How often should you exfoliate your skin?

Exfoliation is one of the most important steps in a skincare routine. “It helps to keep your skin silky soft and smooth buffing away and removing dead skin cells,” said Parinita Bansal, a dermatolog. However, this seemingly simple skincare step, if not done properly or overdone, can be equally damaging.
Talking about the same, Dr Aanchal Panth took to Instagram to l some common signs that are indicative of over-exfoliation. “With a variety of peeling solutions and exfoliants available today, we see a lot of people who are over-exfoliating,” she wrote while ling the signs, which include:
*Redness*Itching or irritation*Dry stretchy skin*Wrinkles look more prominent*Flaking for more than a week*Spots getting darker
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Agreed Dr Bansal and said, “Whilst it is important to buff away dead skin cells you also want to take care not to strip away too much of your skin’s natural oils.” According to the expert, one must “exfoliate their skin twice a week.” “ maintaining a twice-weekly exfoliating regime, you can keep dry, dull skin at bay without stripping away those necessary natural oils,” she told .

According to Dr Panth, people with dry or normal skin should exfoliate once a month while those with oily to combination skin should do it twice a month. “Don’t use peeling solutions in case of sensitive skin,” she warned, adding “use products with soothing and hydrating ingredients such as ceramide bisabolol panthenol, centella niacinamide, shea butter, cocoa butter along with plain zinc oxide sunscreen.”

Talking about the benefits of exfoliation, Dr Bansal said, “It helps in antiaging, improving skin hydration and moure levels, and makes the skin smooth and glowing.” However, she also warned that while exfoliating one should neither scrub the face or body too hard nor use a harsh exfoliant as “you may find your skin becomes too dried out which can result in the production of excess sebum,” she said. Always opt for “a gentle exfoliant and use a light mouriser to rehydrate your skin after exfoliating,” she suggested.
Adding to that, Dr Aanchal led the order one should follow—
*Gentle cleanser first*Use an essence or serum*Apply a liberal quantity of mouriser*Follow this up with a sunscreen
Dr Parinita further said that people can also opt for physical exfoliation which involve “the use of a granular scrub which, when applied to the skin, physically buffs or abrades the skin’s surface and there removes dead skin cell build-up.”
“Chemical exfoliation (chemical exfoliants are acids that get rid of dead skin cells), mechanical exfoliation ( apply the scrub to your skin, massage it in circular motions, then rinse), and laser exfoliation,” can also be used.
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