That fresh skin feeling you get after you slough off the dead skin cells is nothing short of amazing. Moisturizer really penetrates, makeup glides on flawlessly, and your skin glows.
But, exfoliation can do a lot of damage if used too much. Speaking from personal experience, this beauty product can have disastrous effects on your skin.
Scroll back to Junior year in high schoo: I was wearing makeup, and of course, washing my face at night. But, after being on Pinterest for far too long, I realized that people usually washed their face twice—once for getting rid of makeup and again for actually cleaning your pores. So I started washing my face twice a day with a very strong cleanser, and I started to break out (my skin was being stripped of moisture).
Naturally, when I started breaking out, I decided to do what any teenage girl would do—log onto Pinterest. How should I get rid of my acne?? And, from browsing through Pinterest, I realized the beauty secret: exfoliator. “Exfoliate away dead skin cells that clog your pores!!” “The Secret Reason You’re Breaking Out” “Celebrity Beauty Secrets!”
Naturally, I wanted full benefits of this amazing product. I bought a bottle and incorporated it into my routine—as my second wash, every day. Naturally, my skin was drying and flaking off, my breakouts increased, and my self-esteem plummeted. But, of course, I attributed this to makeup. I kept on with my horrible beauty routine, and when my skin got worse, I bought a beauty rag that had extra exfoliating properties to combine with my exfoliator.
It took me months to stop. Eventually, I went to the dermatologist, who just threw medicine at me. Knowing that antibiotics were not a long-term plan to deal with my problem, I desperately went to WebMD. I knew my entire routine had to stop and I had to change it completely with the help of certified professionals. By reading just a few articles, of course I realized that all of the exfoliating was turning my skin into hamburger meat and forcing the blemishes that were there to leave hyperpigmentation.
It’s been about a year now. My skin is much better, thanks to WebMD’s guidance. I stopped exfoliating for a long time, but lately I have gradually brought it back into my routine. I exfoliate twice a week now, and my skin has drastically improved since I’ve cut back. Although I’m still suffering from my foolishness two years ago, I can honestly say that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. My acne is under control for the most part and my hyperpigmentation is fading.
This goes to say, that treat everything you read on the internet with caution, especially on Pinterest. Some of the advice that people pin can cause more damage than just deformed cupcakes.