Urban Cowgirl®

Exfoliation: Better Looking Skin, by Eli Rohde – esthetician

As an esthetician I often get asked ;

“What is the secret to better, younger looking skin?”

My answer is always the same:

“Exfoliation.“

A basic definition of exfoliation is the removal of scales. In skincare it equates to getting rid of that dull dry lifeless skin…as fast as possible and changing the overall appearance and health of the skin. As we age, our “cell turnover rate” (that is the rate at which a juicy plump cell travels from the dermis to the epidermis) dramatically decreases. If we can help this process along, by exfoliating regularly and appropriately for our skin type, we can create healthy skin. There are several types of exfoliations and the all have their merits and drawbacks, just like everything in life. Lets take a moment to talk about the top 3 methods of exfoliation.

Manual exfoliation- Most people are familiar with this method. A scrub, an abrasive agent mixed in with a cleansing agent that manually removes dead skin cell from the epidermis while you massage it in. While manual exfoliation is fine, I do not recommend it for my acne clients as I feel it abrades the skin too severely and creates a breeding ground for bacteria.

Enzymes- Enzymes are any of various proteins, as pepsin, originating from living cells and capable of producing certain chemical changes in organic substances by catalytic action, as in digestion. Put more simply, enzymes eat your dead skin cells. A marked benefit of enzymes is that they only go after the dead cells, leaving the live cells intact.

Acids- Sometimes I see people cringe when I mention putting acid on the skin. One thing you need to know is…your skin is acid! Yes, its true, human skin on the pH scale is somewhere between 4.5 and 6. This is due to the fact that the primary function of your skin is protection. Putting acid on your skin breaks up the bond that holds dead, and live skin cells together. An esthetician might use a lower pH acid then you could find in the corner store or get in a “take home” skin care product, but that’s what he or she went to school for. Many nightime lotions and creams contain some levels of acid that helps increase your cell turnover rate.
In summation, if you are in the habit of removing your dead skin cells with regularity then you are doing right by your skin. Ask an esthetician which method of exfoliation is best for you as skin changes with the seasons and with age.

Eli Rohde practices Esthetics at:
Tangles Hair Salon
3417 Highland Ave
Manhattan Beach, CA
310 977 1579
eligirl@gmail.com

tags: Acids, Enzymes, Esthetician, Esthetics, Exfoliation, Skin Care

Posted May 14th, 2009 by UrbanCowgirl