Every 30 days or so, your skin goes through a natural skin cell turnover. The outer layer of skin, the epidermis, sloughs off in exchange for newer cells. Often times cleansing your skin does not fully remove these dead skin cells. This can lead to your skin looking dull and feeling rough, dry and congested.
One highly effective solution our Macleod Trail Plastic Surgery Medical Aesthetician recommends is exfoliating. Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells from the outer layer of your skin. The result is better blood circulation, less clogged pores, and a smoother and more radiant appearance. Exfoliation comes in several forms – manual (such as scrubs), and chemical (such as exfoliating acids).
Benefits
There are numerous benefits to regular exfoliation include:
- Unclog pores- Excess oil can often get trapped under a layer of dead skin, which can lead to whiteheads and blackheads forming. Exfoliating helps to remove this build up and prevent it from forming.
- Helps products penetrate the skin- Clogged pores and dead skin cells create a barrier between you and your skincare products. Exfoliation ensures your skincare can properly penetrate into your skin to receive the full benefit.
- Improves your skin’s texture- Your skin cells don’t live forever, over time dead skin cells accumulate, leaving the skin looking dull and rough. Exfoliating helps break down this build-up, revealing your freshest, most radiant skin.
- Improve blood circulation & boost lymphatic drainage- Exfoliating helps oxygen-rich blood travel to the skin’s surface, nourishing and replenishing it. The end result is healthy radiant skin that glows naturally.
- Helps with smooth makeup application- Dead and dry skin can often give your makeup that “cakey” look. Exfoliating creates a smooth surface for your makeup to apply more seamlessly. You can also try dermaplaning at Macleod Trail Plastic Surgery. Dermaplaning uses a specialized scalpel to gently remove the top layer of dulling, dead skin cells, as well as fine facial hair, or "peach fuzz". Makeup applies beautifully after dermaplaning, and is a favourite treatment before an important event.
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Recommended Products
Our Calgary Medical Aesthetician has curated a list of top-performing exfoliators and retinol-based serums you can incorporate into your skincare routine. Retinol has unique properties that help speed up cell turnover. When combined with exfoliating, it helps your body produce smoother and fresher-looking skin faster!
- ZO Exfoliating Polish: The ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish features ultra-fine magnesium crystals and a unique combination of vitamins A, C, C-ester and E. This manual form of exfoliation buffs away dead skin cells, improving skin texture and cell turnover for smooth, glowing skin.
- ZO Exfoliation Accelerator: This blend of glycolic and lactic chemical exfoliants gently breaks down the bonds of dead skin cells, so they can be sloughed away. This results in smooth, glowing skin and improved hydration. The formula includes calming and soothing benefits from aloe, green tea and chamomile.
- ZO Retinol Skin Brightener (0.25%, 0.5%, 1.0%): This retinol-based product promotes cell turnover and rapidly improves your skin’s texture and tone for a brighter, clearer and smoother complexion.
- Other retinol options include: ZO Skin Health Wrinkle + Texture Repair contains 0.5% retinol, this supports collagen production and promotes natural cell turnover, while addressing coarse or textured wrinkles associated with aging. The ZO Skin Health Radical Night Repair is an excellent addition to your nighttime skincare routine for an advanced retinol formula. It contains 1% retinol and uses glycerin and plukenetia volubilis seed oil to restore and hydrate the skin with essential lipids. This helps to reverse dry, dull-looking skin and promote a healthy glow from within.