How Often Should I Exfoliate My Face? Dermatologists Weigh In

Close up of a woman's face as she exfoliates

Stocksy

At the very least, every basic skincare routine should consist of cleansing and moisturizing. And while cleansing is a must in order to keep skin clear and healthy, it's not always enough. Enter another crucial step: exfoliation. If you're a minimalist who wants to keep things at a minimum, you can actually get exfoliation benefits each time you wash your face with the right cleanser, but is that enough? Or too much?

To answer all of your burning exfoliation questions for healthy, glowing skin—like how often you do it and what ingredients to use, we spoke to two dermatologists and an esthetician. Below, read all about the benefits of exfoliating your face, the different types of exfoliants, and the important ingredients you should be looking for when trying a new product.

Meet the Expert

  • Daniel Behroozan, MD, FAAD is the director of the Dermatology Institute of Southern California and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at UCLA School of Medicine.
  • Marisa Garshick, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist of MDCS Dermatology in New York.
  • Renée Rouleau is a celebrity skincare expert and esthetician with more than 30 years of industry experience. She has an eponymous skincare line that caters to nine different skin types.

What Are the Main Benefits of Exfoliating Your Face?

Keeping skin clear and smooth are among the best exfoliation benefits. But, let's start from the top: Why exfoliate your skin in the first place? "Exfoliating helps to get rid of dead skin cells, which leaves the skin feeling softer and smoother, looking more radiant while also improving the overall appearance of skin tone and texture. Exfoliating can help to brighten the skin and improve discoloration. By getting rid of dead skin cells, exfoliating also helps to prevent clogged pores," explains dermatologist, Marisa Garshick, MD.

And according to celebrity esthetician, Renée Rouleau, there are a plethora of benefits to regular exfoliation for all skin types. For those prone to blemishes and clogged pores, exfoliation should be the main focus of your routine. There are a few different types of exfoliants (which we'll get to in a second), but for these acne-prone skin types, Rouleau recommends using a chemical exfoliant formulated with beta hydroxy acid, which will work "to reduce bacteria on the skin while exfoliating and cleaning clogged pores."

Benefits of Exfoliating

Sunny Eckerle/BYRDIE

Exfoliation is important for anti-aging as well. For those concerned about wrinkles, Rouleau says, "As you increase your exfoliation, you are tricking the skin into acting young again." Retinoic acid and retinol are special types of exfoliants that work particularly well within deeper layers of the skin. "With continued use, skin will look younger and smoother each day," she says.

Plus, for all skin types, exfoliation simply gives the face an instant glow, both by clearing away the dead skin cells that cause dullness and by allowing your other anti-aging products to penetrate the skin more effectively.

Which Type of Exfoliator Is Best to Use?

Spoiler alert: There's no 100% objective answer as to which type of exfoliator is the best, though most experts do caution you away from over-exfoliating with physical scrubs.

Now for the types of exfoliants. There are two: Physical exfoliants (like face scrubs and clay masks) and chemical exfoliants (like acid serums and peels). There are also products that incorporate both.

Rouleau's favorite type of exfoliator is a leave-on acid serum (formulated with BHAs and AHAs), which is super effective at brightening skin and clearing pores without irritation. "When applied to the skin, [the serum] lowers the pH of the skin… and starts to dissolve and digest the cells both on the surface and deeper within the skin—without having to scrub and tug at the skin the way you have to with physical exfoliators."

Dr. Garshick adds, "Personally, I like to use chemical exfoliants, but physical exfoliants can also be used as long as it is gentle on the skin. It is important that physical exfoliants are not too harsh on the skin and will not cause any microtears in the skin."

If you're more of a mask fan, PCA Skin makes some amazing ones for exfoliation. "Their Purifying Mask uses pumice, red clay, and algae to pull out any debris stuck in the pores," says dermatologist Daniel Behroozan, MD. "The pumice adds a nice grit to the mask that leaves the skin really soft." The brand's Revitalizing Mask offers natural chemical exfoliation, using papaya enzymes meant to eat away any dead skin cells on the surface of the skin.

How Often Should You Exfoliate Your Face?

You should exfoliate your face about two to three times a week. (An acid serum two to three nights a week, plus a weekly mask or peel is a great routine to shoot for.) You may have heard only once a week, but dermatologists say that for most skin types, that's not enough. Encouraging that extra, dull layer of skin cells to go on their merry way two to three times a week may be the secret to smooth, glowing skin.

Byrdie Tip

For those with skin types prone to redness and irritation, you should only exfoliate once or twice a week.

What Are the Exfoliating Ingredients to Look For?

When you go to pick out an exfoliator, it's important to look for expert-approved ingredients. Dr. Garshick recommends looking for products that contain alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, or mandelic acid or beta hydroxy acids like salicylic acid. Plant enzymes like papaya, pineapple, and pomegranate are also potential natural exfoliators for sensitive skin types.

If it's physical exfoliation you're looking for, try natural ingredients like pumice, poppy seeds, and jojoba beads.

Key Ingredients

Jojoba oil is a natural oil produced from the seed of the chinensis plant, a drought-resistant shrub native to southern Arizona, California, and Mexico. It mimics natural sebum and conditions and seals moisture in the skin without clogging pores or exacerbating acne.

Article Sources
Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
  1. Maia Campos PM, Gaspar LR, Gonçalves GM, Pereira LH, Semprini M, Lopes RA. Comparative effects of retinoic acid or glycolic acid vehiculated in different topical formulationsBiomed Res Int. 2015;2015:650316. doi:10.1155/2015/650316

  2. Cleveland Clinic. 5 ways to exfoliate your skin without irritation. Updated February 12, 2020.

  3. Lin TK, Zhong L, Santiago JL. Anti-inflammatory and skin barrier repair effects of topical application of some plant oilsInt J Mol Sci. 2017;19(1):70. doi:10.3390/ijms19010070

Related Stories