Skincare Saturday: Exfoliating

Illustrations by Kirsten Lam @kirstyz.korner

Glowy, healthy skin doesn’t magically appear (unless you were blessed with amazing skin genes, then congratulations). It takes time and patience (and using the right products) in order to achieve clear, radiant skin. There’s an entire Korean 10-step skincare routine which has helped countless people achieve beautiful skin, but I’m not here to discuss that. Today, I’ll be explaining skin exfoliation and why you should include it in your skincare routine.


According to the Korean 10-step skincare routine, this is the third step in the routine. Exfoliating is the process of using chemical or physical exfoliants in order to get rid of the dead skin cells that layer on your skin. By leaving them on, new skin cells can’t grow, so you’re left with dull, old skin and acne growth. To prevent this, you should exfoliate your skin 1-2 times a week in order to rid of the dead skin cells and make way for new skin cells to grow and shine. 

There are two types of exfoliators: physical and chemical. Both have positive and negative aspects, so choose the one that is best for your skin type. 

Let’s begin with physical exfoliators; this type of exfoliator requires you to physically scrub your skin whether using a sugar scrub or exfoliating device. The thing I love about this type of exfoliation is how smooth my skin immediately feels after using this. From my experience, my skin is left feeling smooth and plump, so I know that the dead skin cells are gone. But, you can definitely overdo this, which in turn damages your skin. When using physical exfoliants, be gentle, massaging all over your face with a reasonable amount of pressure. Too much scrubbing or using too much pressure can damage your skin cells, creating opportunities for bacteria to spread and create acne. 

My favorite physical exfoliant is Skinfood’s Sugar Mask Washoff because its fine sugar particles don’t damage my skin. There are often online recipes that explain how to make a homemade sugar scrub, but the issue is that the sugar you are using could be too coarse. Using coarse sugar can damage your skin because of how large the particles are in addition to the amount of pressure you use to massage it all over your face. I’m always a fan of finding ways to save money and create something homemade, but not at the cost of damaging my skin.

Another favorite physical scrub of mine is Neogen’s Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Wine. These two-sided gauze pads are infused with red wine, an ingredient with anti-aging properties. You use the exfoliating side to scrub and massage the dead skin cells off of your skin, and then flip to the cleansing side to gently wipe your face clean.

There are also cleansing devices such as Clarisonic brushes where you can simply let the machine do the work and have it massage all across your face. You still need to hold and control it, but the device will do all the exfoliating.

Now, chemical exfoliators. In this case, chemicals such as AHAs and BHAs melt away the dead skin cells and gunk that is stuck between your pores. They help flush out acne from underneath, leaving you with clear skin. AHAs and BHAs are two types of common acids that do this job. They may sound scary, being acids, but I assure you that these are HELPFUL acids that don’t hurt your skin. AHAs, or alpha hydroxy acids, are water-soluble and work on the surface layer of your skin. They help remove the dead and damaged skin cells which allows growth of new ones from underneath. Because they function on the top layer of your skin, they help reduce visible marks on your skin including wrinkles and signs of sun damage.

There are many kinds of AHAs such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, and malic acid. BHAs, or beta hydroxy acids, are oil-soluble, working with both the surface layer of your skin and deep into the pores. This one is more ideal for clearing that bothersome acne or enlarged pores on your skin. The most common form of this is salicylic acid which is often recommended for those battling with acne. Together, these chemical exfoliants clean your skin from top to bottom, but they can make your skin more sensitive. You’ll need to protect your skin from environmental aggressors like the sun and pollution, so be sure to use moisturizers and sunscreens.

I’ve been recently using The Ordinary’s AHA/BHA Peeling Solution, and let me tell you how great this is. I use this 10-minute mask once a week because of how powerful it is, and it’s a great exfoliating product that helps clear my skin from inside and out. I’ll be honest that these acids are super strong, so it tingles my face whenever I use it. If your skin is super sensitive, I WOULD NOT recommend this because of how strong the acids are.

On the other hand, The Ordinary’s Salicylic Acid Solution is a great BHA chemical exfoliant that is both gentle and gets the job done with clearing your skin. Unlike the peeling solution, this BHA solution can be used daily with no issues, but definitely stop using this if your skin is reacting poorly.

Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30-day Miracle Toner is a popular Korean skincare product that can be easily added into your skincare routine. With three types of chemical exfoliants (AHA, BHA, and PHA), this is great for anyone and everyone who is beginning with skincare. It’s the perfect toner for clearing your skin and making you shine. 

Regardless, exfoliating your skin will make it more sensitive. So, NEVER forget to protect it! Always wear sunscreen to protect your skin from sun damage, and be sure to cleanse it thoroughly at night. Your skin is the largest organ, so make sure you’re treating it right. Your skin will treat you back by making you shine and glow.