Everything You Need To Know About Exfoliating by Christine Huang Everything You Need To Know About ExfoliatingFor some reason, exfoliating is always this huge mystery. We all cleanse our skin, moisturize, and apply SPF on the regular to get a clear, healthy complexion. But not many of us exfoliate. I know I’m a little lazy when it comes to exfoliating and I’m also a little scared of over-exfoliating and causing my skin to freakout. So here are the best answers about exfoliating you can find on the Internet to help demystify the whole process. What are the different types of exfoliators? There are two different types of exfoliators. Exfoliators are either chemical or physical (also known as mechanical) and there are some pretty obvious differences between the two. 1. Physical exfoliators These are your typical scrubs with ingredients like sugar, microbeads (although those are terrible for the environment), etc. that help physically scrub your skin clean. You can find them in cleansers or masks like the OY-L Exfoliating Manuka Mask. This mask combines ultra-nourishing manuka honey with gently exfoliating rose petals, lavender, and cranberry and blueberry seeds. Everyone I know who's used it swears it feels like getting a new face. Honest.  You can also use facial brushes like a Clarisonic, but it’s easy to get carried away with facial brushes. A better option would be a konjac sponge or a mini facial scrubber like this one from Daily Concepts. 2. Chemical exfoliators Unlike physical exfoliators, chemical exfoliators use acids to help you get smooth, radiant skin. They can come in a variety of products since it’s easy to add them in and that includes your cleansers, toners, and serums! Chemical exfoliators are a great option for people with sensitive skin since you don’t scrub your skin. Some common chemical exfoliators will have AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) or BHAs (beta hydroxy acids). AHAs work great for people who are concerned with uneven texture and pigmentation. BHAs better penetrate through oils and are great for those who are concerned about blackheads and large pores. Salicylic acid is one of the most common BHA ingredients out there and is commonly used for treating acne. How often should you exfoliate? There’s no set amount for how often you should exfoliate. Everyone’s skin varies. Some people can exfoliate quite frequently while others can hardly exfoliate once a week without making their skin freak out. As always, listen to what your skin is telling you! Over-exfoliating can lead to dry, flaky skin and breakouts. If you’re not sure, you can always take a break from exfoliating before incorporating it back into your routine.