Do you Exfoliate or Cleanse first?

[HonestlyFab]

Hello, beauties!

This question has been unanswered for many years. I've read so many articles saying that it's always been that you cleanse and THEN exfoliate, however, there have been many studies suggesting that you could get even better results by exfoliating before you cleanse! I've tried both and it's seemed to be the exact same.

What do all of you beauties do first? And how has it been working for you?

Sincerely,

HonestlyFab! xoxo

[lylysa]

To echo what many have said below, I opt to cleanse first and then exfoliate. I do this because that way you're exfoliator (be it a peel or scrub) doesn't have to work extra hard to break down any makeup, dirt, oil, or build up on the skin before it can get to the nitty gritty and begin buffing skin smooth. The cleanser will at least remove immediate, more-surface level/superficial aspects of build up so that way the exfoliator can instantly touch along bare skin to do its job. Also, if you're wearing makeup, you don't want to use an exfoliator around/on the eye region to remove any product as this would cause irritation and be unsafe.

[NikkoBT]

Hi @HonestlyFab! 

I usually cleanse prior to exfoliating if I'm only worried about my everyday cleanser. If you're planning on cleansing with something that has anti-aging properties or hydration boosters, etc., I suggest exfoliating first. That way, when you use your cleanser with any additional properties to its cleansing factor, your skin will be primed for receiving these benefits. I hope this helps. 🙂

[TrysBeautyItems]

For a physical exfoliator, I use it as my cleanser, but I do in the morning. Otherwise cleanse wait awhile before a chemical peel.

[Anonymous]

I cleanse then exfoliate because I use the Dr. Dennis Gross peels; it would feel yucky to use those pads on unclean skin.

I also use Exfolikate after a gentle cleanse (no Clarisonic).

[waterbaby1981]

I usually cleanse and then exfoliate/use a peel.

[ChicDabbler]

Cleanse then exfoliate. Exfoliation scrubs away the surface layer of the skin to expose newer and brighter skin underneath. If you don't cleanse before that, all the oil, dirty and bacteria gets onto your new skin. When you are cleansing, the few minutes of warm water also helps to soften the skin so it's easier to exfoliate.

The only exception is if the scrub I tried is the greasy kind that is difficult to rinse off cleanly and leaves a residue/film on the skin, in which case I follow up with a cleanser to make my skin clean again. But I don't like those scrubs, and rarely encounter those types, so I cleanse first.