The Importance Of Exfoliating Your Body to Avoid Dead Skin Build Up

We’ve talked about the importance of exfoliating over and over again - however, most of our articles have focused on the face! Today, we’re talking about the benefits of exfoliating your body to help promote regular surface cell turnover, relieve dryness, and improve skin texture.

In case you missed our Exfoliating 101 blog post, we’ll walk you through the top benefits of exfoliating and then dive into how the skin on your body differs from your face.

 

benefits of exfoliating

The skin on your body is thicker than the skin on your face, and may require more frequent / stronger exfoliation, depending on its specific needs. However, there’s a fine line between proper exfoliation and over-exfoliation. If your skin is more sensitive, you may still want to stick to less frequent exfoliation, or stay away from jagged, larger exfoliating agents like sugar, salt, and coffee.

 

what does exfoliating do for your body besides keep it nice and soft? 

improved texture

Dead skin cells build up on the skin’s surface over time, as new skin cells develop underneath. As those dead cells sit on your skin’s surface, they trap the new cells underneath, which can cause clogged pores and uneven texture. 

Sloughing these dead cells away is a great way to cut down on congestion in the skin, while also leaving your skin feeling smoother and softer.

 

improved absorption of other products

When dead cells sit on the surface of the skin, they can block oils and moisturizers from properly penetrating into the skin. This can lead to a lack of hydration, which will only cause more dead cells to build up at the surface! By exfoliating your skin and sloughing away dead cells, you're helping your moisturizers penetrate more deeply, so your skin can stay properly hydrated.

     

    What is body acne, and what makes it different from acne on your face?

    Body acne is usually caused by the combination of moisture and friction. When there’s friction between the skin and the fabric you’re wearing, especially in hot or moist climates, the lining of your skin’s pores is broken down. The top layer of skin dies, while sweat and bacteria trapped on the skin’s surface, or in your fabric, over-hydrates the pores. This clogs your skin with excess sebum and dead skin cells, causing inflamed follicles.

     

    How can exfoliating help?

    Regular exfoliating is a SUPER important part of preventing and treating body acne and inflamed pores. You want to rid your skin’s surface of those dead skin cells to help prevent bacteria, sweat, and dirt from getting stuck underneath the skin’s surface.

     

    The takeaways

    Here's what we hope you got from this article:

    • Exfoliating your body is just as important as exfoliating your face
    • Exfoliation is important for preventing and treating body breakouts and clogged or inflamed pores
    • Exfoliation helps your moisturizer sink in better
    • The skin on your body is thicker than the skin on your face, which may allow you to use rougher exfoliating agents, like coffee, salt, and sugar.