SPRING CLEAN YOUR SKIN WITH THIS EASY STEP
SPRING CLEAN YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE WITH 5 EASY STEPS
While it's essential to maintain a perfect skin-care routine all year round, it's also essential to change your routine based on the ever-changing seasons. Many of us will experience dry and flaky skin in winter, and then our skin will do a complete 360 as the weather warms up.
As the weather improves, we also start to think about coming out of our winter hibernation. Even if it’s the season of mandatory face masks, our skin routine needs to update as the temperature does.
WANT DEWY CLEAR SKIN THAT GLOWS?
There is one simple step to soft, glowy spring skin; exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! Exfoliating can be your friend as well as our foe. In short, it's essential to get it right. We spoke to the experts and this is what they recommended for how best to exfoliate your skin coming into spring.
WHY SHOULD WE EXFOLIATE AFTER WINTER?
Over winter, dry air and increased indoor heating, dries out our top layer of skin cells faster and they accumulate, giving you that dull, dry winter complexion. Exfoliation removes the top layer of dead skin cells and is a way of deep-cleaning your pores to not only reveal the clean fresh skin beneath, but also keep your skin smooth and healthy.
And did you know? Exfoliation helps your skin absorb your other skincare products more effectively and makes their ingredients more potent.
WHY SHOULD WE EXFOLIATE IN THE WARMER MONTHS?
Skin is oilier in spring and summer, due to increased heat and humidity. This makes exfoliation more critical. Sweat glands become more active, and they, in turn, rev up our oil glands. Your pores are getting filled with the usual daily gunk; dirt, makeup, debris, as well as oil, sweat and sunblock residue. This build-up can lead to acne and skin breakouts.
With exfoliation as an add-on in your skin care routine; you can remove all of this build-up, unclog your pores, smooth your skin tone, battle acne and speed up healthy skin cell turnover.
THE TOP 5 EXFOLIATING TIPS:
1. FIND THE MAGIC NUMBER
How often should you exfoliate?
- Once or twice a week.
- For most skin types, twice a week is fine but if your skin is sensitive, you should exfoliate only once a week.
- Over-exfoliating the skin will strip away its natural oils, and leave skin feeling dry and irritated. When your skin is red and inflamed don't exfoliate at all. Wait until it settles down.
2. MATCH YOUR EXFOLIATOR TO YOUR SKIN TYPE
Which Exfoliator is best for your skin type?
- Different skin types benefit from using different exfoliators. It's essential to find the right exfoliator for your skin.
- Oily, congested skin benefits from a more assertive exfoliator, which helps buff away bumps, dirt and blackheads. At QED, we recommend Clarify Shake to Activate Exfoliator twice a week. Formulated with finely ground walnut shells to buff away ingrained dirt and congestion. Peppermint & cypress oils will soothe inflammation, fight blemishes & stabilise oil production leaving skin feeling refreshed & noticeably clearer.
Maturing Skin benefits from regular gentle polishing. Aging skin tends to be more delicate. It also tends to be drier, which in turn can trigger early skin cell death and dullness. We recommend Wrinkle Rewind Exfoliator, formulated with spherical Jojoba Beads to gently buff away dead skin cells and debris. This product is formulated with the wrinkle rewind repair serum to hydrate, soften, plump and protect skin against environmental damage.
- Dry Skin is flaky and rough and as such, really benefits from a twice weekly exfoliation with the Deep Hydration Exfoliator. The added walnut granules in this product, effortlessly remove dirt and dead skin cells. Jojoba oil features prominently to deeply hydrate and green tea extract provides antioxidant protection.
- Ultra-sensitive skin needs a very gentle, fragrance-free exfoliator and we have one specifically in mind for this skin type. The QED Ultra Sensitive Exfoliating Balm uses spherical Jojoba beads that are very gentle on delicate skin. Its water-free balm formulation is extremely protective as well.
Ultra Sensitive Exfoliating Balm
From $36
- Normal skin which may be less prone to breakouts, still needs an exfoliator, though a lighter one to prevent skin congestion, especially in the warmer months. The Lite Protect Exfoliator is perfect for normal skin. Formulated with walnut shell granules to help buff away dead skin cell accumulation and debris. Its hazelnut oil is mildly astringent to reduce pore size, but also provides light protective hydration. This combination cleanses, softens and hydrates without pushing into breakouts.
3. BODY EXFOLIATORS ARE FOR YOUR BODY ONLY?
Can you use a Body Exfoliator for your skin?
- In short, no. The skin of your face is much more delicate, with fewer skin layers than the rest of the body and so it requires a gentler exfoliator designed for gentler skin.
- You should also be exfoliating your body regularly with a Body Exfoliator.
4. SUN MATTERS
Is it safe to go out into the sun after exfoliating?
- Yes, unless you are using an exfoliator containing AHAS, BHAS OR RETINOIDS, then you need to avoid the sun for at least 48 hrs after use. These ingredients, mixed with sun exposure can trigger significant skin reactions, including burns, pigmentation and redness.
5. DON'T IRRITATE ANGRY SKIN
Should you exfoliate irritated skin?
- Irritated skin is very ... irritated and rubbing it with anything assertive is just going to make it more irritated. Avoid temptation and wait until the skin has calmed down before contemplating exfoliating.
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