Gentle Exfoliation - Getting Started

Maybe your skin is a bit dull and drab? Perhaps some fine lines and discoloration spots have appeared, some acne or blackheads dot the landscape and you would like to freshen up and begin your journey toward great skin?

Even if you have sensitivity issues, exfoliation is the first step toward better and healthier-looking skin. But maybe you have some doubts about whether exfoliation is good for your skin type, or if certain products will be too harsh?

Then you’ve come to the right blog post: Gentle exfoliation products is the way to go for newbies or for people whose skin needs a lot of TLC. You can always step up to more vigorous products once you are comfortable—and pleased—with the results from a gentle program. A whole world of truly effective skin products awaits you.

Let’s start with the basics on why exfoliation is important. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells that dull your appearance. It helps open up the pores to prevent acne and blackheads, allows your makeup to look more even and smooth, and aids the absorption of moisturizers and other topically-applied skin preparations for more effective results.

The very simplest and most mild way to exfoliate is to wash your face with a washcloth. This will provide a little more exfoliating power than just using your fingers, but not much. The next step up is using a gentle complexion brush, like the type you can get inexpensively at the drugstore, or a battery-powered brush like the popular and ubiquitously-advertised Clarisonic product.

More exfoliating power is provided by cleaners with skin-beneficial alpha hydroxy acids (which are derivatives of fruit acids), such as glycolic or lactic acids. Alpha hydroxy acids are also commonly used for dry skin, wrinkled skin, and blemishes and they work by helping to remove the top layers of dead skin cells while promoting firmness. Because they do not penetrate very deeply into layers of skin, the risk of adverse side-effects are minimal and the benefits have been well-known and widely-used by dermatologists for decades.

The AB Cleanser contains three great alpha-hydroxy acids: Glycolic, Salicylic, and Lactic acids; this cleanser is a great product to start your advance into exfoliation if you are dealing with acne prone or oily skin. If you have more normal skin, then the Revitalizing Glycolic Cleanser would be better for you. Or, with Dry skin our Antiaging Lactic Cleanser. 

A cleanser that contains some type of “grit” or sandy ingredient, such as the scrubbing crystals in The Basics 3-in-1 Cleanser, adds some more power to your cleansing punch. The scrubbing crystals are “Perlite,” which have the considerate bonus of being safe for the environment, unlike many products that have been shown to be harmful to the ecology of our oceans. The Diamond Dermabrasion with Lactic Acid is a polishing cream with as a high percentage of multiple sized quartz and diamond crystals for exceptional exfoliating.

After a few weeks you will be enjoying brighter and clearer skin; at this point, you might want to attempt a very mild peel, like the Lactic Acid peel, which is so mild your skin should not actually “peel” like it would with stronger peel products. And yet, it is very effective and a great introduction to the amazing ability of peels to provide significantly improved skin.

Good exfoliation preparations, such as Retinol, penetrate the skin more deeply and create more rapid cell-turnover (rejuvenation). There is also some compelling evidence that Retinol and other retinoids, by virtue of their ability to renew the skin, helps prevent skin cancer. Starting patients on retinoid creams is one of the first steps dermatologists take to combat skin discoloration, acne and blackheads, and reduce or eliminate fine lines and wrinkles. It takes a few weeks to see the difference and there is a period of adapting to the product that your skin will go through—but the wait is worth it!

Your skin will evolve by using those mild exfoliating products and you’ll have visible results. Your skin will also adapt; this adaptation will then allow your skin to accept the next level in product strengths for even more dramatic results. When you’re ready to take that next step, please take advantage of a FREE consultation on the phone with Platinum Skincare; they will help you design the perfect program for your skin. Of course, you can have a consultation before starting any of the products: All your questions will be answered and you’ll feel confident entering the bright and beautiful world of exfoliation, peels, and other skin-improving products.

Where can I buy Dana's Book?

The Skin Regime; Boot Camp for Beautiful Skin, available as a Kindle download or Buy paperback to buy your paperback copy from Platinum Skin Care. You can also read the first chapter--FREE--by click here to read 1st chapter.