Have you ever noticed that many men’s faces seem to age better than women’s faces? Wonder why? Maybe, just maybe, it’s because most men exfoliate just about every day. Most women would say, “My guy doesn’t even care about his skin, no less exfoliate every day!” Even if they don’t specifically take care of their skin, if they shave every day, they are exfoliating.

There are many ways to remove dead, keratinized skin cells from the face and body. Some should be done at home, and some should be done by a trained professional. Here, we’ll delve into both ways.

Let’s talk about DIY exfoliation. There are many ingredients that help remove pore clogging, gray looking, old, flakey skin. These ingredients are edible and can be mixed together to help moisturize the skin too. A few helpful ingredients are fine sugars and salts, ground seeds, honey, yogurt, lemon and oatmeal. Many of these can be mixed with coconut, almond, olive and many other plant-based oils to make them a wonderful moisturizer while scrubbing off that nasty, old skin. A loofa, dry brushing or a good pair of exfoliating gloves are gentle ways to help with flakey body skin. They also help with circulation.

How often you exfoliate depends on a lot of things. Is your skin fair, sensitive, dry, acne prone or older? Where do you live? Is it humid or extremely dry? Are you in the sun a lot? Do you work outside? A good aesthetician should be able to answer any questions that you may have. 

Now let’s look at the ways professionals exfoliate. The four main ways that the pros offer are: chemical peels, microdermabrasion, derma-planing and ultra-sonic facial spatulas. Chemical peels are just that. They are chemicals (natural acids) that dry out the surface layer, causing it to flake and peel off. There are many types of peels, some mild and some intense. A specialist will assist with choosing which should be done.

Microdermabrasion is basically a way to “sand” off excess dead cells. The newest technology uses a tool that has ground diamonds on its tip. The tip of the tool is rubbed over the skin, therefore abrading the unwanted skin cells and leaving a softer, healthier, shinier skin surface.

Ultra-sonic spatulas use vibrations to raise debris out of the skin and to its surface. The spatula gently scrapes that debris off.

Derma-planing uses a surgical scalpel, held gently at a very specific angle, to remove velus hair (peach fuzz) and dead ugly surface skin. Remember the guys’ faces? Now women can give them a run for their money.

Remember, exfoliation involves removing the oldest, dead skin cells on the surface of your face and body. It is one of the most important aspects of your home skin care routine. It will help improve skin tone, reduce breakouts and acne, hide wrinkles, minimize pores and help stimulate collagen, leaving you with healthier, younger looking skin.

Debbie Shaw is a licensed aesthetician that owns Alternatives in Health Care Detox Therapy Spa. Her passion for health and anti-aging leads her to teach people how to cleanse and replenish their bodies inside and out. Her spa is having a derma-planing special for the month of May. To find out more or to make an appointment, call 520-275-4510. Mention this article for special pricing. See ad, page 27.