Why You Should Exfoliate Every Day [DermTV.com Episode #38]

[starvid123]

Yup, i heard that exfoliation everyday is bad for the skin, can you confirm this??

[becca2495]

hello, i heard that if you exfoliate daily its bad or that it can age you alot more? can i exfoliate everyday?

[nre0]

doctor, can you use physical exfoliants everyday? im thinking of exfoliating daily instead of three times a week which i do now to clear my skin morem but i dont want to run the risk of damage if physical exfoliants are not allowed to be used daily

[belovemay]

I hate waiting 10 min to put on my retinol cream...is it ok to put a basic (non active ingredient) moisturizer on right after washing and then put on retinol 10-20 minutes later?

Also, does the "you skin gets worse before it gets better" skin stay that way if you don't continue to use the retinol? I'm trying to stick with it this time but the dryness looks so bad. I feel like ther is permanent dryness wrinkling from on off use of retinol

[THEBIGJAPAN]

Doctor, I'm a guy and I don't have a gay bone in my body, but your voice is as smooth as a baby's bottom.

[iceshowcutie]

wait so exfoliating can help prevent cancer?? Im about to go exfoliate!

[parkranger487]

Hey Doc. I have a question. I just recently bought a natural sea sponge at the drugstore for $3 and the packaging says i can use it alone to exfoliate my face or with a cleanser. But i use it with a cleanser, scrub and cream wash. Is this okay? Because after the scrub i felt a bit stingy on my face but the cream wash made it a little bit better. I have had this feeling before and i broke out badly. Can i use this three times a day? I don't scrub too hard i just scrub normally.

[EvilJirachi]

@parkranger487 Eek! Dont exfoliate everyday! 3 times a day? is your face ok? :O Only do it once! (Also dont exfolitate your undereye area!).

Maybe twice a week? That does the charm.

[parkranger487]

@parkranger487 OOPS i meant to say exfoliate with the sea sponge. The packaging says its ok for daily use. I just use it with 3 different types of washes (i.e. cleanser, scrub and cream wash). All of these washes are for daily use as well. Sorry to confuse u!

[MegaOtp]

Hi Doc... should i exfoliate my body everyday too? Does it help with chicken skin too? I mix extra virgin olive oil + sugar cane + honey = my exfoliates. Is it good enough or I have to by a chemical one at a store?

[tedoymisojos]

But wouldnt the daily exfolation irritate skin? maybe damage the lipid barrier of the skin? I've been using low percent salicylic acid pads at night allover the face, and that seems to be fine with my face, but sometimes I wonder if doing this daily or using a scrub daily is actually damaging my skin, and making it vulnerable and bringing up different problems.

[tedoymisojos]

@tedoymisojos I also read that exfoliating too much breaks down the collagen in the skin :S

[allietin]

So does this mean I can use my chem exfoliant even if it says on the instructions to use 2-3 a week? thanks.

[Jannsmith]

Very informative. I always thought that it was *not* recommended to exfoliate more than 1-2 times a week, but perhaps it's the abrasiveness of the product or method that matters in the instance(?)

[h2o4ky]

Thank you so much Dr. Schultz. I was breaking out like crazy on my chin area and after taking on your advice about exfoliating everyday with a gentle exfoliating cream and using azelaic acid cream, I am clear clear clear, and the acne marks are fading. I'm so happy!!! I can see now that It makes sense to exfoliate every day or every other day so that there's no dead skin bulid-up, especially for mature aging skin (I'm 40). your vids are very helpful for acne sufferers like me, so thank you!!

[tomsega]

Exfoliating gentle and with a gentle exfoliator, I take it? I use perhaps the most grainy scrubby exfoliator available because it feels like it's doing something more than some really watery ones, and I probably tend to do it a bit too hard, so I imagine it wouldn't be good to do this every day; I do it 3-4 times a week.

[nigella4me]

I totally disagree.

[marina16661]

Can i exfoliate with exfoliating gloves?

[takethepast]

@marina16661 Yes, you can.

[PirateKing1256]

You can use duct tape and exfoliate.

[Butterfly0258girl]

@PirateKing1256 ha. good luck with that

[createaccount2009]

Do you recommend me to use baking soda to exfoliate my skin??

[Th0ughtless15]

hi doctor i exfoliate once a week with aspirin, is it alright 2 use that everyday? plzzz let me know thankssss

[allissonlozzgodess]

doc. I have swim practice everyday after school and well it's outdoors and i get really bad sun lines how can i get them to go back to normal im a a lighter complexion now i look really brown what can i do to get my skin lighter!?

[cobakaadene]

Hello. I use a medicine and I leave it on all night , because throughout the day it makes my skin look so much better. Is this bad ?

[saintangelius]

can daily exfoliation with a facial sponge and regular facial cleanser count? Or do I have to use an actual dedicated product for the job?

[madmravyn]

Dr. Schultz, thank you for all the informative tips on skincare. I have a question. I have skin allergies and pretty much always have a rash on my face on cheeks, forehead and chin. Could you recommend a good skincare line that is not terribly expensive that can help soothe and reduce the rash? Thanks in advance.

[captfalconXX]

Thanks Doc. It's very informative.

[aockymushroom]

I always think that if i exfoliate a lot, my pores will enlarge. Is that true? I am only 14 so do i need to exfoliate my skin?

[redtulips23]

I've heard that exfoliating is not recommended when you have active breakouts. What if you have chronic acne, how often should you exfoliate then?

[iWriteUinMyDeathNote]

I dont get how you exfoliate, do you put on some kind of lotion or do you just wash your face like if your doing it as if it were sand paper?

[BeckaBallistic]

this will dry out ur skin if u do it every day

[xTeaCup]

i just wanna say thankyou for these videos, they are very helpful :)

[M3l97]

hi doc i use the st.ives apricot scrub and i have oily skin im 13 and a female but i do have a bit of a sensitive skin is this product appropriate and a worthy product and if not could you recommend a good exfoliater drug-store possibly??

[lovemakeup07]

first of all thx for replyin. and..doc cud i use a vitamic C(2%) and kojic acid(2.5%)cream on my brown color pigmentaion( chin) instead of a 2-4% hydroquinone product at bedtime(for 3 weeks).would that help.ty

[lovemakeup07]

plus doc i never had any pigmentaion problem earlier on my face..i had even skin tone.(olive)..so this is really upsetin me...help thx

[lovemakeup07]

hello doc.... i used a face wash with 1% salicyclic acid twice a day as per doc's recomm ..but just after 7 days of use my chin area and corners of my lips intially became red ..then a few days later it became darker than other areas of my face.so i thought may be my chin area was sensitive to the salicyclic acid.so i stopped using that product...and i thought that it would go away after some months. ..but it has been almost ten months now,,,and it still hasnt gone away. pls help...ty

[dermTVdotcom]

@lovemakeup07 I'm sorry to hear about this. If the color on your chin is tan or brown (rather than red), then one can use a gentle bleach product with 2-4% hydroquinone at bedtime and strict, daily morning use of a chem-free sunscreen with an spf between 15 and 30 and with UVA protection. If this is not helpful after three or four weeks, then perhaps a dermatologist could help. If the color on your chin is red, then a dermatologist can help by administering laser treatments.

[tessab0o]

How do you exfoliate?

[dermTVdotcom]

@tessab0o You can exfoliate with chemicals that dissolve dead cells or physical methods that mechanically remove dead cells. Search on YouTube for the DermTV episode titled, "Difference Between Chemical & Physical Exfoliants".

[DrinaLatina]

If you exfoliate every day having oily skin, you remove all oil, so skin produce even more oil to moisturise. Is that true ?

[dermTVdotcom]

@DrinaLatina Oil production is exclusively controlled by male sex hormone levels (even in females). Studies have demonstrated that the production of oil in your skin is not influenced by the absence or presence of oil or moisture.

[raspberrypineapple]

I love your channel and your videos. Thank you so much for this wonderful service!!!!

[MariaAdelina]

These videos are such a treasure. You're AMAZING!

[sweet80sgirl]

i exofoliate everyday

[lQueenBl]

I thought that you're not supposed to exfoliate everyday because it causes your skin to dry out, which then causes more oil production...leading to even larger looking pores. I have combination skin (normal to oily)..I only exfoliate a few times a week because, any more, and I may break out. My dermatologist also said that he does not believe in using scrubs. Exfoliating is great to remove dead/dull skin, but i think daily is too harsh.

[dermTVdotcom]

@lQueenBl I agree that gentle chemical exfoliants are better than granular, physical exfoliants. Regarding frequency of exfoliation (from daily to once per week), it should be according to the sensitivity of your skin and the strength of the exfoliant. Lastly, dry skin has no effect on oil production, which is only controlled by male hormone. And while over-exfoliation can cause irritation, which causes flaking which simulates dry skin but in fact is not.

[AlejandraPrincess]

Hello, what do you recommend exfoliating our body with daily?

[dermTVdotcom]

@AlejandraPrincess For body (not facial) exfoliation I recommend to my patients medium-strength (e.g., 8-10% glycolic), daily chemical exfoliaiton. For my patients that prefer a physical exfoliant, I recommend alternate day exfoliation.

[acgirl512]

Hello, Dr. Schultz. I'm a young viewer of yours. I'm 15 years old and I used to exfoliate everyday. But then one day my mom told me that I am too young to be using exfoliators, moisturizers, cleansers, etc. Am I too young to be using skin products on my face? If so, why? What CAN I use on my skin? It upsets me that I can't do anything to my face to make me feel better about myself.

[dermTVdotcom]

@acgirl512: The skincare products that you mention are not age dependent and most people at the age of 15 who are prone to breakouts benefit from exfoliants. The one thing I would recommend is that if you do choose to use skincare products, that you make sure they are appropriate for your oil/water skin type.

[lovellyjuliechavez]

What if my exfoliater says to only use it 2 or 3 times wkly? I use Clinique at the moment. I have REALLY dry skin unless I use a moisterizer and then it gets OILY on the T area. =(

[dermTVdotcom]

@lovellyjuliechavez: That may be a practical suggestion or a legal posturing by the manufacturer. Stronger exfoliants should not be used daily, but weaker ones can be. (See DermTV episode #56, "How Often Should You Exfoliate," for more information.) Ultimately, however, how often you can use the exfoliant is a function of your experience with it and how sensitive your skin is. Let your good judgment guide you.

[jayrisC00L]

So it is recommended to exfoliate everyday? I should start doing that.

[lykeomgitzu]

I'm getting really confused. wouldn't daily exfoliation strip the natural barrier that protects your skin?

[dermTVdotcom]

@lykeomgitzu Daily exfoliation with an appropriate strength exfoliator will not remove or harm the natural barrier that protects your skin but will remove the dysfunctional dead cells. In fact, exfoliation will actually improve the barrier layer/function!

[tedoymisojos]

@dermTVdotcom Nice to know, thank you

[allstarglittergirl]

wait i thought exfoliating gets rid of the tanned skin on your face, so if you exfoliate everyday wouldnt you face be paler then the rest of your body?

[dermTVdotcom]

@allstarglittergirl: Exfoliating can hasten the fading of a tan so if that is a concern, try using a self tanner to maintain the tan color. Self tanners used when one is exfoliating regularly work much better and give a more even tan. Also, most people's faces are tanner than the rest of their body just because their face gets more sun more often.

[fahd181]

hi DR can you tell me what can i use to exfoliate my face , i have y oily skin and acne problems. thanks for your video, i hope to hear from you

[dermTVdotcom]

@fahd181: Many people with oily skin and acne problems use DDF Glycolic 10% Exfoliating Oil Control Gel. I also have my own product called Stallex Clear Control Solution. Both are effective.

[devaloki]

@dermTVdotcom Could you please recommend some good chemical ones for dry skin?

[dermTVdotcom]

@devaloki I would recommend Lachydrin Lotion 6%, used once daily.

[LadyProtector]

great video. A lot of people are afraid of exfoliating more than once a week, but I think unless your skin is super sensitive there is no need to be scared of scrubs.

My skin has changed so much since I started using Retin-A , microdermabrasion scrubs and chemical peels

[ExcuseLello]

Thankyou Dr Schultz! =D

[dermTVdotcom]

You're welcome. I'm happy to hear that you found this helpful.

[lakeshow32l]

Im trying to get rid of tan...is it safe to exfoliate every day and use skin lightening lotion..or is that to much?

[dermTVdotcom]

@lakeshow32l: Those are appropriate measures for hasten the fading of your tan provided they do not irritate your skin. Please understand that if you are too aggressive in your efforts you will irritate your skin which will only further darken it. Tanning usually fades spontaneously in two to four weeks.