Face exfoliator serums have taken the world by storm as they promise a radiant and youthful exfoliation. These serums act as magic potions as they not only remove the dead skin cells from the skin’s surface but also provide us with smoother, brighter, and youthful skin.Â
To begin with, let us understand what exfoliant means for the cosmetics industry!
The term exfoliant means products or treatments that help remove dead skin cells, promoting smoother and healthier skin.
Exfoliation and its Types Explained
In the simplest terms, exfoliation is a fundamental step of skincare for the removal of dead skin cells from the skin’s surface. Our skin naturally exfoliates by shedding dead skin cells every 28 days. However, with age, changes in climate, and skin type, the shedding process slows down, due to which the dead skin cells accumulate at the surface, leading to skin darkness, dullness, and many other problems. This is where exfoliation comes to aid and helps unveil the underneath smooth and bright skin.Â
In general, exfoliation can be of two kinds:
- Physical
- Chemical
In physical exfoliation, physical tools like a wet cloth, loofah, or face scrubs are employed to physically remove the dead skin cells from the top layers of the skin.
Chemical exfoliation, on the other hand, involves the use of specific chemical compounds, such as alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs), enzymes, etc., to break and dissolve the bonds between the dead skin cells.
Depending on your skin type, specific concerns, and preferences, you can choose the type of exfoliation method you want to incorporate into your daily skincare regimen, physical or chemical.
What are Face Exfoliators?
Face exfoliators are skincare products designed to precisely remove the dead skin cells from the face’s surface. These products give our faces a radiant, bright, and smooth look. In addition to removing dead skin cells, face exfoliators yield many other benefits for youthful-looking skin.
Some of these benefits include:
- Unclog pores, which helps prevent breakouts
- Improve the skin texture by eliminating dry or dull skin
- Stimulate blood flow and increase the circulation in the face
- Provide better absorption of other skincare products like serums, toners, sunscreen, etc
- Help in the reduction of fine lines and wrinkles on the face
- Soften the face’s skin
- Help in reducing acne scarring
- Even out the skin tone
- Help in removing blackheads and whiteheads
Face exfoliators can be incorporated into a skincare regimen either in the form of physical exfoliators, like exfoliating scrubs, mitts, or gloves, or exfoliating tools; chemical exfoliators, like AHAs, BHAs, or enzymes. Depending on your skin type, preferences, and specific concerns, it is necessary to exfoliate your face two to three times every week for the best results.
What are Exfoliating Serums?
Exfoliating serums typically use acids such as alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), butyl-hydroxy acids (BHAs), or poly-hydroxy acids (PHAs) that penetrate the skin layers to remove dead skin cells and promote a healthy, brighter skin. These are the best options for people seeking to address fine lines, dullness, uneven skin tone, dryness, wrinkles, and acne. Certain ingredients you must ensure are present in exfoliating serums before buying, including salicylic acid, malic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, and citric acid.
Choosing the Right Exfoliating Serum Depending on Your Skin Type
Everyone has different skin types. Some people have dry skin, some have oily skin, some have acne-prone skin, some have sensitive skin, and some might have a combination of different skin types. The best way to choose exfoliating serums is generally according to your skin type. Some tips for selecting the exfoliating serum that best suits your needs according to your skin type are given below.
Dry Skin
While exfoliating an already dry skin can be highly tricky, it is also essential to remove the dead skin cells and allow the other products to penetrate the skin more easily. Exfoliating serum for dry skin is recommended to contain hyaluronic acid, lactic acid, or a natural ingredient like calendula extract, as they provide extra moisture to your dry skin.
Oily Skin
In oily skin types, dead cells tend to stick more to the surface, thus making exfoliation an essential part of the skincare regimen. Using salicylic acid exfoliating serum is beneficial since salicylic acid is an oil-soluble BHA that helps in controlling oiliness and effectively reduces acne without leaving any blemishes or scars.
Sensitive Skin
For sensitive skin types, using an exfoliating serum that removes the dead skin cells without penetrating too deep and is not too irritating is the key. Dermatologists generally recommend using exfoliating serums containing mandelic acid or lactic acid for sensitive skin types.
Normal Skin
An excellent exfoliator serum for normal skin contains Vitamin C, as Vitamin C is known to preserve the skin’s oils, thus giving it a healthy and hydrated look. Our Magic de Face C Serum is an excellent serum that is best suited for normal skin and helps in combating acne and aging as well.
Kinds of Exfoliating Serums
Depending on the critical components found, exfoliating serums can be of different kinds:
Alpha Hydroxy Acid(AHA) Serums: Alpha-hydroxy acids are soluble in water. These generally work by loosening and breaking the bonds between the dead skin cells.
Some of the common AHA exfoliating serums in India include:
- Glycolic Acid: Derived from sugar cane, glycolic acid is an ordinary AHA exfoliating serum in India that helps improve skin texture and reduces the appearance of fine lines.
- Lactic Acid: Often derived from milk, lactic acid exfoliating serums are moderate in their actions and are best suited for sensitive skin types.
- Mandelic Acid: Mandelic acid is another AHA suited for sensitive skin types. It also helps in reducing uneven skin tone and texture.
- Beta-Hydroxy Acids (BHAs): Beta-Hydroxy acids are oil-soluble and penetrate pores easily, thus making them highly effective for treating skin concerns like acne, blackheads, and skin congestion. The most common type of BHA found in exfoliating serums includes salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is ideal for oily skin types and helps to reduce blackheads, whiteheads, and acne breakouts.
- Poly-Hydroxy Acids (PHAs): Poly-Hydroxy acids (PHAs) are a considerably new generation of exfoliating serums much gentler than AHAs and BHAs. Exfoliating serums with PHAs also have moisturizing properties and help treat the skin barrier, if any.
Do It With Care!
Although exfoliation is essential, exfoliating every day can have more adverse effects. Excess exfoliation can weaken the skin barrier and irritate it. Incorporating exfoliation into your skin care regimen is relatively easy. Depending on your skin type, concerns, and preferences, find a face exfoliator that best suits your needs, and apply a thin layer of your exfoliator on damp skin after cleansing.
This exfoliation process must be carried out 2 to 3 times weekly for the best results. Do remember that dermatologists generally recommend using chemical exfoliants over physical ones, as physical exfoliants can have side effects like irritation, flaking, dryness, redness, and, in severe cases, micro tears.
