Daily Archives: August 22, 2012

The skin sheds about one million cells a day – most of your house debris probably consists of dead skin.

Shedding slows as we age, so extra sloughing on a regular basis helps to keep skin healthy, youthful and vibrant. And there are lots of options available to get rid of those cells more quickly. Here are the three main categories: mechanical, digestive/chemical and proliferating.

Mechanical methods include nut scrubs, polyethylene balls, micro-fine pumice and more aggressive protocols like microdermabrasion, dermaplaning and skin resurfacing.

Chemical methods include digestive fruit acids like AHA and BHA’s, enzymes from papaya, pineapple and pumpkin and deeper peeling protocols like TCA (trichloroacetic acid) and enhanced Jessner’s solutions.

Proliferators speed up the cell renewal process as well as encouraging the production of collagen and elastin. This includes the retinoid family derived from Vitamin A – and used regularly, these products can really improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

TIP: The products in these categories degrade quickly in sun and when exposed to oxygen so use at night only and if irritation occurs stop using until the skin is calm again.

All these methods work really well and make a difference to the appearance of the skin. Ask your facialist what would be best for your skin condition.