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Stepping into the glorious world of exfoliation is similar Skittles: You can never take just 1. Once you feel that outset tingle—the ubiquitous sign a product is working—you're hooked. In that location's no skincare production out there quite like an exfoliator, whether it's a physical scrub or a chemical toner. But too much of a good affair tin have its consequences, and when your skin goes haywire after also much exfoliation, nosotros must await to barrier repair to fix it.

But first, how did nosotros get here? You moisturize your peel, but it feels tight and dry out, or perchance it's red and inflamed. Celebrity esthetician and skincare expert Renee Rouleau explained, "While regular exfoliation with the use of facial scrubs and acids, along with retinol and prescription retinoids, is certainly very beneficial to the pare, over-exfoliated skin removes so much of the surface pare cells that information technology loses the layers of the skin that requite information technology texture." Basically, when y'all do too much exfoliation, your skin and moisture barrier loses some of its integrity, leading to a whole slew of issues.

Renee Rouleau

Glory ESTHETICIAN, SKINCARE EXPERT

Renee Rouleau is a renowned celebrity esthetician and skincare expert and has worked in the business concern for over 30 years. She is the possessor of her eponymous line, Renee Rouleau, featuring products for all skin types.

Is My Skin Over-Exfoliated?

But is my peel just dry, or could it be over-exfoliated? Co-ordinate to Rouleau, over-exfoliated skin will announced "shiny since lite reflects off the skin easily." Along with dry, shiny pare, you'll probable experience redness, tightness, stinging, and irritation that feels dehydrated beyond but defective moisture.

When y'all're over-exfoliating for a long period of time, Rouleau said the prolonged inflammation tin can advance crumbling, destruct salubrious skin cells, and increase hyperpigmentation. If your pare suddenly started looking a lot older and duller, over-exfoliation could be the culprit. "Seeing every bit your skin needs a certain number of protective layers to stay healthy and retain moisture, over-exfoliating may be harming your pare more you lot realize," Rouleau said.

How to Heal Over-Exfoliated Pare

The obvious mode to heal your peel is to cut back on how much y'all're exfoliating. For a few days, kick whatsoever acids, retinoids, and facial scrubs to the curb and rely on layers of hydration instead, similar toner, serum, and moisturizer.

When you lot're making over your skincare routine for the time being, Rouleau brash using a mild cleanser that'due south sulfate-gratuitous. If your skin is irritated and stinging, avoid products with lots of fragrance that can cause more than irritation. Also, Rouleau recommended incorporating a moisturizer "with ingredients that work to repair a damaged barrier that have natural lipid-mimicking oils," suggesting borage oil, evening primrose oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, sweet almond oil, or jojoba oil. If your skin is feeling actress irritated, apply hydrocortisone cream to the itchy, red spots.

Youth To The People

Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser

Opt for a fragrance-gratis, no-frills gel cleanser that removes all the dirt, makeup, and grime without stripping your peel even further. This one is loved past dry- and oily-skin editors alike.

Renée Rouleau

Phytolipid Comfort Creme

This cream was specifically formulated to heal dry, flaky pare from retinol, exfoliation, and chemic peels, and so you know it's thick and occlusive. Not but does it brand peel feel less dry out, but it besides actually helps strengthen your moisture barrier over time.

CeraVe

Hydrocortisone Cream

This hydrocortisone foam for itchy, irritated, red skin also contains CeraVe's archetype blend of hyaluronic acid and ceramides to further moisturize and protect your peel.

How to Avoid Over-Exfoliating

"To avoid over-exfoliating, try post-obit the full general rule: Exfoliate no more than five times per calendar week at dark," Rouleau said. "When it comes to making recommendations for the skin, it's always hard to generalize for all skin types, merely for most, iv to 5 times per week is enough." Between your facial scrubs, AHA serums and masks, acid toners, retinoids, and more, make sure you're not using an exfoliating product on your skin every unmarried day if you're prone to irritation.

Similarly, Rouleau said the most important guideline is always listening to your skin. "When fixing your wet barrier, y'all desire to avoid annihilation that makes the skin sting or experience dry, tight, or irritated. I know this sounds simple, but many people fall into the mindset of 'if it'south stinging then it must exist working.' While some products tin can make the peel tingle (exfoliating acids in particular), you lot should really examine whether or not the product is supposed to requite that sensation." If your moisture barrier is compromised, products that wouldn't normally crusade a tingling sensation might considering your skin is already irritated. Pay attention to what products feel similar on your pare because you might be using things that are causing unnecessary irritation in the long run.