To remove dead cells, rejuvenate the skin, enhance radiance and promote cellular renewal, nothing beats exfoliation. But when it comes to choosing between chemical and mechanical exfoliation, which one should you opt for to achieve the best results? Let's delve into this!
Chemical or Mechanical Exfoliation, how to choose your scrub?
Summary
Published on August 8, 2024, by Stéphanie, PhD, Doctorate in Life and Health Sciences — 5 min of reading
Themes:
The scrubs with grains, referred to as "mechanical".
Equipped with grains of varying sizes, a mechanical exfoliation actually refers to the action of applying your scrub in the shower, or not, in which case it is referred to as a dry scrub, and rubbing your body or face in circular motions. It clears the pores of impurities that have become embedded and thus allows the skin to fully absorb the active ingredients contained in the treatment. Grain scrubs are suitable for all skin types, if the grains are fine. However, if they are too large and therefore too abrasive, they are then not recommended for damaged skin (dry, sensitive, acne-prone skin).
The drawbacks of mechanical exfoliation:
When used too harshly on the skin, mechanical exfoliants often end up damaging the hydrolipidic film that protects the epidermis. The overly large grains are not suitable for certain more delicate areas, often causing micro-lesions, invisible to the naked eye, on the most sensitive and reactive skins. Therefore, be careful not to use body scrubs on the face, which are generally equipped with large grains.
The composition to prioritise:
Grain exfoliants are composed of both oil and a scrubbing substance. If the lipid part should come from vegetable oils like the nourishing body scrub with sweet almond oil or the radiance face scrub with rosehip oil, and not mineral oils as they are very comedogenic, the grains themselves are softer when they come from fruit kernels like apricot. We then speak of micro-grains, which allow for gentle skin exfoliation.
Exfoliants with so-called "chemical" acids.
Requiring no physical scrubbing, a chemical exfoliant is simply a scrub whose active ingredients work on the skin, ridding it of dead skin cells and impurities, thus allowing the pores to breathe again. Formulated with enzymes or fruit acids, the chemical or enzymatic exfoliant is both the gentlest and most effective of exfoliants. This type of treatment is applied once or twice a week on clean skin. Gentler than grain-based scrubs, acid (or enzyme) scrubs are ideal for dry, fragile or problematic skin. Indeed, the absence of grains makes them gentler and less aggressive for dry or even acne-prone skin.
The drawbacks of chemical/enzymatic exfoliation:
While they are very gentle and effective, chemical or enzymatic exfoliants require careful use. Available in the form of a lotion, powder, or serum, they all have a specific dwell time to adhere to. If they remain in contact with the epidermis for too long, their active formula can prove to be particularly astringent. That's why they are not recommended for sensitive/reactive skin as they can trigger allergic reactions or irritations. However, less abrasive than the glycolic acid exfoliating serum, the gentle lactic acid peeling serum may be better tolerated by the skin. Nevertheless, we still recommend applying the product to the crook of your elbow 24 to 48 hours before a first application on the face, to see if it does not cause any reaction (redness, itching, etc.).
The composition to prioritise:
In order to find the perfect formula, you must first identify your needs. While salicylic acid has antibacterial properties, thelactic acid on the other hand, boosts hydration and improves skin radiance. Theglycolic acid provides an action against the signs of ageing, by stimulating the cellular renewal system and the synthesis of hyaluronic acid.
