Exfoliate Your Way To Better Skin
Lately, we have been getting soft on you, focusing on hydrating and barrier-supporting products and techniques, which have been fitting for the Minnesota winter months. However, it's essential to understand that you won't get the desired results without exfoliating your skin. Also, learn how to take your at-home exfoliation to the next level with the help of professional treatments.
Would we rather you be under or over-exfoliated? That is a tough question and does depend on each individual's skin. Some people have a tough time bouncing back from over-exfoliation, while others can over-exfoliate their skin, take a day or so to heal, and then see some amazing skin results. That's why we treat each skin individually.
Why are we the exfoliating experts?
Part of the reason is that we treat and clear so many acne clients, so we understand the only way to get clear is by keeping up with the genetic condition that causes acne-prone people to overproduce dead skin cells. It just so happens that when you use effective products to exfoliate your acne, your skin starts to look brighter and tighter. Even non-acne people benefit significantly from exfoliating.
We also have access to tools like microdermabrasion, dermaplaning, and enzyme and chemical peels that help us see just how much dead skin each person has. Getting a "basic facial" with a mask and massage isn't enough to detect, nor remove, the build-up. Not many places stack advanced skin-treating modalities like Skin MPLS does, and most charge over $200 for what we think are mandatory skin staples like microdermabrasion, blading, and peels. A facial treatment is your first step in understanding how to exfoliate your skin properly. When you hydrate and nourish your skin, you aren't getting to that next level if you aren't removing the dead skin cells underneath.
Understand that exfoliating is not just scrubbing. While manual exfoliation is great for sloughing off dead skin, chemical exfoliation is the true skincare hero because it actually penetrates the skin barrier walls to push new cell turnover into overdrive and create the healthier-looking skin we all want!
These ingredients are AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids), retinoids, and enzymes. Don't get weary of the word "chemical." Many AHAs are very gentle, even more so than scrubs, which can be too much for sensitive skin. If you are nervous about even a gentle AHA, then lean towards an enzyme. The enzymes most used in skincare are fruit enzymes that eat surface dead skin. Enzymes are especially great for people in their teens and early 20s who don't need the "big tools" quite yet.
While you wait for your facial treatment, here are the universal products to exfoliate your skin at every age. These products will not harm your skin's barrier and will get you exfoliating your way to your best skin – the true path to skincare nirvana.
Best exfoliating product for your…
20s - Vital C Enzyme - Fruit enzymes eat dead skin to gently push cell turnover, revealing brighter skin without disturbing your skin's barrier.
30s - Solution Pads - Thanks to a little push of glycolic acid on these pads, using them 2-3x a week will lift the signs of premature skin damage without over-exfoliation. Glycolic acid comes from sugarcane and leaves the skin glowing.
40s - Raspberry Resurfacing Peel - Lactic, mandelic, mandelic, and salicylic acids combined with pineapple and papaya enzymes pack an effective punch of exfoliation for the skin in this mask. Using it for 2-5 minutes instantly smooths and glows your skin.
50s - Brightening Gommage - A little bit of physical exfoliating helps power through layers of dead skin and buff off sun damage accumulation. Additionally, enzyme and vitamin C ingredients visibly brighten.
60s+ - Manuka Enzyme Lift - Use this product up to multiple times per week for gentle enzymatic exfoliation. Pineapple enzymes softly digest dead skin, and healing manuka honey infuses nourishment, leaving skin well taken care of.