Signs of Over Exfoliation and How to Heal the Skin
Exfoliation; it's a crucial component of any skincare regimen since it allows active ingredients to penetrate the skin, removes dead skin cells, lessens fine lines and wrinkles, and promotes overall healthier, more radiant skin. And because it's considered an "additional" step that most people don't really make time for on a daily basis, it's frequently disregarded. However, excessive exfoliation has its own risks. What are some of the signs of over exfoliation, and how can you heal the skin? Stick around to find out.
The primary purpose of exfoliation is to assist in removing an outer layer so that fresher, healthier cells can emerge. And if you do it properly, there are lots of advantages. For starters, exfoliation can clear clogged pores. Doing so also removes acne-inducing bacteria and helps you achieve that clean, healthy look inside-out. Moreover, exfoliating helps you get rid of dark spots, dry patches, and other unusual textures by improving your skin tone.
Finally, The quantity of collagen you naturally produce starts to decrease as you get older. On the other hand, exfoliation induces moderate stress in the skin, causing it to restart, ultimately aiding in plumping, tightening, and reducing fine lines.
How Frequently Should You Exfoliate?
How frequently should your skin be exfoliated? There's no one-size-fits-all answer. Still, you should start once or twice per week. Make it a part of your weekly routine, especially in the summer.
For beginners, chemical exfoliation is often a little kinder on the skin than manual exfoliation. Also, manual exfoliation can sometimes produce micro-tearing that can have terrible consequences over time. So, start slowly and observe how your skin responds. Look out for the signs of over exfoliation, then make adjustments. However, even if your skin looks good, don't exfoliate your skin more than three times a week. Some believe that exfoliating every day will make their skin healthier but will actually, in turn, make it worse.
Some typical signs of over-exfoliation include redness, itchiness, and even peeling in some cases. Furthermore, you might experience breakouts with smaller pimples than hormonal ones and increased sensitivity to your usual products.
One sign of excessive use is trickier to identify: the skin may take on a tight, waxy texture that can be mistaken for a healthy glow. It's anything but that in reality.
The first thing you need to do to heal the skin from over exfoliation is to stop exfoliating. Don't use scrubs or chemical exfoliators until your skin has recovered and is at its baseline texture. Depending on the individual, 'baseline texture' simply refers to the skin's texture before overexposure. Your default texture will be that if you've always been prone to acne. All you're doing is waiting for the over-exfoliation symptoms to go away. However, keep in mind all the other lifestyle changes you made recently. Your skin might have trouble returning to its baseline texture if other things are affecting it in the meantime. For example, in some cases, moving to a new place or a warmer climate can have consequences you didn't expect. Although it sounds strange, changes like this can affect your skin in numerous ways that seem similar to over exfoliation.
You can use a cold compress to soothe burning right away after an episode of excessive exfoliation. Moreover, hydrocortisone cream may also aid in reducing inflammation and redness. Aloe gel is well recognized as healing capabilities if you have one on hand. However, depending on how exposed and raw the regions are, it can occasionally be irritating. In the instance of severe damage, applying a natural aloe plant might be the best option.
Moisturize & Protect Your Skin
After you've stopped exfoliating, you should switch from foaming to mild cleansers and eliminate all highly scented products in your routine. However, you should also keep your routine as close to your regular routine as possible. Moisturize regularly using quality products, and don't forget to put on sunscreen every day.
Instead of a regular moisturizer, consider using hyaluronic acid since it's a highly effective moisturizer that can hydrate the skin and relieve any tightness, flaking, or irritation that may have resulted from over-exfoliation.
Additionally, you'll require occlusives, which create a barrier on the skin to protect it, keep moisture within, and assist your natural barrier recovery. Using face oils with jojoba, marula, and squalane is a good idea since they are less prone to irritate or produce acne.
When picking out sunscreen, make sure you know what ingredients to avoid since they can bring more damage to your sensitive skin. Nevertheless, SPF is generally essential after exfoliating since it breaks down the skin barrier that usually protects you from UV rays.
As we already said, many things can affect your skin, not just your beauty products and regimens. So, if you want to help you heal your skin after over exfoliating, you should try to avoid stress as much as possible. If you're going through life-changing events, such as relocation, you should still find ways to de-stressand consider relaxing after the move. You can do this by taking some time for yourself, meditating, journaling, etc. Believe it or not, this can make a massive change for both your skin and your mental health.
While it's easy to get carried away and over exfoliate, you must know the signs of over exfoliation and what you need to do to heal the skin afterward. When you notice your skin is itchy, red, or waxy, it's time to stop exfoliating and focus on healing your skin back to its baseline texture. You can do this by cutting out harmful beauty products and focusing on hydrating your skin and protecting it from UV rays while it's still sensitive. After it's returned to normal, you can continue exfoliating, but not more than once or twice a week.
Meta:
Redness, itchiness, flakiness – look out for the signs of over exfoliation and learn how to heal your skin after it happens.
