How Often Should You Exfoliate Your Face?

Scrubbing sensitive skin may sound counterintuitive – but exfoliating is still a really important skincare step. All you need to know is how to do it gently, with the kindest products possible.

We’ve covered why exactly you should exfoliate sensitive skin on the blog before. Spoiler: it will allow your products to sink into your skin rather than just sit on top of the dead skin cells. So the next question is of course – how often should you exfoliate your face? 

Is it okay to exfoliate your face every day?

Done right, regular exfoliation can prove to be a real lifesaver for sensitive skin. However, we do get asked regularly – if skin is hypersensitive or reactive – is it okay to exfoliate your face every day? That’s a hard no from us.

You shouldn’t be afraid to slough away dead skin cells using either a mechanical product like our Kukui & Jojoba Bead Brightening Exfoliator or a chemical exfoliant such as our Copaiba AHA Mask. But this shouldn’t be part of your daily routine. 

So, how often should you exfoliate your face?

Our general recommendation is to do so 1-2 times per week, however that does vary depending on your skin type or condition. For hypersensitive skin for example, once every 7-10 days should be sufficient. Those with mild rosacea and sensitive skin should find once per week just right. While combination skin often enjoys a once to twice weekly exfoliation. Finally when it comes to dry, dehydrated, mature and acne-prone skin, our customers find that twice a week is ideal.

Should you exfoliate in the morning or at night?

Another question we get asked all the time is: when should I exfoliate my face – in the morning or evening? With any type of exfoliation, we recommend doing it as part of your evening routine. This goes for manual exfoliation using an exfoliator or muslin cloth, as well as chemical exfoliation using AHAs.

Once you’ve cleansed away the day, then exfoliate, leaving skin smooth and polished. The targeted skincare you use overnight like serums or facial oils will then absorb beautifully into the skin, getting to work while you get some ZZZs.

What happens if you exfoliate your face too much?

If you have been scrubbing a little over-enthusiastically already, how do you know if you’ve over exfoliated? First of all, skin might feel tight, reactive or more sensitive than usual. You might also be experiencing dryness or breakouts, due to the breakdown of the skin’s protective barrier.

To combat this give your face a gentle massage using our regenerating Rosehip Oil. Or, treat skin to our Rosehip Rapid Radiance Mask to deeply nourish, repair and hydrate the sensitised skin.

If you’ve still got some questions, or aren’t sure if exfoliation is right for your skin, why not talk to our sensitive skin experts. Our free 30 minute consultations are available over the phone or video chat – and you can book yours right here.