Daily Exfoliation

I keep reading about Christie Brinkley's skin care secret being daily exfoliation. She says that men shave which naturally exfoliates their skin and their skin reaps the benefits of daily exfoliation.This lead to Christie starting daily exfoliating on her skin years ago. Any thoughts on this? Anybody else use exfoliation products on their skin daily? I used to use Clarins exfoliating cleanser daily but it's not really an exfoliator because it's such a mild cleanser. How many times a week do you exfoliate your skin?

Because I have oily, acne-prone skin, I use a gel cleanser that has (mild) fruit acids which do help gently exfoliate daily.

 However, anything more intense (like a masque) is only recommended 2-3x a week (max).  If you have drier or sensitive skin, be especially careful.

** Too much exfoliating can actually damage skin (by weakening your skin's natural moisture barrier). **

**Stay away from anything with grains or beads (as these can actually cause microscopic tears in your skin).

I alternate with a salicylic acid gel cleanser (mainly in my t-zone), which helps clean pores of debris and dead skin cells, and fruit acids/AHA/BHA cleansers. 

Simple facial steaming a few times a week (with a mild non-acidic cleanser) can also help deep clean pores without the need for everyday exfoliation.

Make sure whatever cleansers you use do not contain alcohols or sulfates, as these can be harsh and damaging to your skin as well.

Products I personally use and recommend are: 

-- Detox Charcoal Cleanser by HolisticOrganics (etsy)

-- Astara's AHA Nutrient Toning Essence Lotion

-- Indie Lee's Brightening Cleanser (every other day, just in trouble spots)

-- Eileen Mai's Salicylic Cleansing Gel

--  Silk Natural's AHA or BHA (alcohol-free) toners.... the BHA one is more exfoliating & concentrated, so only use every other day or every few days

-- NYLSkincare's Rose Water face wash (very mild, gentle cleanser; non-exfoliating)

and moisturize with: 

-- Earth Science's Fragrance-Free Almond Aloe moisturizer or

-- Oshiglow's Oil-fee Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Lotion

Oshiglow's Bentonite & Kaolin Clay masque is also great for a deep clean once or twice a week.

 

I love how my skin feels after exfoliation.  I fear that doing it too often though would make it break out or get too dry.  Does anyone else have this fear or issue?

I have an oily skin. So i exfoliate twice or thrice in a week.

I think with exfoliating more than anything you need to be careful. If your skin is properly hydrated your body with do the majority of the exfoliating for you. I personally have very sensitive skin, and it looks like i may be developing mild rosacea. My brain says your skin feels so rough, exfoliate and it will be much better. But i only exfoliate every two to three weeks sometimes less. I truly believe hydration is key. Knowing that your skin has natural enzymes which aid the natural exfoliation process and that water initiates these enzymes, i stick to that practice. For me personally when i do exfoliate i like to stick to enzymes as opposed to mechanical exfoliaters such as scrubs. 

I have rosacea so I definitely can't do it every day - 3-4 days/week with a gentle physical exfoliator works best for me.  I am currently using (and loving) Murad's Skin Smoothing Polish from the pore reform line.  Also like the derma e exfoliating scrub or that vasanti enzymatic rejuvenator that sub boxes keep sending me. 

I used a lemon mixed w/sugar(some natural exfoliation thing I found online) every once in a while while ago but then stopped I'm not sure how well that worked when I was doing it though though.

Since then I have just been using a Clean + Clear salicylic acid acne wash.

Decided to go online though after trying something out a few days ago.

I was thinking those multi-colored luffa sponges might work good for exfoliation......not sure why but I added an extremely tiny dab of conditioner. I think my thinking at the time was that with just a tiny bit of conditioner added then perhaps the exfoliation would exfoliate in a even more delicate(non-abrasive) way if I added a tiny bit of conditioner. i know that conditioner isn't ever usually used that way but I just tried it  out skin felt pretty exfoliated after that.

I decided to look online for exfoliation techniques with a luffa sponge to see if it was a thing. From what I searched I heard about a thing called scuffing....which is using those multi-colored luffa sponges to exfoliate!  Any one else heard the term scuffing?  I was thinking added a tiny dab of some different exfoliating substances such as salicylic acid cleanser,etc to the luffa sponge and exfoliating that way might work good? Also since I think those luffa sponges are exfoliating(scuffing) that I could just do my cleansing or moisturzing by just adding a cleanser or moisturizer to the luffa? Things I thought I could perhaps moisturize, exfoliate, and sooth(aloe vera infused, cocoa butter infused) all at the same time such as an aloe vera moisturizer, cocoa butter, coconut oil, drug store cleanser/moisturizers, etc?

Is a luffa too harsh for exfoliating(the reason why I thought using soothing moisturizers and exfoliating at the same time might work?
I was thinking of trying some microdermasion clothes but I think they only last a certain amount of washes and then they don't work anymore? I've never tried them. So I'll probably try 1 or 2 of those microdermabrasion clothes but for a more long lasting exfoliation application I thought luffa sponges infused with tiny amounts of soothing cleansers/moisturizer might work all right?
The reason why I put question marks at the end of the last 6 or so questions was because I am just experimenting...this is just stuff I thought of off the top of my head and it isn't anything put to test by anyone I know or anything. I put the question marks because I am wondering if anyone else has tried this new term I discovered "scuffing" and wondering if anyone has tried any of these things(the 6+ questions I "asked") before?

Sure men shaving their face does exfoliate the skin daily, but not NEARLY the amount a scrub or AHA peel product would. Men still need to exfoliate too on top of shaving so her point is invalid.

The point of exfoliating is  to remove dead skin cells as we all know. But if you don't allow the skin to accumulate dead skin then you are scrubbing healthy skin. This could remove the natural acid mantle of the skin (protective layer) put tiny microscopic tears in the skin, cause dryness and inflammation, break capillaries and cause redness.

As an esthetician I recommend to all my clients the following:

Oily skin - 3 days a week

Combo skin - 1-2 days a week

Dry skin - once a week

Sensitive skin - once a week with a gentle enzyme

I do exfoliate my skin twice a week. It helps removing dead cells and clear pores on my skin. Exfoliation is must and should be a part of your skin care regimen.

Use the best product for it.