Oh, exfoliation: you confuse us so.

Let's wade through this gray area together

Confusion about exfoliation — how to do it, when to do it, how frequently to do it — seems to be both persistent and pervasive.

And I just realized, guiltily, that I might have contributed to some of it myself: as I was pulling together bits and pieces of information for this post, I noticed that I’ve interviewed as many experts for the Ayla blog who have said, “Don’t exfoliate!” as those who have said, “Exfoliate more!”

I promise I was not actively trying to sow chaos and confusion.

But what this illustrates, I think, is that there’s no clear what-you-should-do where exfoliation is concerned, making it one of those topics that asks you to feel your way through the gray area called “it depends.” No one really likes it there. “It depends” can feel awkward and time-consuming to wade through, and you kind of wonder if it’s a secret cop-out, don’t you?

It's not, though. Here’s the thing: advice about exfoliation is all over the place because everyone’s skin is different, and those differences are particularly obvious when you’re sloughing off dead (or almost-dead) skin cells. What feels like battery acid to one person might feel like a welcome burst of refreshment to another. All you can do is listen to good advice, try it out, and see what happens.

So, in this post, I’ll lay out some of the basic things to know about exfoliation and my opinions on the next steps you could take. And I urge you to view that “try it out and see what happens” part that comes next not as, “Ugghhh, never-ending trial and error, so annoying,” but as a fun experiment that helps you get to know yourself a little better.

Skincare, to me, is an exercise in self-observation, self-compassion, and ultimately, self-knowledge. Especially for those of us whose skin is at all sensitive, knowing what works for you — and being reminded of how important that is in general — is the beautiful gift that you get, not just at the end, but sprinkled throughout the whole journey.

Key takeaways from today’s post

1. Exfoliation can be helpful to stimulate cell turnover as you get older: it can help your complexion look brighter and feel smoother, and it can help some of the products in your skincare routine work more effectively.

2. Chemical exfoliation allows you to get more precise with your exfoliation than physical exfoliation does. To optimize smoothness and brightness, look for AHAs; to unplug pores, look for BHAs; if you have very sensitive skin, you may like PHAs or enzymes as the star ingredient in your exfoliant.

3. Ideal frequency of exfoliation depends on your skin, the season and climate, and your lifestyle and stress levels.

You’ll find the full story, which I think is always worth it, below the photo of my favorite salt artisan, Carlo. He’s checking out the cliff salt he sometimes special-harvests for chefs in Big Sur when he’s not working on salt for the Sea Soak. (Please don’t try to exfoliate your face with salt, by the way. It’s far too scratchy.)

Why exfoliate in the first place?

Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells from the surface of the skin. This is a natural process: usually, skin cells turn over about once a month, with dead cells sloughing off imperceptibly to be replaced by new ones. This natural cell turnover rate is faster for younger people and slows as we age.

You don’t need to proactively exfoliate, but when done in a way that works for your skin as your natural rate of cell turnover slows, it can help your complexion look brighter and feel smoother — which is particularly helpful if you’re wearing makeup — and it can help some of the products in your skincare routine work more effectively.

I tend to agree with the brilliant Marie-Veronique Nadeau on most things, especially when it comes to proactive exfoliation: She told me, “I do think [it] can be helpful to stimulate cell turnover as we get older and our natural turnover rate slows down; you can usually spare a few of those dead skin cells. Removing some of those cells can help other ingredients more effectively get to the stratum granulosum (the SG), where they can have a positive impact on the cells that will eventually make their way up to the stratum corneum.”

Different ways to exfoliate the skin at home

Physical exfoliation involves using a scrub or scrubby material to physically hasten the removal of dead surface skin cells. Luckily, we have some better choices now than the apricot-scented scrub we might remember from the ‘80s and ‘90s; I love Luzern’s Micro-Exfoliant and M Picaut’s Exfoliating Peel Mask for their use of jojoba microbeads (not microplastics) in a cushy cream base.

Chemical exfoliation involves using a product with specific ingredients — typically alpha hydroxy acids, beta hydroxy acids, or enzymes — that help dissolve dead surface skin cells. Chemical exfoliation isn’t necessarily better, but it does allow you to get a little more precise with the way you’re treating your skin. Here are a few different types of chemical exfoliants you’ll come across:

AHAs

Examples of alpha hydroxy acids are glycolic, citric, and (my favorite) lactic acid; they are, in general, great at gently removing dead surface skin cells, which can make skin look lovely and bright while feeling softer and smoother. AHAs work by dissolving the bonds between skin cells, encouraging faster cellular turnover by hastening the release of aging cells at skin’s surface. This can be helpful for congested skin and those dealing with hyperpigmentation. AHAs are great instant-gratification ingredients, but if overused, they can cause irritation and inflammation.

Glycolic acid, due to its low molecular weight, tends to penetrate skin most readily and exfoliate more aggressively, while lactic acid tends to be a better choice for dry and/or sensitive skin since it penetrates more slowly. Since I tend to stick to things people can’t get themselves in too much trouble with when I choose products for Ayla, you’ll really only see glycolic acid feature heavily in this wonderful Elave cleanser (instead of a product designed to be left on your face for a longer period of time). You’ll see lactic acid in this Marie Veronique mask, which is my personal favorite.

BHAs

Beta hydroxy acids (like salicylic acid and willow bark) are particularly helpful for acne-prone or clogged skin because they’re oil-soluble and can go deeper inside the pores to help dissolve the sebum that can be plugging things up. They tend to be not as strong as AHAs but still can pack a punch. You’ll find BHAs in this de Mamiel exfoliating oil; you’ll see AHAs and BHAs combined in this Marie Veronique serum and these Luzern Peel Pads, which are both marvelous but can have a bit of a zing on sensitive skin. (Some of us, though, like a bit of a zing, and that’s fine as long as you’re not going overboard.)

PHAs

Polyhydroxy acids (like gluconolactone and galactose) are similar to AHAs but, because their molecular weight is greater than that of most AHAs (and BHAs), they tend to be less irritating, making them great choices for more sensitive skin types. You’ll find PHAs in this excellent Swedish serum, which has a light sprinkling of lactic and glycolic acids, too.

Enzymes

Enzymes are molecules from fruits (e.g., pineapple, papaya, pumpkin) that break down the keratin protein in dead skin cells, helping them shed more quickly. Enzymatic exfoliants tend not to penetrate as deeply as acids, making them less aggressive and generally an even gentler choice for sensitive skin; still, as with exfoliating acids, too much exposure can cause irritation. Enzymes are the star of the show in this mask from Luzern and this new one from Le Prunier.

OK, but what about retinoids? Do those exfoliate, too?

Not exactly. While chemical and physical exfoliants work on the uppermost layer of the skin, retinoids work at a deeper level, interacting with receptors in the skin to encourage cells to turn over at a faster rate. They don’t break the bonds between skin cells like AHAs do, for example, but both types of ingredients will hasten cell turnover in different ways, which is why using them at the same time is frequently a recipe for disaster.

(My favorite thing to do is to take a break from my retinal once a week to use a lactic acid exfoliating mask — the one I’m holding below — which gives me the satisfying hit of brightness and smoothness you can only get from AHAs without wreaking havoc on my skin barrier.)

The million-dollar question: how often should you exfoliate at home?

A good rule of thumb to start with is once per week, if you’re using a fairly powerful exfoliating mask, serum, or peel pads. Here are some specific examples:

The wonderful esthetician Julia March, who comes to Ayla from time to time for facial residencies, has been one of my favorite facialists since 2002. She says, “It always depends on skin conditions as well as climate and seasonality, too, but generally, most people can use an enzyme based product like Luzern’s Hydra-Enzyme Masque at least once a week to improve the penetration of ingredients and increase the brightness of the complexion.” This particular mask is very cool: creamy enough to keep skin well-moisturized, powerful enough to make a difference.

Marie’s mask has a similar effect — keeps skin well-moisturized, powerful enough to make a difference — although its texture is more jelly-like. As Marie told me, “In addition to lactic acid to stimulate cell turnover rate (lactic acid also stimulates glycosaminoglycans production, by the way), we have added a preprobiotic complex to make sure that the exfoliation process does not disturb the microfloral environment. This is very important, as we've lost most of the good effects of exfoliation if we are compromising microbiome balance, hence negatively affecting barrier function.”

But, if you’re using a different type of product that’s a little gentler, you can exfoliate a little more frequently.

Another of my favorite skincare therapists ever, the magical Annee de Mamiel, suggests working with the seasons: “Spring and autumn, in particular, are the two times when people need exfoliation the most. In the springtime, you’re coming out of winter and there’s often a buildup; cell turnover has slowed down because other processes in your body have slowed down, too. And Autumn is about recovery from summer. The rest of the year, look for really, really, really gentle products like Overnight Exfoliating Oil when you’re exfoliating.”

Annee’s very cool, enzyme- and BHA-powered oil can be used a few times per week (not on the same night as a retinoid), regardless of the season. If you struggle with blackheads or clogged pores, I highly recommend using a cleansing balm (hers, or Luzern’s, or TWELVE’s) or cleansing oil (Marie Veronique’s, or MyHavtorn’s) followed by a clay mask (like TWELVE’s) on trouble spots like the T-zone, then a rehydrating mist, and ending with the Overnight Exfoliating Oil. Poof! Unplugged.

As Annee pointed out to me, your general lifestyle, particularly your stress levels, can come into play, too: “If you’re living a healthy lifestyle, you tend to need exfoliation a bit less. Cortisol slows cellular turnover; that’s one of the things we know about it well. If you’re stressed to the max, not eating properly, doing all the things that tend to upset our internal rhythms, you probably need exfoliation a bit more.”

Here’s what I do:

I use the Sea Retinal 6 nights per week, and one night per week, I’ll take a break from it to exfoliate with the Probiotic + Exfoliating Mask (which I love because you only have to leave it on for 3 minutes).

On those nights, I use the Sea Serum instead of the Sea Retinal.

That’s usually all I need from an exfoliation standpoint, but sometimes — especially if it’s hot or humid, or my skin just seems congested —I’ll use the Kahina Antioxidant Mask on my t-zone another night, which has a bit of a scrubby effect in addition to a gentle combination of lactic acid and aspen bark extract, plus clay to help pull out impurities. When I use that mask, I take a break from the Sea Retinal, too.

If I must provide one very clear, do-not-deviate-from directive, it would be this: don’t exfoliate and use a retinoid on the same evening. A super-gentle exfoliating cleanser like 27 Rosiers Fight Grime or Ursa Major Making Moves Milky Cleanser is fine to use at the same time as a retinoid, but if your skin is sensitive, I wouldn’t use anything stronger than that.

What’s coming in next week’s private post

It happens to the best of us, especially in our “more is more” culture: we exfoliate and think, “Ooooh, my skin’s so smoooooth!” We love it! We want, like Christopher Walken’s excellent villain in A View To A Kill, “More! More power!”

And then we wake up with skin that is rough, irritated, and probably a little red.

We shouldn’t listen to villains, but we all do it from time to time. I’ll share my perspective on it and offer some possible fixes.

I hope this post was helpful! If it was, please like it, subscribe, or share it with your friends — Substack is a new experiment for me and I appreciate all the support.

PS Any topic discussed in this post is not intended as medical advice. If you have a medical concern, please check with your doctor.