Exfoliating your skin: our top tips and mistakes to avoid! 

They say you learn from your mistakes. Who hasn't spent their time forcefully exfoliating their face with a coarse-grained scrub, thinking it would get rid of acne and blemishes? After all, perhaps it makes sense that most commercially available exfoliating products are called "scrubs". But do we really think that going after these famous scrubs is going to "erase" all our blemishes? I used to make the mistake myself, I must admit. Who hasn't? In this article, I give you the best advice on how to exfoliate your skin, safely, and get the best out of exfoliation. 

Why do you need to exfoliate your skin? 

Even though the skin naturally exfoliates itself every 28 days or so, it's worth giving it a helping hand. A well-executed facial exfoliation helps to treathyperpigmentationfor a clearer, brighter complexion. And why? Because dead cells, which remain on the skin's surface, suffocate it and make it dull. This can lead to blemishes, blackheads and even real acne pimples. By exfoliating, we remove all impurities, allow blackheads to dislodge and regulate excess sebum. But don't just throw yourself at the first exfoliant you come across - read on! 

Choosing the right facial scrub 

Mechanical exfoliator

There are two types of exfoliator: mechanical (also called physical), which comes in the form of a gel or paste with micro-grains. These can be sugar, salt, coffee grounds, crushed pits or even microplastic beads, which are disastrous for the environment, by the way. Mechanical exfoliation involves rubbing the exfoliating treatment with your fingers, a cleansing brush or a sponge. It's the friction that removes dead cells from the skin's surface, hence the name "mechanical". 

Although the shelves of supermarkets and parapharmacies are full of these exfoliants or face scrubs, I absolutely don't recommend them, and prefer to use them on the body. And why is that? Well, for several reasons: even if you rub very, very gently, the micro-grains can create micro-lesions on the skin. These can become a breeding ground for bacteria, leading to acne and blemishes. It's also a rather scouring technique for the skin, and for the most sensitive skins it can damage the cutaneous barrier. If you opt for this technique, choose a product with very, very fine micro-grains. The coarser the micro-grains, the more abrasive the scrub. 

Chemical exfoliators 

Although the term chemical can be frightening because it can seem aggressive, there are a multitude of chemical exfoliants, which can be adapted to sensitive skin. These include : 

• AHAs, which are fruit acids, including lactic acid and mandelic acid: very gentle on the skin, these are my favorites for sensitive and dry skin, as lactic acid in particular helps moisturize the skin. 
• BHAs, the best-known of which is salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is perfect for acne-prone skin or skin with blackheads, as it removes impurities deep down. In fact, many facial cleansers contain salicylic acid, so chances are you've already used it. 
• PHAs are new, very gentle acids, suitable for sensitive and mature skin, as they smooth the skin and soften fine lines. 
• enzymes. Enzymatic exfoliation based on papaya or pineapple acids is also highly effective. Enzymatic exfoliants often come in powder form. Enzymatic exfoliation is perfect for evening out skin tone if you have hyperpigmentation. 

Be careful to respect the frequency of exfoliation

While most exfoliating skin care products state on their packaging that you should use the product every day (or even several times a day for some!), I absolutely don't recommend it. It's best to start by exfoliating once a week if you're a beginner, and increase the frequency to twice a week thereafter. Once you're used to regular exfoliation, you'll naturally feel when your skin needs it. 

Be careful not to over-exfoliate your skin. You could end up with the exact opposite of what you're looking for: redness, inflammation, sensitivity, even blemishes and acne! 

Prepare your skin before exfoliation

Exfoliation should be performed on perfectly clean skin. Ideally, it should be performed immediately after your double cleaning in the evening. First wash your face with a cleansing balm, massaging it in for 60 to 90 seconds, then rinse with lukewarm water and apply another cleansing gel, adapted to your skin type and not too drying. There's no point in using an exfoliant over skincare products, sunscreen or make-up. So be sure to follow the cleansing step. Exfoliating your skin in the evening is the best option: exfoliation sensitizes the skin to the sun. If you have chosen a chemical exfoliant, lotion or serum, apply it very lightly with your hand. One or two drops are enough for the whole face. If you apply more than that, without being used to it, you run the risk of burning your skin. 

Immediately after exfoliation, don't forget to apply a moisturizer to nourish your skin. It's a mistake to think, when you have oily skin for example, that performing a very strong, abrasive scrub that dries out the skin will regulate your sebum and improve acne and imperfections. It's imperative to moisturize your skin after exfoliation, to nourish the cutaneous barrier. 

A complete routine 

After exfoliation, the skin is freed of all the dead cells that suffocate it, so it can better receive skincare products. Now it's time to apply your favorite serums. Serums to alpha-arbutin for hyperpigmentation, or serums and other moisturizers. Take advantage of the days when you exfoliate to care for, moisturize and nourish your skin. You'll get even better results afterwards. 

Finally, even if you see the benefits of a good exfoliation, don't overdo it. As we saw earlier, this could actually damage your skin barrier and have the opposite effect to what you're looking for. Also, avoid using retinol on exfoliation days, to avoid sensitizing your skin.