Exfoliation is a crucial part of a skincare routine. More so, your pregnancy skincare routine. It helps improve your skin texture and removes dead skin cells. Unfortunately, this skincare step also has a bit of a bad reputation, particularly due to the fear of scrubbing too hard or drying out the skin. But when done right, this beauty ritual can be the key to balancing your skin and retaining a clear and healthy glow during pregnancy.
Regularly exfoliating your skin can offer multiple advantages and also address skin concerns that you may experience during pregnancy, such as acne, blemishes, discolouration, lack of texture and firmness, pigmentation, and dullness.
How Does Exfoliation Benefit Your Skin
Exfoliation is quite a buzzword in the beauty world, right now. Mainly because this effective skincare step makes your skin squeaky clean and it also serves as the first step towards achieving radiant and dewy glow. Let’s look at some of the other benefits exfoliation offers.
It Prevents Acne
One of the common skin concerns that most pregnant women experience is frequent acne breakouts. Exfoliating your skin will help remove the top layer of dead skin cells and unclog pores. It is an excellent way to prevent breakouts as it helps keep your skin clean and kills acne-causing bacteria. But make sure you are not scrubbing too hard. Doing so will only leave your skin inflamed and red. Be gentle while cleansing and use scrubs that contain mild ingredients such as green tea.
It Evens Skin Tone
Hormonal and physical changes during pregnancy can cause skin discoloration, pigmentation, and uneven skin tone. To get an even skin tone and a smooth texture, you should exfoliate your skin at least twice or thrice a week. You might not see results immediately, but following this step consistently will give you a clear, radiant complexion. Look for exfoliators that deeply nourish and smoothen your skin, and contain ingredients such as coffee and cranberry seeds. These ingredients help the skin appear even-toned and hydrated.
It Boosts Circulation And Lymphatic Drainage
Do you often wake up with a puffy face? If your answer is “Yes!” then you should consider including exfoliation in your skincare routine. Exfoliating your skin helps stimulate the lymphatic system and promotes the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the skin’s surface. It helps detox and removes puffiness in the skin.
It Helps Other Skincare Products Penetrate Deeper
You would have probably read in multiple beauty magazines that the best way to reap the benefits of your skincare products is by starting with a clean slate. Exfoliating your skin gives you a clean surface by unclogging pores, removing dead skin cells, dirt, and other pollutants. This, in turn, helps your other skincare products to penetrate into the deep layers of skin and work their magic. So if you want to achieve a glass-like, smooth, soft, and dewy glow, you better begin your skincare rituals with exfoliation.
It Increases Cell Turnover
While they are pregnant, a lot of women experience dull and saggy skin. Here again, exfoliating your skin can work wonders as it boosts circulation and stimulates healthy skin cell turnover. Exfoliating on a regular basis can even give you a baby-faced complexion. Isn’t that what we are trying to achieve? Apart from this, exfoliating can also help fight signs of ageing such as wrinkles and fine lines.
How Often Should You Exfoliate Based On Your Skin Type
Alright, here’s one thing that you should keep in mind–the number of times you should exfoliate your skin in a week varies for different skin types.
- Normal skin: The rules are the easiest for normal skin. You can exfoliate once or twice a week to get a clear, radiant look.
- Oily skin: This skin type requires exfoliation more frequently. This is because oily skin produces a lot of sebum and causes pores to clog. If you have an oily skin type, you must exfoliate 2-3 times a week to get a fresh look.
- Dry skin: Dry skin tends to be a bit more sensitive. Therefore, it is recommended you limit exfoliation to only once or twice a week and use a lotion and moisturise immediately after.
What To Do After Exfoliating
Follow exfoliation with toning and moisturising your skin
Did you think that exfoliating your skin is enough to give you a healthy and radiant glow? Nope, not really. Exfoliation only cleans the skin’s surface. After this skincare step, you must nourish and protect your skin through toning and moisturisation.
Toning: This method will help restore the nutrients of your skin and block the open pores. It will also help to stabilise the pH balance and soothe your skin. Use a toner that is designed with plant-based ingredients and helps reduce inflammations. If you have sensitive skin, use an aloe vera-infused facial toner.
Moisturisation: You cannot skip this step after cleansing your face. The best time to moisturise your skin is after applying your toner when your skin is slightly damp. This helps absorb all the goodness of the face cream and gives you supple, soft, and well-nourished skin.
When Should You Avoid Exfoliating
After reading all the benefits of exfoliation, you may probably feel motivated to carry out this essential skincare step at least twice or thrice a week. But there are times when you need to give your skin a break from exfoliation. Avoid this step if:
- You have an allergic reaction on your skin
- Your skin is red or inflamed
- You have wounds, scars, or sunburns
- You are experiencing an eczema flare-up
Exfoliating your skin will give you a nourished, soft, and flawless glow. But don’t get over-excited, because too much of it will make your skin dry and dull. Listen to your skin and be gentle to get the maximum benefits.