a woman with pimples due to over exfoliation

Side Effects of Over Exfoliation

Removing dead skin cells from the surface of the skin is known as exfoliation. Exfoliation, when done properly, leaves your skin feeling nourished, lush, and healthy. It also makes it easier for your cosmetic products to permeate the skin. While exfoliating is an important part of any skin care programme, going overboard is not recommended.

When it comes to skin exfoliation, less is always more. The dead skin cells that make up your skin are kept together by an oil-based material. This structure aids in the retention of moisture for natural lubrication. When you exfoliate too much, you remove too many layers of natural protection from your skin, causing difficulties.

Can over-exfoliating cause permanent damage?

Irritation and Redness of the Skin

Irritation and redness may indicate that your skin has been over-exfoliated. Over-exfoliation may cause skin inflammation, which is one of the first indicators of over-exfoliation. After exfoliation, it's natural for your skin to become somewhat red. If your skin stays red for hours or days after exfoliating, it's probably time to quit.

You may get a minor burning sensation or itchy skin after using a chemical exfoliating solution, which indicates that your skin's barrier has been compromised. The barrier's job is to keep allergens and irritants out of the skin. Drying your skin with towels and washcloths after this barrier has been breached may irritate it even more.

If you continue to irritate your skin, you may increase your chances of developing contact dermatitis. To correct this problem, you could either modify your exfoliating product or lower the frequency with which you exfoliate.

Skin Acne

Acne may be an indication of skin that has been over-exfoliated. We wish to underline the importance of skin exfoliating procedures such as chemical peels. Exfoliating your skin on a regular basis will help to clean the dirt from your pores and avoid pimples. Exfoliating too much, on the other hand, might be harmful. Exfoliating too much weakens the skin and compromises its defences. Acne-causing bacteria may easily enter the skin and grow pimples as a result of this.

Active acne that is over-exfoliated distributes the germs to the rest of the face, resulting in persistent acne that lasts a long time. Excessive exfoliation also creates irritation, which prevents existing acne from healing and leads to the development of new acne. If you discover new breakouts, you should minimise the quantity of exfoliation you use to keep your acne from becoming worse.

Flaky skin

Excessive exfoliation might cause flakiness. Excessive exfoliation may cause the skin to become rough, dry, spotty, and flaking. This typically indicates that your skin has lost its capacity to absorb and retain moisture as a result of over-exfoliation. The results of your beauty regimen and skin care products will be significantly harmed if this occurs.

After noticing flakes on their skin, most individuals continue to exfoliate. This will simply exacerbate the over-exfoliation. Fine lines and wrinkles, which are telltale indicators of over-exfoliation, are visible on dehydrated skin. After exfoliating, apply hydrating and moisturising creams if your skin is harsh and flaky. Reduce the number of times you exfoliate your skin, as well.

Increased Oil Production

Excessive exfoliation might cause oiliness. Another indicator of excessive exfoliation is oily skin. Excess oil production may occur as a result of your skin correcting for oils lost during exfoliation. This is how your skin hydrates and protects itself from the elements. If the skin's natural oils are removed, it is vulnerable to injury. To avoid the loss of these oils, always moisturise after exfoliation.

Gleaming and shiny skin

Excessive exfoliation may cause the skin to shine. If your skin is glossy and transparent after exfoliating, it's possible you've damaged it. After your skin has been deprived of its natural texture, shininess appears. It's also a sign that the skin's barrier has been compromised, giving it an unnatural look. This over-exfoliation symptom is especially frequent in retinoid users who use prescription-strength retinoids.

Shiny skin is only attractive when it is the consequence of a successful skin care programme. Use hydration products (such as moisturisers and essences) instead of exfoliants to obtain dewy, shining skin with a natural glow and highlight. Reduce the number of times you exfoliate each week or switch to a chemical exfoliant with fewer acids.

Tight, rough and dry skin

Excessively exfoliated skin might cause dryness. Your skin may lose its natural lubrication after being deprived of its natural oils. This causes your skin to feel tight and dry, particularly after you've cleansed it. When you grin, it may seem like your skin is splitting in certain circumstances. Oil deficiency affects all skin types at some point, making your skin feel tight. Exfoliating dry skin too much might aggravate the problem.

When it comes to exfoliation, it's important to get the correct balance. Scrubs, retinol, AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids), BHAs (Beta Hydroxy Acids), and other active ingredients combined with other active compounds might be too severe for most skin types. Your skin may withstand regular exfoliation during the hot, humid months. Over-exfoliation is particularly prevalent in the winter since your skin gets dry and dried more readily.

A neglected or damaged skin barrier is the root of most skin issues. You must look after your skin barrier if you want to attain your skin objectives and have beautiful, glowing skin. Consult Beauty Med to build a skincare programme that focuses on maintaining the health of this barrier!

Take Away

Exfoliation frequency varies from person to person. To prevent over-exfoliating your skin, always follow the exfoliant's labelled directions and create your skin rejuvenation programme from there.