"Make Peace with Exfoliation"
Do you always think of exfoliation as being harsh, or rough on your skin? Do you have sensitive skin and not sure if a daily exfoliant is suitable for you?
Dermalogica's Education Manager, Victoria Evans, answers the following to help you understand all about this new product!
"Daily Milkfoliant offers a peaceful way for everyone to exfoliate their skin every day. This calming vegan exfoliating powder polishes skin while supporting the moisture barrier for healthier-looking skin.
It contains Oat and Coconut, which activate upon contact with water and release botanical extracts rich in Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) and Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs). This helps polish away dead skin cells and removes dulling surface debris for a more even skin tone and texture.
Along with Oat and Coconut, you’ll find ingredients that help nourish the skin and replenish the moisture barrier including essential minerals, Hyaluronic Acid, Saccharide Isomerate and Atomized Sea Salt."
"Only if you’re using the wrong one for your skin or doing it too much.
Exfoliation is greatly beneficial to skin as it supports the natural desquamation process – where our skin sheds dead cells and replaces them with new.
Humans lose around 500 million dead skin cells a day; without gentle regular exfoliation, dead skin can quickly build up leading to dull, flaky skin and congestion or breakouts."
Do all skins benefit from exfoliation?
"Yes, in fact all skins can benefit from exfoliation, even sensitive skin. There’s a lot of miss information out there that says you should only exfoliate once a week or if you have sensitive skin, you should avoid it.
Some also believe exfoliation can make breakouts worse. The likelihood is, if you’ve experienced negative effects from exfoliating products, they were not the right type of formula for your skin, or it was used incorrectly.
The gentle and regular removal of dead skin cells helps renew skin’s protective barrier and improves skin resilience and hydration. Regular exfoliation also helps clear pores of congestion, smooths and brightens a rough or dull complexion and improves the penetration of actives in our serums."
"Dermalogica pioneered the concept of daily exfoliation many years ago with our iconic powder exfoliant, Daily Microfoliant Exfoliator. Our powder exfoliants, including the new Daily Milkfoliant are designed to be used daily and will not compromise skin health.
Microfoliation is the removal of superficial skin cells from the surface layer of the skin, a layer known as the Stratum Disjunctum. This thin layer of dead skin is the culprit behind dull looking and rough feeling skin. Other exfoliants may be designed for weekly use as their exfoliating action is deeper and thus not suitable for daily use."
"Using the wrong exfoliant can be hard on our skin.
The signs you’ve over-exfoliated are skin irritation, increased sensitivity, breakouts, or dry, dehydrated, flaky skin.
It’s important to be aware of exfoliating ingredients in other formulas you’re using. For example, you can find acids in cleansers, tonics, and serums, not just ‘exfoliants’. Using multiple formulas in your regimen that contain exfoliating actives, increases the level of skin resurfacing you experience. If you experience over-exfoliation symptoms, stop exfoliating until skin recovers and reintroduce gradually."
What exfoliating ingredients should we look out for?
"For a safe product to use daily, powder based exfoliants offer a gentle level of exfoliating for all skins and contain chemical exfoliants such as AHA’s, BHA’s and enzymes to smooth the skins surface. Daily Milkfoliant gently polishes the skin whilst supporting skin’s moisture barrier with calming and soothing ingredients."
"Exfoliation is typically carried out after cleansing and before application of serums and moisturisers. Daily exfoliation can be performed either AM or PM to suit your lifestyle. If you choose to include a weekly exfoliant as well as daily, omit your daily use exfoliant on the day you use your weekly one.
Support skin post exfoliation by layering hydrating and protecting formulas such as Hyaluronic Ceramide Mist and Circular Hydration Serum with Hyaluronic Acid. Daily application of SPF is also critical to defend resurfaced skin from damaging UV rays. Try Invisible Physical Defence Mineral Sunscreen SPF30."
