Your skin is responsible for providing a protective layer over the rest of your body, making sure that dirt and contaminants do not find their way inside. This means that throughout the day, these contaminants wind up on the surface of your skin. In addition to this, your skin is constantly regenerating cells to help keep the skin healthy.

The average adult sheds around 50,000 skin cells each minute as part of this process. Sometimes these skin cells do not fall off the way they need to. When these dead skin cells become stuck to the body they can clog the pores, leading to blemishes. Gently exfoliating the skin can help you remove these excess skin cells, as well as the dirt and other contaminants that may be stuck to them to give your skin a healthy glow.

How Often Should I Exfoliate My Face?

In general, you should exfoliate twice a week, but there may be factors that will alter this schedule.

• Those that have sensitive skin will want to cut back on their exfoliating schedule, particularly if you notice that your skin is becoming irritated with this constant use.
• Those who live in warmer climates or have naturally oily skin may need to exfoliate more often to help manage the buildup of dead skin cells commonly associated with these conditions.

Exfoliating should be a simple process that allows you to remove any excess dead skin cells from your face. Exfoliating products you use at home will contain sand-like particles in the mixture. Rubbing this material on the face will scrape the dead skin cells off the face so the new skin underneath can be exposed. This will leave your skin feeling healthy and looking new when performed properly.

Exfoliating should leave your skin feeling healthy and refreshed, not sensitive or red.

• Over exfoliating can harm your skin rather than providing the help it is meant to. Using the wrong exfoliating scrub such as a harsh chemical scrub or a product with an excessively large grain can irritate the skin.
• Read the directions to determine how often your scrub is intended to be used so you can avoid causing damage.
• Avoid using these exfoliating products near the eyes since this skin is more sensitive and will not require exfoliation.

How Often Should I Exfoliate My Body?

In general, the skin on the body is less sensitive than the face and can stand up to a more rigorous exfoliation schedule. Health experts typically recommend that you exfoliate the body two to three times each week.

• If you have sensitive skin, make a point of exfoliating less often.
• You should not have to scrub very hard or very often to get the dead skin cells off. If you scrub too hard or on an excessive schedule, you can start to remove healthy skin cells instead, which can cause damage to the skin.
• If you find your skin looking red after you have finished exfoliating or you find yourself feeling sore, it may be time to lessen the amount you exfoliate.

When exfoliating, use gentle but firm, circular motions on the skin. You can use an exfoliating body scrub, or simply wash with a washcloth or loofah to remove these dead skin cells. You can also use a salt scrub to exfoliate, which will increase blood flow to the skin giving you an extra burst of energy. Just be sure to watch your skin for signs of irritation so you do not wind up causing any damage.