By exfoliating your skin, you can make it look young and healthy. But there is a fine line between exfoliating just enough and too much. Too much exfoliation can happen if you use products that are too strong or don't use them correctly. It can make your skin red and irritated, and it can even burn or leave scars.
When you exfoliate too much, you can hurt yourself and make yourself look bad until your skin heals. You can heal the over exfoliated skin by treating it at home and calming any painful spots. Keep reading to learn more about the steps and signs of over exfoliated skin.
Signs Of Over Exfoliated Skin
1. Dry And Tight Skin
Dry And Tight SkinSince too much exfoliation strips the skin of its natural oils and moisture, your skin will inevitably become dry and cracked. It makes the top layer of the epidermis dry out because it doesn't get enough water. Because of this, dry spots and flakes start to show up on the skin. After using an exfoliant on the skin, it is very important to use a moisturizer to keep the skin hydrated. It is one of the important signs of over exfoliated skin.
2. Overproduction Of Sebum
Overproduction Of SebumYour skin will produce more oil to compensate for moisture loss; if you have oily or mixed skin, this is a natural response. It does this by producing excessive sebum to nourish and protect the skin, which results in clogged pores and oily skin. Therefore, regardless of the type of skin you have, you need to always use a moisturizer.
Relatable Read: Types Of Moisturizers For Oily Skin
3. Inflammation And Irritation
Inflammation And IrritationWhen your face gets red and irritated more often than usual, this is the most obvious sign that your skin has been over-exfoliated. When your skincare products, like your hydrating toner, start to sting and burn after you use them, you have used too much of your exfoliating products. It is among the most noticeable signs of over exfoliated skin.
4. Breakouts
BreakoutsExfoliation aims to clean out your pores so that acne doesn't form. But if you do it more than you need to, it will cause acne and breakouts that won't go away. When you over-exfoliate, you damage the skin barrier, which makes it weaker and less able to fight off bacteria that cause acne and other infections. Your skin will start to break out in places it never did before. Make sure you never ignore these signs of over exfoliated skin.
Suggested Read: Cystic Acne: Causes And Treatment
Steps To Heal Over Exfoliated Skin
1. Stop Exfoliating
If you think your skin has been over-exfoliated, stop exfoliating right away. Some people may think this is a simple step, but if you think you have over-exfoliated your skin, this is the first thing you need to do. Please don't use a scrub for at least the next four weeks. Because it takes about a month for your skin to go through its regeneration cycle, it will continue to be extra sensitive.
Read Next: The Ultrasonic Skin Scrubber
2. Say No To Harsh Ingredients
If you scrub your skin too much, you may end up with irritations. No matter how long you've been using the same product, your skin will almost certainly react to it if it has even a small amount of irritating ingredients. To keep this from happening, you need to take stock of everything you use in your skincare routine.
Products with triclosan, sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, and parabens should be avoided. If you notice these things, it's time to put them away until your skin is completely better. But you might also want to look into the ingredients in the products you use on your skin. Some of the ingredients like parabens, are very bad for the health of the inside of the body.
3. Milder Cleanser
Milder CleanserExfoliation is not the only thing that can damage your skin's natural barrier; strong cleansers can also do this. Your skin needs to heal as quickly as possible. Therefore, your primary goal should be to switch from harsh cleansers to more gentle alternatives.
Recommended Read: Homemade Facial Cleansers To Try Out
4. Use Vitamin C Serums
Use Vitamin C SerumsIf you'd rather not use hydrocortisone, you can use a mild vitamin C cream. At about a 5% concentration, vitamin C cream may help your skin feel better and heal faster. Do not let the sun hit any part of your skin that has vitamin C cream on it. Some creams and lotions with vitamin C can make you more sensitive to the sun. Covering up can keep you from getting sunburned or getting more irritated or inflamed.
5. Sun Protection
Sun ProtectionIf you scrub too hard, you get not only rid of dead skin cells but also fresh skin cells. It can make newer skin more sensitive and more likely to get sunburned. You should stay out of the sun as much as possible to protect your skin and speed up the healing process. Even if you are just running errands, you should still wear sunscreen or sunblock. It can make it less likely that you will get sunburned, have more inflammation and irritation, and slow down the healing process.
Read Next: Sunscreens Recommended By Dermatologists
Takeaway
In the end, exfoliating does a lot of good for the skin, but if it is done too often, it could do more harm than good. It is important to keep doing things that work well for you. Regular, gentle exfoliation should be a part of your normal skincare routine because it is good for your skin and makes it look better.
But there are limits to how many benefits you can get from exfoliating. The best long-term results for your skin will come from following a routine that is both consistent and gentle. We hope that these steps to heal from over exfoliated skin helped you.
Also Read: Ways To Exfoliate Your Legs With Homemade Body Scrub
