It's a method that goes against the status quo, but next time you're standing over the bathroom sink, give it a try. She does my pedis every … It offers a more intensive way to tackle the stubborn impurities that cause the skin to have breakouts, appear dull, or lose its supple quality. Although our esthetician tips would suggest cleansing first before exfoliating, try it both ways and see what works best for your skin. You might just become a cleansing-second convert. All rights reserved. Adding it into the regular rotation with your other skincare steps will help maximize its benefits. Washing your face takes time and attention — and doing it the right way could mean the difference between beaming skin and an acne breakout. While we pick cleansing first in the order of things, this skincare question has been debated by many. The action of sloughing away dead skin cells, excess oil, and other impurities can take care of cleansing simultaneously. You are then working with a clean base to then exfoliate away dead skin cells that can pile up on skin’s surface. A clean, exfoliated face allows the skin to do its best work. The result is fewer breakouts, clearer skin, and a more radiant complexion. © 2020 Kate Somerville Skincare, LLC. Their role is to improve the look of the skin’s texture by helping to remove dead skin cells and unclog pores. Then, for those with combination skin, a happy medium between the two is most effective. Provide your account email address to receive an email to reset your password. The process we recommend is to apply a thin layer of the Kate Somerville ExfoliKate® Intensive Exfoliating Treatment in the morning or evening, once or twice a week. Slough away the surface layer of the skin with your exfoliant tool of choice. Exfoliating more than a few times a week may be too harsh on your skin. After you’ve wiped away your makeup, the next step is mechanical exfoliation. By cleansing first you help removing dirt, sweat and make up off skin’s surface. You’ll notice if one method works better than the other depending on your skin type and its sensitivity. A final option for those determining whether to exfoliate before or after cleansing is to use both mechanical and chemical exfoliation. Women with normal skin should use a chemical peel to remove dead skin cells. Massage it into the face for 30 seconds and leave on the skin for up to two minutes to allow the skin to fully absorb the facial scrub’s healthy ingredients. The way it leaves the skin cleaner, brighter, and healthier overall. Too much exfoliation causes a disruption to your skin’s natural process and your sebaceous glands may go into overtime to provide the oil your skin needs. While we pick cleansing first in the order of things, this skincare question has been debated by many. To revisit this article, select My⁠ ⁠Account, then View saved stories. Or, you can exfoliate then cleanse the skin. Next use a gentle cleanser to nourish the skin and give your face a smooth foundation to follow up with a chemical exfoliant. The good news is that there isn’t necessarily a right or wrong answer. The biggest risk would be to your wallet, as you'd be wasting money by adopting this skincare strategy. Allure may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. "If you are thinking about the top layer of the skin, with all the pollution and debris, if you just use a cleanser first, the majority of that debris is not removed," he explains. Skin Exfoliating: Exfoliation is essential to removing dead skin cells and avoiding bacterial infection. The few minutes you focus on your skincare will make a huge impact on the condition of your skin long-term. With that being said, there are certain environmental circumstances that may temporarily call for a need to change the frequency. Exfoliation elevates your daily regimen to give your skin a more radiant glow, while cleansing is a necessary step to remove daily impurities from the skin.