Are You Over-Exfoliating Your Skin?

Over exfoliating, your skin can be a real thing. Exfoliating your skin is a definite must. By exfoliating regularly (aka weekly), you are diminishing dead skin and allowing targeted treatments for anti-aging and skin rejuvenation to penetrate more easily. On top of making it a regular part of your routine, it’s important to go about exfoliation correctly. One false move can wreak havoc on your face. Exfoliating too often or opting to use harsher exfoliators does not always equal brighter, healthier, smoother-looking skin. By attempting to maximize the benefits of exfoliating, you may end up overdoing it. Yes, over-exfoliating your skin is an actual thing. To discover key signs of over-exfoliated skin and how to take care of your complexion after the fact, keep on reading.

Think you may have over exfoliated your skin? You can spot over-exfoliated skin because it looks irritated, red, and chafed. If your skin is looking worse for wear after exfoliating. After introducing a new chemical or physical exfoliator to your regimen, it’s likely that over-exfoliating is the culprit.

If you have taken inventory of your face and think your skin is over-exfoliated, you should not continue as is. You will need to adjust your routine accordingly.

Take a break from exfoliating. Skip the exfoliation for now. Give your skin a break from exfoliation to allow it time to recover. If you keep going, it’s only going to make your skin more irritated. Switch to a more gentle formula. The exfoliators you loved before you over-exfoliated your skin may not be what’s best for your face right now. Even if your skin can normally handle more potent products, over-exfoliated skin may not be able to. Play it safe and stick with only gentle cleansers and moisturizers while your skin recovers.

After you have taken care of your skin and helped to reduce visible signs of irritation caused by over-exfoliating, you can slowly start reintroducing exfoliation into your skincare routine. Here’s how to exfoliate without taking two steps back:

There’s more than one way to exfoliate, and the option you choose could impact how your skin reacts. Selecting a product that is not right for your skin type is all the more likely to result in over-exfoliation or skin irritation. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, those with oily skin may be better suited to stronger physical exfoliation, while those with dry, sensitive, dark spot- or acne-prone skin may prefer a mild chemical exfoliator.

It is possible that the products you are already using have made your skin more sensitive to exfoliation. Take an inventory of your routine before deciding to exfoliate. You may need to reconsider your plans to exfoliate if your routine contains prescription retinoid creams or products formulated with retinol or benzoyl peroxide. I always suggest consulting with your esthetician about what ingredients work best with your skin issues.

The most important thing you can do when trying to avoid over-exfoliating your skin is to be cautious with how often you exfoliate. Makes sense, right? Exfoliating more frequently won’t necessarily make your exfoliator of choice work better, and it may just damage your skin. How often you exfoliate should depend on your skin type and the exfoliation method selected; the more aggressive the method, the less often you’ll need to exfoliate. Start out by exfoliating once a week. If you think your skin can handle more, gradually increase the frequency, being sure to look out for signs of irritation or over-exfoliation.

How you apply (and remove) your exfoliator matters. Whether you are using a face scrub or an AHA or BHA, be sure to apply the product gently in small, circular motions. For a physical exfoliator, the AAD says to only massage it into your skin for about 30 seconds. Then, rinse off with lukewarm water. DO NOT turn the temperature up too high. You run the risk of drying your skin out.

This tip may not prevent over-exfoliation, but it will keep your skin looking it’s absolute best after exfoliating. Since exfoliation can be drying, it is a must to apply moisturizer afterward. Bonus if you use a moisturizer that also doubles as a makeup primer. (This momma is all about efficiency.) My favorite moisturizer can be found here. Comment below with any questions.

Tell me, have you ever struggled with over-exfoliated skin?

If so, I want to hear from you. As always, I hope this helps you if you are struggling with over-exfoliated skin.