If your skin is having problems, specifically acne, should you exfoliate your acne-prone skin? All will be answered in the article below.
As everyone knows, exfoliation has many beneficial effects on the skin such as deep cleansing, unclogging pores and helping beauty nutrients penetrate deep into the skin easily.
When does acne-prone skin need to be exfoliated?
When should you exfoliate acne-prone skin? This is a question that many women are interested in. If you only have a few small, inflamed pimples, hidden pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads, you cannot skip the exfoliation step in your skincare routine. These types of acne are mostly caused by clogged pores, so exfoliation is even more necessary to unclog pores, thereby improving acne.
However, during the exfoliation process, if you see signs of skin irritation, you should stop immediately.
When should you limit exfoliation for acne-prone skin?
Exfoliating the skin is necessary, but in some cases, this beauty step should be limited and carefully considered. For example, if the skin is experiencing severe acne inflammation.
Skin exposed to chemicals or having a medical problem will cause inflammatory acne. At that time, the skin barrier is damaged, so it is necessary to limit physical impact on the skin. Otherwise, the inflammation will be worse.
In this case, instead of using physical exfoliants, you can replace them with chemical exfoliants in the form of creams and lotions with mild concentrations and ingredients. Using chemical exfoliants in the form of gels, liquids or lotions will limit friction on the skin, thereby causing less damage to acne.
A few things to know when exfoliating acne-prone skin.
To exfoliate most effectively, you need to note the following:
1. Frequency of exfoliation
Acne-prone skin is quite sensitive, so you only need to exfoliate 1-2 times a week to ensure healthy skin. Exfoliating too often will only make your skin drier, lose moisture balance, and make acne worse.
2. Exfoliation time
As for the time of use, it is best to follow the instructions of the product. For example, if you use a cleanser, you can gently massage for 1-2 minutes, while if you use a mask, you can leave it on for longer, about 10-15 minutes. For chemical exfoliants, you can wash your face immediately if you feel slight irritation on your skin.
You should choose liquid or lotion exfoliants to avoid damaging acne.
For sensitive skin such as acne skin, the operations on the skin must be very gentle to avoid damaging the acne causing it to burst and become infected. When removing the skin, massage with the fingertips in a circular motion.
4. Moisturize after exfoliating
Not only acne-prone skin, but normal skin after exfoliation will be dry, lack moisture leading to itching and peeling. Not only that, when the skin loses moisture, its function also decreases, thereby making acne worse.
After exfoliating, you should use additional moisturizers or apply a mask to hydrate your skin.
5. Choose products that are suitable for your skin
For acne-prone skin, it is necessary to choose an exfoliating product that is suitable for the skin. You should prioritize gel and lotion products instead of choosing exfoliants with large grains that cause strong friction on the skin. Chemical exfoliation is also a suitable choice for acne-prone skin.
Depending on the severity of acne, mild or severe, choose a suitable exfoliating product for acne-prone skin. Acne-prone skin is relatively sensitive, so you need to understand your skin well so you can take the best care of it.
