Throughout the explanations of our RIMAN Rituals, there is a recurring step and importance placed on exfoliation, both for your face and your body. Exfoliation is a crucial step in any skincare process to remove harder-to-reach impurities and dead skin cells, but what is it really, when should you do it, and how do you make sure you don’t overdo it? Fret not, we have all the answers you’re looking for.
Skin Cell Cycle
Your skin cells in your epidermis (top layer of skin) naturally go through a cycle in which new cell cycles are formed, migrate to the surface of the skin, and slough off. The timing for one cycle to occur depends on a variety of factors, such as cell health, age of the skin, and utilization of exfoliating measures. It is typically thought that a skin cell cycle takes 28 days but can increase up to 30-50% by age 80, allowing for the average epidermal turn over to be considered roughly 40-56 days.[1] During our youth, the skin is typically proficient in performing its own cell turnover, but older skin may need additional exfoliation to aid in the removal process. Furthermore, dry skin may experience a delayed skin cell cycle as the cells need water to properly function.
Your body not only has a longer migration time for your keratinocytes (living skin cells), it also has more layers of corneocytes (terminal skin cells), which allows body skin to be thicker.[2] Because of this, body skin needs additional help in exfoliating to ensure proper cell cycle with no delays.
The Science Behind Exfoliation
Exfoliation is simply the utilization of chemical or mechanical measures to forcibly remove adhered dead skin cells and impurities.
Chemical exfoliation uses skin-safe acids, such as AHAs and BHAs, or dermatologist-monitored acid peels to weaken the bonds that adhere dead skin cells to the top layer of the skin.[3] This allows for the shedding of cells to improve skin texture and evenness. The additional benefit of chemical exfoliators is that they can reach into pores to dissolve built-up debris, sebum, and dead skin cells that may eventually clog and become pimples or blackheads.[4]
Mechanical exfoliation uses mechanical force to remove dead skin cells and debris – utilizing sugar scrubs or dry brushes is a form of mechanical exfoliation, as you need to put in force to make the exfoliation happen. Because mechanical exfoliation depends on the force applied, it is often easier to over-do it. Selecting gentle, micro-sugar scrubs or following the proper usage directions of exfoliating tools is crucial so as not to irritate the skin and remove layers that were not ready to slough off.
Why Exfoliate?
Not only does exfoliation encourage removal of adhered dead skin cells, but it also improves skin appearance. The adherence of dead skin cells can cause the skin to appear dull and inhibit proper product absorption, so exfoliation not only makes skin look more radiant, but it also promotes better product interaction with the healthy skin layers below. However, over-exfoliation can cause one of two issues; your body may overcompensate for the removal of sebum by producing MORE oil, OR it can dry out the skin and cause redness and irritation. Understanding your skin type is crucial to begin your exfoliation process, but once you have it down, it’ll be a walk in the park.
Exfoliating with RIMAN
RIMAN offers a variety of exfoliating steps, in both our skin care and personal care, to ensure your skin is smooth, vibrant, and healthy. Our Active Clean-Up Powder contains papain, an enzyme derived from papaya, to gently dissolve keratin bonds and remove dead skin while reaching into the pores for stubborn debris and sebum. For dry/sensitive skin types, use the powder once or twice a week. For those with oily skin, using it 3-4 times a week will be sufficient.
Our Snow Enzyme Cleanser also contains both papain and bromelain (enzyme derived from pineapple) at lower concentrations to allow for daily exfoliation and removal of impurities without being too harsh on the skin.
For your body, our botalab Suamel Body Scrub utilizes a form of mechanical exfoliation in the form of microsugar to remove dead body skin and keep skin fresh and smooth. Because the granules of sugar are so fine, you can easily use this product without worry of over-irritation; it is suggested to use 2-3 times a week for all skin types.
For everyday exfoliation, our botalab Suamel Body Wash contains salicylic acid to gently exfoliate and cleanse pores without over-irritating the skin. Use the Body Wash daily to get at surface impurities without stripping the skin.
Exfoliation is a crucial part in ensuring skin looks, feels, and performs at its best. Keeping your cell cycle going is an important part of seeing real RIMAN results – check out our exfoliating products here.
