on the bottle. In general, you would first gently clean your skin, and then apply the lotion.

After exfoliating, rinse the skin, and then apply a good moisturizer. If you are exfoliating the skin on your face, make sure you use a product designed for facial tissue.

It's important to avoid over exfoliating the skin, as this can cause it to dry out even more, or become red and irritated. Remember too that after exfoliating your skin - especially if you use a product with tretinoin or AHAs - you may become more vulnerable to sunburn, so make sure you use sun protection such as sunscreen or sun protective clothing.

We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information:

verify here.

Thank you for visiting. Be sure to tell a friend and bookmark this page so you can return.

Updated September 2008

Site Map | Skin Care Resources

© | All rights reserved.