Our skin naturally exfoliates itself, but sometimes we need a little help to get rid of the dead skin cells, makeup residue, and other dirt and pollution that may take a little more effort to get rid of. After you cleanse your skin, with the use of physical or chemical exfoliators only a couple of times a week, you can keep your skin healthy and glowing. But there are a couple of options that help you with this. There are physical (or mechanical) and chemical exfoliators to choose from. You can use them interchangeably, choose one over the other depending on your skin type, or even stick with one over the other if that’s your preference.
Simply put, physical exfoliators are scrubs – they’re probably the most popular exfoliators since some even double as cleansers. Chemical exfoliators are usually acids that help deeper skin exfoliation and don’t require any rubbing against the skin like a scrub does.
So here’s how physical and chemical exfoliators work:
- They’re usually the second step in your skincare routine, right after cleansing
- They unclog your pores and clear dirt and debris from the top layer of your skin
- They prevent and tackle breakouts
- They improve skin texture and skin tone to smoothen and soften it out
- They help with skin cell turnover
- They aid in skincare product absorption
You can actually use physical or chemical exfoliators at home, or at a professional spa or dermatology center. Below is more information on how each of these exfoliators works and some recommendations for ones that perform very well and are great options for you to use at home.
At-Home Physical Exfoliation
The most basic and simple at-home physical exfoliator is to use a scrub. It contains grainy materials such as beads, sugar, or other exfoliating properties that massage against your skin to help remove blackheads, dead skin and impurities, and to brighten up the skin.
However, you need to be careful not to over-exfoliate since you can cause little abrasions to your skin. It’s also better for those with acne-prone skin to avoid a physical scrub since it can tend to irritate the skin more.
Physical Exfoliant Recommendations
1 – Murad Vita-C Triple Exfoliating Resurfacing Facial
This Resurfacing Facial is great for normal, oily, and combination skin. It helps with dullness, dark spots, and uneven texture and has Vitamin C and AHA (glycolic acid). This facial visibly exfoliates the skin and is as effective as microdermabrasion after only one use. It has physical, enzymatic, and chemical exfoliants that gently boost your skin’s radiance and their color-changing formula lets you know if you applied it evenly.
This is probably my favorite scrub to date and it really does feel like you’re having an at-home microdermabrasion experience. After only a couple minutes, your skin feels baby soft and I also love that the scent is really nice and light with a touch of citrus. The grains are also very fine so it feels quite gentle on the skin and it dissolves well too.
2 – Fresh Sugar Strawberry Exfoliating Face Wash
This gentle exfoliating scrub is good for normal, oily, and combination skin as well. It helps with pores, dullness, and uneven skin texture. It removes impurities without stripping your skin of excess oil so it doesn’t dry it out. It is made with real strawberries and sugar crystals and it smells delicious!
I love strawberries so it’s always nice using this scrub since it smells so good. I also liked that it’s gentle on the skin but does a good job of taking away dead skin and other impurities. Since it’s a sugar scrub, it also dissolves easily and it doesn’t feel like there’s anything leftover on your skin. It’s also gentle so it doesn’t hurt when you scrub your face.
3 – Wishful Yo Glow AHA And BHA Facial Enzyme Scrub
This extremely gentle facial enzyme scrub is good for all skin types and is good for even dark circles, dryness, dullness, and uneven texture. It is infused with pineapple and papaya enzymes, AHAs, and BHAs. You actually use this on dry skin and massage it on your face until you feel it ball up as it takes away all the dead skin cells and other impurities on your skin.
When I first used this, I assumed it was like just any other scrub and I thought it still worked well. But when I followed the instructions to use this on dry skin, I was surprised with how there’s actually no grainy texture and it feels like a smooth cream. As you massage it all over your face, you then start to feel the “dead skin” accumulate and the scrub actually works to clear your skin completely. If you have sensitive skin, this works very well and there’s absolutely no abrasiveness.
At-Home Chemical Exfoliation
I actually started using chemical exfoliations at home this past year. Prior to that, I went to a spa years ago to get chemical peels and that had some recovery time involved so if you’re able to deal with that, it’s not bad to get once in a while. I actually prefer at-home chemical exfoliators since they’re much gentler, more affordable, and more convenient for me.
Chemical exfoliators usually use fruit acids or plant enzymes to dissolve dead skin cells to help unclog pores and smoothen and soften the skin and don’t involve rubbing of the skin. They are usually safer than physical exfoliators since they won’t cause any kind of abrasion or micro-tears on the skin and uses a chemical solution to exfoliate. These kinds of exfoliators could be alpha and beta-hydroxy acids such as glycolic, lactic, mandelic, or salicylic acids and they penetrate deeper into the skin for better exfoliation to reduce hyperpigmentation, scarring, photodamage, and fine lines and wrinkles as well as slough away dead skin cells, buildup, and oil for a brighter complexion.
Chemical Exfoliant Recommendations
1 – Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel
This non-abrasive cream exfoliator has natural fruit enzymes to clarify the skin and dissolve dead skin without abrasion. It purifies and protects the skin and revitalizes and leaves the skin more radiant and clearer after use.
I absolutely love the soft scent and it smells absolutely edible. It’s such a luxurious experience using this and not only is it gentle and doesn’t hurt even when if you have a cut or breakout on your skin. Plus, you see results in as little as 10 minutes. I definitely see the size of my breakouts immediately reduced.
2 – Kate Somerville Liquid ExfoliKate Triple Acid Resurfacing Treatment
An Allure Best of Beauty winner, this resurfacing treatment is good for all skin types and helps with pores, uneven texture, and dullness. It is a leave-on exfoliating solution so I sometimes use this and skip a toner. It helps refine the look of pores to help smooth the skin texture. It provides gentle chemical exfoliation and dissolves dead skin buildup so your skincare products absorb better.
I definitely advise not using this if you have any kind of cut on your face since it will sting quite a bit. You can pour some of this on a cotton pad and apply it like a toner. But this is pretty effective and you can see results after a few uses. I usually use this in more of an emergency situation when I get breakouts or textured skin and it helps keep them at bay. It really does help with texture and clearer skin!
3 – Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel
This two-step peel pad is pre-dosed with 5 kinds of acids to reduce uneven skin texture, dullness, pores, hyperpigmentation, and dark spots. It also helps with fine lines, wrinkles, and acne as well. If you’re looking to travel, this is a great option to have since it isn’t actually a liquid item. The first pad does sting a bit if you have a cut but the second pad is really gentle and makes your skin feel a lot better.
I’ve used this since my university days years ago and it’s one of my favorite chemical exfoliators to use. It’s very effective and you can also see results after a few uses. It’s also gentle enough to use every day and there are 3 types you can choose from: original (my favorite), gentle, or extra strength.
Tips When Using Physical Or Chemical Exfoliators
1 – Don’t over-exfoliate or you can get redness, flakiness, or even dry out your skin. Sometimes you can even cause yourself to get some breakouts since it strips away your skin’s protective barrier completely.
2 – Always use sunscreen since your skin is more exposed and prone to sunburns.
3 – Remember to moisturize
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