How to Exfoliate Your Face, According to Dermatologists

Learning how to exfoliate your face is important to any skin-care routine. Whether you’re a beginner or skin-care pro, there’s plenty of tips to keep in mind to achieve a fresh and smooth face—without ruining your skin in the process.

“Exfoliation removes those dead skin cells on the outer surface of your face that can make skin appear dull and a little bit rough,” says Dr. Saami Khalifian, MD, double board-certified dermatologist at SOM Aesthetics.

The best way to exfoliate your face all comes down to figuring out the right products and methods for your skin type. Although some might give you instant results in terms of how smooth your skin feels immediately after, just like anything in skin care, results can take time. Moving too aggressively can cause irritation and not being consistent with your regimen won’t garner long-term results.

Slow and steady is the name of the game here. While the skin-care aisle can be intimidating, there are a few tips to keep in mind when shopping for the best face exfoliants to add to your lineup. Read on for the crash course in exfoliating your face 101.

What is exfoliation?Understanding the exfoliation process is key. “Exfoliation is the use of chemical or physical exfoliants that are actually going to help with cellular turnover,” says Dr. Heidi Prather, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Westlake Dermatology. These exfoliants remove dead skin cells from the outermost layer of the skin called the stratum corneum through the use of a grainy substance like a scrub or chemicals like glycolic acid.

From combating dullness to keeping pores unclogged, there are so many reasons why this step matters. “Exfoliators are going to help keep that layer of skin thin, keep the skin healthy, keep that cellular turnover going so that we have that glow,” adds Dr. Prather. “That thick stratum corneum also creates a barrier that inhibits penetration of the products that we’re using. If we can keep that barrier thin and allow better penetration of our smart skin-care products, we’re going to get better efficacy with those ingredients.”

How often should you exfoliate your face?How often to exfoliate the face is one of the biggest steps in understanding the best process for you. Different skin types and conditions—including oily, combination, sensitive, dry, and acne-prone—can’t tolerate the same amount of exfoliation. Ultimately, those with dry or sensitive skin will be exfoliating less than someone with an oilier skin type.

Generally, Dr. Khalifian recommends two to three times a week for normal, combination, acne-prone, and oily skin types, while he notes that the sweet spot for many will likely be two weeks. Dry, sensitive, and mature skin types should consider exfoliating maybe two times a week.

“Sebaceous glands pump oil to the skin, which basically lubricates the skin and allows it to heal itself,” says Dr. Khalifian. “But when we overexfoliate, the skin becomes irritated, inflamed, and dry. So if you have oily skin, you’re less likely to become dry. If it’s not dry, it won’t become as irritated and red.” This is why someone with an oilier skin type can tolerate more exfoliation than someone with dry or sensitive skin.

What are the different types of exfoliation?Exfoliation methods are broadly broken down into two types. Physical (or mechanical) and chemical. Understanding this difference will help you figure out which is right for you.