Like many teens in the aughts, I spent most nights dutifully scouring my face with a popular scrub that smelled like apricot and felt like sandpaper. Years later, my nightly routine evolved into smearing my face with various expensive acids. The products were different, but the message was the same: in order to look our best, consumers needed to constantly be exfoliating – stripping off the top, dull layer of skin in order to reveal the glowing epidermis below.
In beauty publications and on social media, exfoliation is often presented as an essential step in a skincare routine. In a column from May, Goop’s beauty director, Jean Godfrey-June, wrote: “I am a huge enthusiast when it comes to exfoliation.” On TikTok, videos claim it’s a necessity. “Why you NEED to exfoliate 1-2x a week,” says one. “POV: You need to exfoliate 2-3x a week!!” says another.
While experts agree there are benefits to proper exfoliation, they also say it’s possible to take it too far. So how often do you really need to be exfoliating? And, what happens if you don’t do it?
What is exfoliation?
“Exfoliation is the process of shedding dead skin cells from the surface of the skin,” says Dr Joshua Zeichner, an associate professor of dermatology and director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai hospital in New York City. This process happens naturally and is part of the skin’s natural life cycle. Usually, the skin turns over every few weeks, and dead cells are replaced by new ones. But a buildup of dead skin cells can cause skin to look dull, Zeichner says. Some people choose to speed up this turnover process with exfoliants.
There are two types of exfoliants: physical (or mechanical) and chemical. Physical exfoliants, like my apricot scrub, often contain gritty particles that “physically remove the cells as they are massaged onto the skin”, Zeichner explains. This can also be achieved with a rough object like a loofah or an exfoliating washcloth.
Chemical exfoliators, on the other hand, contain acids that work by “dissolving connections between cells, allowing them to be shed”, says Zeichner.
Chemical exfoliants often contain alpha hydroxy acids like glycolic acid or lactic acid, or beta hydroxy acids like salicylic acid, says Dr Murad Alam, vice-chair of the department of dermatology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. “Retinols in cosmetic products or topical medications can also be used as exfoliants,” he adds.
What are the benefits of exfoliation?
There are many benefits to properly exfoliating, says Dr Shari Lipner, a dermatologist at Weill Cornell Medicine. These include “making skin look clearer, preventing clogged pores and thus acne, and improving penetration of applied skin products”, she says. It can also be especially helpful for those with acne-prone skin.
While exfoliation is often presented as a way for skin to look more youthful by reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, experts aren’t so sure about that claim. “I don’t think exfoliation is going to fix anyone’s wrinkles,” Dr Rachel Reynolds, interim chair of dermatology at the Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center told the Harvard health blog in May.
How often should you exfoliate?
For those who do choose to exfoliate, it’s not meant to be part of a daily routine.
“Nobody really needs to exfoliate every day,” says Zeichner. For most people, one to two times a week is enough, he says.
Lipner says it also depends on one’s skin type. While weekly exfoliation may work for someone with oily skin, for those with dry or sensitive skin, she recommends limiting exfoliation to once or twice a month.
To see how your skin might respond to a product, Alam suggests testing it on a small patch of skin before applying it to your whole face. And don’t use exfoliants if you have acne, open sores or a sunburn. “Your skin is already injured, and exfoliation may lead to further irritation, darkening or lightening of the skin, and even scarring,” he says.
Can you over-exfoliate?
Yes. Overdoing exfoliation, both chemical and physical, can irritate the skin by causing it to tear and by damaging the cells in the skin, says Alam. He adds that over-exfoliating can also “remove the natural oils and chemicals that keep the skin healthy”.
Over-exfoliated skin will look dry, red and irritated. It may feel itchy and start to flake. If this happens, don’t race to apply more products, as this can further irritate the skin.
“If you have overdone it with exfoliation, the best thing you can do is moisturize,” says Lipner. She recommends moisturizing at least twice a day, and maybe three times if your skin is “extra dry”.
What happens if you don’t exfoliate?
In short: nothing.
“There is no harm in not exfoliating,” says Lipner. Skin may appear slightly more dull, but it will self-exfoliate in a few weeks.
It is tempting to turn to products and devices to improve our skin, says Alam. But for most people, he says, “a good diet, routine exercise, adequate sleep and drinking enough water will be more helpful for normal skin health than exfoliation”.
