War on Dehydrated Skin 3.0
Exfoliate to hydrate
As Kelly Clarkson said, “the war is over.” We can quit being militant in our newsletter. This is the final installment of our War on Dehydrated Skin before we move on to happier things. In part one we talked about double cleansing, morning and night. In part 2, we extolled the virtues of hyaluronic acid. Our last piece of business concerns exfoliation.
You may have noticed - it’s full-on summer now in Colorado. My favorite season. The smell of charcoal grills. Peaches. Paddle boarding. And the accumulation of thick, scaly, sun-singed skin that I get to remove from my clients’ faces. Sorry, that got graphic.
I read that in some parts of the Southwest, the soil has gotten so dry that even when it rains, the water cannot penetrate the surface, and just runs off into ditches. This is essentially what happens when we don’t remove the dead skin cells from our faces. The moisture can’t get in there. Out with the old and in with the new.
A lot of people I talk to do little or no exfoliating at home due to fear, confusion, and let’s be honest, laziness. Perhaps more concerning, many people who do try to exfoliate, are too harsh about it. They use very aggressive scrubs that strip the skin right off their faces, causing irritation. Ideally, you shouldn’t be seeing bone after exfoliation. Let’s be gentle and kind to our skin.
A more effective method than using scrub products is using enzyme peels, which are far milder, and can address more specific needs in personalized ways. Think of enzymes as little Minions that run around on your skin, peeling off dead cells one by one with great care. You can choose different enzyme peels that are specifically designed to aid with acne, pigmentation, sensitive skin, and other considerations.
If you want to do something nice for yourself, maybe do a “self care Sunday.” Draw a bath. Throw on some HGTV. Do a nice double cleanse, and apply your enzyme peel. Finish it off with a hydrating mask. You’ll feel fresh and glowy and beautiful. Or book yourself a facial with me. I can talk you through the different peels and help you choose one that’s right for your needs. We can also do microdermabrasion, which actually fades scars and pigmentation, and stimulates collagen production.