Exfoliating the face: how often and with what

For most skin types, exfoliating the face once or twice a week is enough; sensitive skin is satisfied with once, or with a very gentle exfoliant. Exfoliating too often is the most common mistake: the skin becomes red and more reactive.

The three types of exfoliants

• Granule scrubs: exfoliate with massage. Valmont's Face Exfoliant combines a silky cream with very fine quartz crystals.
• Enzymatic: without granules, more delicate. Bakel's Enzy Peel Powder, a powder to be activated with water, or Insium's Enzymatic Biopeel.
• With acids: they work without rubbing. Valmont's LumiPeel lotion, Jeu des Garçons' Remover in hydrogel, or Bakel's Pure Peel mask.

Which one to choose

• Oily skin or with blackheads: acids or enzymes. See pores and blackheads.
• Dry or mature skin: enzymatic or very fine scrub.
• Sensitive skin or with redness: enzymatic, once a week. See redness.

Mistakes to avoid

• Rubbing hard or using a scrub every day.
• Using multiple exfoliating products together, such as scrubs and acids on the same evening.
• Forgetting sunscreen: after exfoliating, the skin is more sensitive to the sun.

Frequently asked questions

Can you exfoliate your face every day?

Usually no. Some gentle exfoliating lotions are designed for daily use: follow the product instructions.

Is it better to exfoliate in the morning or evening?

Evening is better, so the skin has the night to rest. In the morning, use sunscreen.