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Skincare Newsletter >
Exfoliation
Exfoliation
Exfoliation is the most important step you can do in your home care routine for anti-aging. Exfoliation can also diminish the signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles and sundamage.
Exfoliation removes dead cell build-up, increases circulation to the skin bringing nutrients to it and stimulates the skin to renew itself at a faster rate.
At age sixteen, the skin will renew itself about every 20 days. As we mature the renewal time goes almost in line with our age. If you are 35, the skin will renew itself about every 35 days, give or take about 10 days. The difference is if you do exfoliation treatments. The longer the dead cells are allowed to stick around the longer it takes to renew the skin, getting more ravaged as time goes on. Newer, fresher skin cells can do a much better job of protecting.
If you imagine your skin like a brick building with the bricks representing the cells and the cement the glue that holds the cells to create a protective barrier it is easier to understand how exfoliation treatments work.
There are several types of home care exfoliation products available to you.
1. Mechanical exfoliation is like a jackhammer knocking the loose bricks and debris off the building. These products are made with fine granules and can be done daily with gentle movements or weekly with more aggression. Some of these products are also combined with AHA and/or enzymes for a stronger effect. Microdermabrasion is a professional treatment that acts like a sandblaster, blasting the cells from the surface and is done by a licensed professional that has advanced training in this modality.
2. Peels are designed to dissolve the glue that holds the cells in place, they consist of Alpha Hydroxy Acids such as glycolic acid, lactic acid and salicylic acids, enzymes such as papaya and pineapple. The depth of these peels depend upon how small the molecules are. Glycolic acid has the smallest molecular structure and therefore has the deepest penetration and can also be the most irritating to the skin. There are many professional peels available to you, make sure they are offered by a licensed professional with advanced traing in the peel service being offered.
3. Gommage is a product that dries and adheres to the surface of the skin and then rolled off. Many gommage treatments are combined with enzymes to enhance their ability to resurface the skin. Gommage treatments are not as popular as mechanical or peel type treatments.
It is important to include an exfoliation treatment in your skincare routine for the health of your skin. Choose one that fits into your lifestyle so it is not a burden. You can get a gentle product like "Crystal Clarity" and put it in your shower, do a gentle exfoliation every morning. That way there is no extra time taken out of your day and you're including a big step toward anti-aging.
A word of caution, your skin is your friend, in this case more is not necesarily better. Some treatments can be very harsh and send the skin into diress, the idea is to stimulate the skin to renew itself, not shock it into protective messures.
Exfoliatoin treatments are not a luxury, they are a necessity in helping you achieve vibrant, healthy skin.
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