Posted Monday, January 23, 2012 by Christina Marrale,

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Skin and it’s ability to regenerate will always fascinate me. When we are young, skin regenerates its surface area every two to three weeks on the epidermal layer, meaning it replaces the old skin cells with the new! Yet, when we age the process slows down due to sun exposure, environmental pollution, breakdown of collagen, lack of moisture and more (sounds fun, doesn’t it?) No worries my friends, there is hope!! Sure, anti-aging products and a good regimen will help to prevent and maintain the skin, but exfoliation will take it to another level. When you keep up on exfoliating, everything improves from the way skincare absorbs, to the way makeup lies onto the face, to a younger looking more youthful appearance.

 I know what your thinking, “How can I tell when I need to exfoliate?” “How often should I do it?” First, take notice and investigate the appearance of your skin….how is it looking? a bit rough, dry, or congested? Are you having breakouts? These are all signs to look when you are determining when and how often you need to exfoliate.

 -Normal Skin: I recommend exfoliating up to 2-3 times a week. Products geared towards a chemical, enzyme, scrub exfoliation should work best for you.

 -Oily Skin: I recommend exfoliating a bit more frequently to help control oil and reduce oil secretion, 3-4 times a week should be good. Focus on products geared more towards a clay, cornmeal, salicylic acid or enzyme exfoliation.

-Dry/Sensitive Skin: I recommend exfoliating 1-2 times a week, using products geared towards more gentle ingredients such as rice bran, oats, polyurethane or silicone beads. Avoid chemical exfoliants, as these can be much too harsh on your skin.

 Note that these are just standard recommendations; feel free to experiment around with how often you exfoliate. It took me a while to find what works best, how often and what products work perfectly with my skin.