Ahhh…..beautiful skin. If God had asked me if there was one thing I could have, as he was putting me together and getting ready to send me down to Earth (besides health, world peace, and the elimination of hunger, of course), I would’ve told him to wrap me in flawless, pore-free, beautiful skin. I’d have chosen it over shampoo-model hair, a voice worthy of winning a Grammy, and smooth, skinny thighs (though perfect thighs would be a very close second and well, hell, I’d love to be able to carry a tune). Since God didn’t have the courtesy to ask me, however, I’ve had to figure out how to attain beautiful skin on my own. And I must say, I’ve been giving it my best shot.

I’ve learned some pretty valuable lessons regarding skin care over time. No, they’re not “Skin Care Secrets!!” or “Beauty Breakthroughs We’ve All Been Waiting For!” or anything like the claims you’ll find on the front cover of every fashion and beauty magazine (which end up being disappointing anyway). But they’re tried and true and with the help of my dermatologist and aesthetician - I’ve come pretty far. And now I’m going to share these lessons with you.

The three most important things you can do to ensure your skin will look its best over your lifetime are:

1) Exfoliation
2) Hydration
3) Protection

See, it ain’t rocket science…but these three things ARE essential. In this post (the first of the Cool Broad “Beautiful Skin” series), we’re going to focus on the first: exfoliation.

Anitra Brown, a licensed aesthetician and journalist, explains why exfoliation is important: “Our skin is constantly generating new skin cells at the lower layer (the dermis) and sending them to the surface (the epidermis). As the cells rise to the surface, they gradually die and become filled with keratin. The keratinized skin cells are essential. They give our skin its protective quality, but are constantly sloughing off the make way for younger cells.”

“As we age, the process of cell turnover slows down. Cells start to pile up unevenly on the skin’s surface, giving it a dry, rough, dull appearance. Exfoliation is beneficial because it removes those cells that are clinging on, and reveals the fresher, younger skin cells below.”

Exfoliation also helps unclog pores, reduce acne breakouts and preps the skin so that products such as serums can penetrate the skin more effectively. There are two types of exfoliation: mechanical and chemical.

Mechanical exfoliation is when we use an abrasive material (either natural or man-made) to physically rub off the outer layer of dead skin cells. There are so many facial scrubs on the market to choose from, but if you’re treating scars, age spots or severely sun-damaged skin, you may need something more aggressive, such as microdermabrasion.

Chemical exfoliation is the use of enzymes, alphahydroxy acids (AHAs) or betahydroxy acids (BHAS) to loosen the glue-like substance that holds the dead skin cells together. Again, there are many over-the-counter chemical exfoliants to choose from. Chemical peels given in your dermatologist’s office are stronger than anything you can buy in the store and will penetrate the skin more deeply (in some cases even into the dermis).

I have yet to try microdermabrasion or chemical peels, but I‘d love to hear from any of you who have and what your experiences have been. I am, however, a big fan of the skin care line Dermalogica. My aesthetician uses the line exclusively when she gives facials and I’ve come to count several of their products as my absolute favorite, can’t-ever-be-caught-without, products. Two of those products are exfoliants:

Daily Microfoliant: this is a rice-based enzyme powder which activates upon contact with water. The rice enzymes and sacylic acid smooth the skin and accelerate cell renewal. Rice Bran, salicylic acid, green tea, grapefruit and licorice help to balance uneven skin pigmentation and rice bran and rice starch microfoliate the skin surface. It’s gentle enough to be used every day and has been a top pick on MakeupAlley as well as by readers of Allure Magazine. This is one of my favorite products, especially if I’m going out and get to take another shower in the evening. It always leaves my skin crazy smooth and glowing which gives me that extra boost of confidence.

Skin Prep Scrub: this exfoliant is more mechanical than the Daily Microfoliant and is made with natural, finely-granulated corn cob meal which gently removes the dulling surface debris. Ingredients also include extract of mallow, ivy and cucumber as well as aloe vera to help prevent over-stimulation of the skin. Skin Prep Scrub also leaves my skin incredibly smooth, but it’s a serious exfoliant that should only be used once or twice a week.

A word of caution: it is possible to overexfoliate. Recently, I began using Retin-A (which is basically a prescription exfoliant), but still continued my use of the two exfoliants above. My skin became dry and rough, which made me think I needed to exfoliate more, so I did and, well…you can see where I’m going with this. My aesthetician told me that I was exfoliating too much, so now, because I still use Retin-A, I exfoliate only when I feel I need it (which is sometimes only a couple of times a month). In the winter, Skin Prep Scrub works wonders on my lips and keeps them from getting flaky.

A few recommendations: If you do use a mechanical exfoliant, make sure it is one designed specifically for the face…not the body (those can be too rough). Also, find a good aesthetician. It’s easy to abuse skincare products (as I can atest) and having someone check the condition of your skin once a quarter can keep you on the right track. A good aesthetician will be able to look at your skin, diagnose your problem areas and give you advice and suggestions regarding your skin care routine. Sometimes, I consider my aesthetician a more valuable resource than my dermatologist, and really only go to my dermatologist for an annual skin check and to take off a mole every now and then.

That’s it…exfoliation in a nutshell! Be on the lookout for Part 2: Hydration.

~tcb

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