Oily Skincare Exfoliation with Alpha Hydroxy Acid Exfoliants (AHAs) Peels and Retin-A

Oily Skincare Exfoliation

Exfoliation is a fancy word for a fairly basic process. To exfoliate your skin means you are speeding up the process of shedding the upper layers of dead skin cells. Sometimes people use the words "slough off." It's a natural process; with creams or lotions or peels, you're just speeding it up.

Your skin is always renewing itself, in other words pushing dead cells to the surface. These dead cells can sometimes result in a flaky appearance. They can also clog pores.

If you have oily skin, exfoliation can help make the skin look better. But be careful not to overdo it, as this can only increase the amount of oil that your skin produces.

To exfoliate on your back or chest or body, you can use a loofah sponge, or a brush. For the face, there are also exfoliating creams and lotions available. Some contain fine grains 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 chemical peels. Retinoids, such as Retin-A and Renova, can also cause the upper layers of dead skin to shed more quickly.

If you have any 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.

How to exfoliate skin

If you have oily skin, don't exfoliate too hard, as this will just cause the skin to make more oil. If you are exfoliating the skin on your body, using a glove, sponge or loofah, you would 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 or cause more oil production. If you are exfoliating the skin on your face, there are special pads which are more gentle.

If you are using a cream or lotion with exfoliating grains, 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 you would apply the lotion.

After exfoliating, be sure to rinse the skin, and then apply a good moisturizer designed for oily skin, in other words one without clogging oils. 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 produce even more excess oil or to 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.

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Updated June 2011

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