Exfoliator

[KaurJaspreet]

Hi, can anyone recommend what exfoliator I can use for very dry skin? Thanks.

[Emanjannah]

Farmacy bha%2!! I loved it 

[faeriegirl]

@KaurJaspreet  My favorites are Youth To The People Yerba Mate Resurfacing + Exfoliating Energy Facial with Enzymes + Niacinamide 2....  or Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Mini Alpha Beta® Extra Strength Daily Peel Pads 

[JessieJoePRO]

The product that transformed my dry, dull, flaky skin into glass skin goddess: Youth To The People Kombucha + 10% AHA Liquid Exfoliant with Lactic Acid and Glycolic Acid 4 oz / 11... !! obsessed and in love with the results! it works amazing<3

[KaurJaspreet]

Hi @JessieJoePRO 

Thank you for suggesting me this product. Can we also use this on sensitive skin?? if we can then I would definitely give it a try.

[JessieJoePRO]

The best option for sensitive skin would be Youth To The People Mini Mandelic Acid + Superfood Unity Exfoliant 4 oz / 118 mL ❤️ However, if you still want to give the first option a go, I would recommend doing a test patch to ensure your skin can take the amount of acids ❤️

I hope this helps!

[WinglessOne]

Hi @KaurJaspreet ! Are you trying to remove flaky skin? Or do you just need an exfoliator for ongoing regular use? 

If the former: I recommend not trying to exfoliate lots of skin flakes away. Those flakes may be a sign of skin barrier damage. Exfoliation will worsen the damage. Instead, focus on hydrating the heck out of your skin, then apply a hydrating emollient oil to help smooth out the flakes, and top everything off with an occlusive (water-loss preventing) moisturizer. What's your current skincare routine (brands + product names)? 

If the latter: I have mostly-dry combo skin. (My oily zone's just on and around my nose.) I alternate a few chemical exfoliants and use them only 1-3 days a week (over-exfoliation leads to skin barrier damage):

• Paula's Choice RESIST Advanced Smoothing Treatment 10% AHA 
• The INKEY List Polyhydroxy Acid (PHA) Gentle Exfoliating Toner 3.4 oz/ 100 mL (gentler than the PC AHA)
• Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel 1 oz/ 30 mL (I use this once every 2 weeks) 
• The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Exfoliating Peeling Solution 1 oz/ 30 mL (just once every 2 weeks, alternated with the PC peel) 

Other good options, depending on how sensitive your skin is:  

• Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel Exfoliant 3.3 oz/ 100 mL 
• The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2% Exfoliating Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL (gentler than glycolic acid) 
• The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA 1 oz/ 30 mL 
• The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA 1 oz/ 30 mL (gentler than lactic acid) 

Salicylic acid (BHA) will also exfoliate skin, but some folks can handle using it more frequently than AHAs and PHA. It's especially good for keeping pores clear of built-up dead skin cells and sebum, thus reducing acne. Note that BHA can be drying though, so you may want to stick to just 1-3 times a week with it. All my favorite leave-on BHA exfoliants are made by Paula's Choice. Many people's favorite is Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant 8 oz / 236 mL . My skin's infammation-prone, so I prefer Paula's Choice CLEAR Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution with 2% Salicylic Acid 4 oz/ 118 mL . I also like PC's 4% BHA exfoliant. Another good option is The INKEY List Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) Blemish + Blackhead Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL . 

[KaurJaspreet]

Hi @WinglessOne 

Thank you for your recommendations. My skincare routine follows Tula Cleanser, Innisfree hydrating serum, Tatcha moisturizer, and Laroche Posay Sunscreen. I keep my routine very simple because my skin is very sensitive and tacky as well so I have to be very considerate when choosing a product because if anything doesn't suit me, my skin breakouts badly, and honestly I try to add only very natural products in my skincare, not something containing chemicals.

I'm worried about the same thing you said if my skin barrier is damaged (maybe that is the cause that very few products suit my skin and I break out) then using exfoliators could make my skin worse that is why I'm looking for something to add to my skincare that won't affect my skin and can also go along with the products I use.

Also, any recommendations for breakouts? 

[WinglessOne]

@KaurJaspreet  You can't avoid chemicals in skincare products, or in anything really, because everything is made of chemicals. Yes, even the "all natural" stuff: 

Spoiler

Example: honey is naturally made of chemicals, and bees are fuzzy little chemists. Heck, the human body is a walking breathing chemical factory: our bodies produce chemicals 24/7. There's literally no way to escape chemicals. We need them to survive. 

"All natural" doesn't really mean "chemical-free." It should mean "free of synthetically derived ingredients." Example: arbutin is very good at treating hyperpigmentation (dark marks/patches). Arbutin occurs naturally in bearberry extract (aka arctostaphylos uva-ursi leaf extract), but can also be created synthetically (usually listed as alpha-arbutin on ingredient lists). Both forms of arbutin are good stuff. There's nothing dangerous about alpha-arbutin compared to naturally derived arbutin. And neither version is "chemical-free." 

Also, skin can become sensitive to nearly any ingredient, be it natural or synthetic. My facial skin is inflammation-prone and absolutely hates lavender in all forms (extract, oil, and water); that stuff causes a red flaky rash on my face. Most essential perfuming oils, often used in "all natural" products, have the same irritating effect on my face. Some folks are skin-sensitive to any type of algae. Others can't use honey extract. Just because a product is all natural doesn't mean it's safer for your particular skin than a product containing synthetically derived ingredients. Eh, just something to bear in mind. 

I don't know which specific products you use, but it's possible one is stripping your skin or breaking your skin barrier. I'd never be able to use the Tula Purifying Face Cleanser on my face, for instance, because it contains 5 essential perfuming oils + perfume/fragrance + linalool (a fragrance component). Even though this cleanser would have brief contact with my skin, that'd be enough to send my face into tantrum mode. Not saying that's what's happening with your skin; your face could be fine with all that stuff, and it's possible you're sensitive to some other ingredient. 

Or, you could just have very dry skin that's not getting enough hydration. I'm told innisfree Green Tea Seed Intensive Hydrating Serum 5.40 oz/ 160 mL is quite hydrating, and the ingredient list supports that at first glance. Do you always apply that toner to damp skin? That should help draw more moisture into your skin. Also, make sure your skin's damp when you apply your moisturizer to help seal in hydration instead of dryness. 

If your breakouts are acne (not a bad reaction or skin condition that mimics acne), salicylic acid (BHA) may be a good addition to your routine. 2-3 days a week, you could swap your usual cleanser with a BHA cleanser—perhaps Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Acne Cleanser 6 oz/ 177 mL (contains just 0.5% BHA), The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser 5 oz / 150 ml (2% BHA), or one of CeraVe's 2 BHA cleansers. Lather the cleanser on your face, let it sit a couple minutes, and then rinse it off. If your skin can handle a leave-on BHA product, Paula's Choice makes good ones. Salicylic acid is an exfoliant, but some folks can handle using it daily (unlike an AHA). 

[CookieGirl1]

@KaurJaspreet Knowing that you have dry skin, you might think about trying a couple of chemical exfoliants rather than physical ones.  Have you looked into the Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads or the Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant?

[SportyGirly125]

@KaurJaspreet @I mix Origins GinZing™ Refreshing Scrub Cleanser 5 oz/ 150 mL with Origins Checks and Balances™ Frothy Face Wash 1.7 oz/ 50 mL so it isn’t as harsh. I have combo skin more on the dry side.