Dirt, oils, bacteria, and other debris can collect in your pores. This leads to acne blemishes, including whiteheads and blackheads (*sobs*). Even if your skin doesn’t break out, clogged pores can make them appear larger.

When you exfoliate your skin, you’ll remove that dirt and oil from your pores. While it’s not possible to permanently shrink your pores, exfoliating will clean them out so they appear smaller and give your skin a healthier, smoother look.

Boost Your Skin Care Products

Trapped dirt, oil, and bacteria are usually the culprits when it comes to acne breakouts. Dead skin cells can actually seal the surface of your pores, which traps the oil inside. This can lead to acne blemishes, blackheads, or whiteheads.

Exfoliating won’t do much to help existing acne, but it can prevent future blemishes from forming. If you have acne-prone skin, aim to exfoliate once or twice a week with a physical exfoliant.

When you exfoliate your skin in a circular motion, it helps boost blood flow to the area. This increased circulation helps remove toxins from your body. Exfoliating, especially all over your body, helps increase lymphatic drainage to detox your body.

Exfoliating removes dead skin cells, which can even your skin tone. If you have rough skin, acne scars, or hyperpigmentation, exfoliating can help them fade over time. You won’t see results the first time you exfoliate, but your skin should improve over time.

Unclogging Pores

In addition to the boost in circulation I mentioned before, exfoliating also helps increase cellular turnover. This means that your body will keep generating healthy skin cells as the dead skin cells fall off. This helps your skin look and feel softer.

Along with cellular turnover, exfoliating helps boost collagen production to fight the signs of aging. Collagen is what keeps your skin looking firm and plump. As we age, our bodies naturally produce less collagen, which can lead to signs of aging.

Exfoliating helps improve skin texture and skin tone while boosting cellular turnover and collagen production to combat the signs of aging.

You should exfoliate your skin once or twice a week. With so many benefits of exfoliating, you might be tempted to do it more than twice a week. However, exfoliating too often can be irritating for your skin, so make sure you don’t overdo it!

Prevent Acne

There are some daily exfoliating face washes. These are formulated to use daily, so you can use them on your every-day skin care routine. However, other exfoliating scrubs are only meant to be used once or twice a week.

If you have sensitive skin, then exfoliate only once a week. If you notice redness or irritation, exfoliate less often. If your skin is fine exfoliating twice a week, then you can safely exfoliate twice a week. If you’re new to this, start slowly by exfoliating once a week to help your skin adjust to its new regimen. After a month or so, start doing it twice a week and see how your skin reacts.