Skin Exfoliating - Removing Dead Skin Cells
Many skin care products and advertisements like to use words such as: exfoliating, exfoliation, or exfoliant, but what does
"exfoliating" really mean? Dating back to the ancient Egyptians, skin exfoliation has been used to remove dead skin cells from the epidermis,
the skin’s outermost layer. This skin care practice became popular in the United States as a result of spa and skin care clinics offering chemical
peels, a technique that has become the symbol of a trip to the spa. Advancements in technology have made it very popular for people to do at home
via chemical exfoliants designed to “scrub” the clean skin of dead skin cells.
The reason these dead skin cells need to be removed is because after a skin cell develops and travels to the surface, it will eventually
become acidic and this can dry out the top layer of skin. When your skin becomes dry, not only will it become very itchy, but it will try to
make your glands produce more oil in an attempt to moisturize the skin. This does not always work because if the pores are clogged, which
dead skin cells can do, the oil will backup and a blemish will form. This is why regularly exfoliating your skin with a high quality skin
exfoliant that won’t damage your skin even further is very important and should be a regular part of your skin care routine.