How does my skin benefit from exfoliating scrubs?

Cub: How does my skin benefit from exfoliating scrubs?
I bought St. Ives Apricot Scrub for sensitive skin, it’s supposed to exfoliate too. I have been using it for only 2 days, and I notice smoother skin, but how does that happen? Is there more than one thing that exfoliating do for you? I know it’s supposed to create smoother skin, but what else?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Nurse Susan
Exfoliating:
1] removes top layer of dead skin [ so feels smoother ]
2] removes dried up oils [ less crud on surface, to make zits ]
3] removes dried sebum [ skin wax ], to prevent new blackheads/whiteheads
4] also seems to even out skin tone, but not sure how – improves circulation?
People with dry or sensitive skin should exfoliate only once or twice a week; others should do it two or three times a week.
NOTE: can use a face scrub to exfoliate body; but DO NOT use body scrub on face – too harsh!

Answer by dolce
It scrubs off layers of dead skin that would normally clog your pores and eventually cause acne breakouts and also acts as a cleanser. Bear in mind don’t use a scrub every day because it wears off too much of the skin, making it super-sensative and more prone to sun damage. 2-3 times a week max with a regular cleanser in between.

Answer by Amphyx
Many times it doesn’t matter how much lotion you are slapping on your skin, if you are not exfoliating your skin on a regular basis, your skin cannot absorb all the benefits your moisturizer has to offer. This is due to your pores being clogged by the dead skin cells your skin has shed. Clogged pores makes your skin look dry and dehydrated…you know that flaky skin look? That look is never “in.”

Besides the normal places to exfoliate like your face, legs and arms; have you remembered to exfoliate your neck? Exfoliating your neck is often ignored. If you exfoliate your neck, it will give you a fresher look. What about your elbows and knees? I remember all too well what it felt like to have cracked, flaky elbows. It hurt to have dry skin in this area. Knees need to look polished too. You could be wearing that killer red dress, but when your dry knees peak out, it completely takes away from how gorgeous you look. What about your feet? Have you looked at your heels lately? This is something that needs to be taken care of daily, as dry cracked heels look pretty on no one. Also, exfoliating your feet before applying sunless tanning lotion helps prevent streaking. What about your lips? You can’t have a great pucker if they are scaley and peeling.

Some of the benefits of exfoliating are:

* It’s ability to improve texture of your dull skin, making it more vibrant.
* Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
* Sloughs off the dead skin cells your body has shed.
* Unclogs pores.
* Keeps skin healthy, thus helping to prevent break-outs.
* Helps retain your tan when you exfoliate before slapping on the sunscreen.

Hope that helps 🙂