Recently, I have been hearing a lot of controversy over if chemical or psychical exfoliates are better for the skin. As well as anyone else, I know how confusing skincare products can be when you are breaking down ingredients and purposes. Today I am breaking down what is chemical and physical exfoliates, as well as the benefits and drawbacks to both.
Please keep in mind that no matter what method you use to exfoliate your skin, you should only exfoliate your face once or twice a week. You need to moisturize after you psychically exfoliate because it can make your skin dry.
Chemical exfoliates uses chemicals to remove dead skin, it tends to take longer than physical exfoliation because the chemicals need time to break apart the dead skin. Alpha Hydroxy acids remove topical dry skin, while Beta Hydroxy acids penetrate the pores.
Some professional chemical exfoliates treatments are to be used sparely to avoid irritation or infections. Despite the name, chemicals exfoliates are safe for sensitive skin and tend to cause less irritation if used as instructed. If you have acne or problem skin, it will be able to get in deeper than using a physical exfoliates.
Psychical exfoliates are what people often associate first with when they hear about exploitation. These usually include scrubs and tools that are abrasive against the skin and can include grain-like consistency to remove dead skin and facial tools like scrubbing brushes. These products are more natural and useless chemicals for chemical exfoliation.
Psychical exfoliation can cause small tears in the skin, which can lead to irritation if you have sensitive skin or use too often. It is still considered safe to use sparely to help remove dead skin and allow skincare products to penetrate. Psychical exfoliates can also stimulate the skin to make the skin appear more glowing, rosy and youthful. Avoid using anything too harsh like nut shells to avoid severe irritation and stay away from gel beads because they cause pollution.
In the end, you can use either one or both depending on your needs but remember no matter what do not use either more than twice a week. It may be worth picking up a few and testing them out or talking to your dermatologist about what they suggest for your skin.