Ask an Expert: How to Exfoliate at Home Like a Pro
For L.A.-based aesthetician Frankie Shay, empowering her clients to create and maintain a skincare regimen at home is just as important as her time with them in the treatment room. Understanding that exfoliation is pivotal for enhancing skincare product effectiveness and maintaining skin cleanliness, she generously shared her top tips for incorporating exfoliation into your at-home skincare routine. Frankie emphasizes the importance of using a diverse range of exfoliants, consistently, for optimal results, and lays out a framework for perfecting your own exfoliation regimen.
LEVEL 1: ENZYME CLEANSERS, 3-5 DAYS PER WEEK
Enzyme cleansers are a great way to prep the skin for your skincare formulas. They are gentle enough to be used daily and work to slough away the dead skin cells without stripping your skin barrier. I always recommend enzyme cleansers to my clients with sensitive skins who want to start their exfoliation journey. Products I love include Dr. Babor Refining Enzyme Cleanser, Epicutis Enzyme Exfoliating Powder, and Auteur Definitive Enzyme Cleanser. For the best results, use with a moistened Cleansing Coin to lather and remove. The woven texture goes the extra mile without stripping your skin.
LEVEL 2: TONING, DAILY
The second level in exfoliation is toning the skin. A toner is a water-like product that you can gently press into the skin to infuse and prime the skin surface. Toners can be used as often as 1-2x daily and my top recommendation for toners include Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 (there are many variations of this product so it is best to ask an expert which is right for you!), and Environ Vita Peptide Toner. Toners should leave your skin feeling clean and prepped to receive the next stage in your regime which are your targeted serums.
LEVEL 3: VITAMIN A, 3-7 DAYS PER WEEK
Vitamin A, or more commonly Retinol, is the third level in exfoliants and because it has many derivatives, it is often the most complicated to understand and build into your skin regimen. Vitamin A is an essential skin ingredient which can help to drive cellular turnover (exfoliation!) and work to replenish our skin’s vitality by stimulating collagen and elastin synthesis (youth!). The most important thing to remember when incorporating this level of exfoliant is to start low (dosage) and go slow (number of days used weekly). The best option for beginners is Retinyl Palmitate as this is a natural storage form of Vitamin A found in our skin. Some of my other favorite products include Environ Youth Essentia C Quence Serum (a great option when you are just starting out), Medik8 Crystal Retinal (also in stages to build up over time), and IS Clinical Retinol Emulsion (2 levels).
LEVEL 4: PEELS, 1-2 DAYS PER WEEK
The fourth level for home care is to use a peel or exfoliating home care treatment. I would recommend peel pads or an exfoliating mask to keep things simple yet effective. My favorite options include IS Clinical Active Peel System and Biologique Recherche Masque Vivant. Both offer a safe way to purify and resurface skin while improving skin tone and texture.
