As women, we all dream of having a glowing and beautiful complexion. Most women cleanse, tone, and moisturize as part of daily skin care routine. We take little notice to the harsh treatment of the environment to the top layer of our skin. It is almost impossible to maintain that healthy youthful appearance that we want to achieve without adding that extra little step to our skin care regiment called ?exfoliation.? So what is the real meaning of exfoliation? Simply put, to exfoliate is to remove the dead cells from the top layer of your skin to restore new cells, which reveal a healthy glow to the skin.



Skin requires a lot of attention in order for it to look great. Who says that this must cost a lot of money? There are affordable exfoliating skin products out there, despite popular belief. The best kind to buy is something that is not necessarily popular, but known to contain natural ingredients such as Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA). Some exfoliating products are all-natural and contain papaya and apricot. You want to avoid harsh and abrasive chemicals to exfoliate. Usually, if you can't pronounce it, you don't want to apply it to your skin. Natural products are always the key to healthy skin care.

Take the test first. If using a new exfoliating product, as with any new facial product, test it out before applying it to your entire face. Apply a little to your chin or neck area and wait a few minutes to see if you have adverse reactions. Tingling is normal for products containing Alpha Hydroxy. (AHA) After exfoliating be sure to rinse thoroughly, gently patting the face with a soft washcloth, and following up with a gentle moisturizer.

Exfoliate at night as opposed to early morning. Avoid morning because your skin remains fragile after exfoliating and you don't want to expose your new layer to the harsh pollutants out there waiting to attack your newly regenerated skin.

Avoid over exfoliating! Our skin should be treated as delicate as we desire it to look. Consider your skin the most delicate organ of all! When the top layer of it is dried and withered looking, restore it with fresh new cells! Exfoliating will replenish and reveal new skin, but to overdo it means to expose your delicate organ too much! Eventually, dried skin will lead to wrinkles. This is where your daily moisturizer becomes a must! Abrasive chemicals or exfoliating too often can and will have adverse reactions to your skin. Be careful and only exfoliate two to three times a week. You will achieve radiant skin as a result.

Using exfoliating gloves is suggested if you want to continue just using your daily cleanser in conjuction with it. This is highly recommended if you have sensitive skin and utilize a cleanser designed for your skin type. If you do go with the glove, find one that is gentle, and be sure that it is a facial glove. Some products are body exfoliants, and more than likely these would be too unforgiving for your delicate face. Read the labels carefully.

If you begin to notice an unpleasant change to your skin, switch products. See a dermatologist if you suspect that you have overdone it with exfoliating. One way to tell is if your skin is unusually drier than normal, or you notice more wrinkles all at once. Continue your cleansing routine daily while enhancing it with your new exfoliating treatments. This will only add to your beauty regiment. You will be sure to notice brighter and healthier looking skin in weeks if you exfoliate carefully and consistently.