We want to answer your most pressing questions—or, you know, just the things that you’re curious about. Please keep them coming to feedback@goop.com. Below, a q for our beauty director, Jean Godfrey-June.
Dear Jean, I have pretty clear skin, but I want to start incorporating exfoliation into my routine. How many times a week should I be exfoliating? Is there such a thing as too much exfoliation? What do you personally do for exfoliation? —Diane H.
Dear Diane, No matter what your skin type is, exfoliating regularly will improve your skin. Not only will it look smoother, more even, and more glowing; the treatment products you use afterward will sink in more evenly and more deeply. I am no exception—I am a huge enthusiast when it comes to exfoliation.
That said, yes, you can exfoliate too much. And the amount of exfoliating that’s ideal for your skin depends on...your skin. Some of us (Gwyneth, for example) have skin of steel and can exfoliate frequently; others, who are more sensitive, need less-powerful formulas and less frequency overall. Just before bed, once a week, I swipe on the below superpowered peel all over my face and go to sleep. I wake up and wash it off and my skin is noticeably more glowing and smoother. During the rest of the week, I use gentler exfoliants.
There are two kinds of exfoliation, and I do both regularly: physical, which includes anything from a washcloth to a scrub with granules, and chemical, which includes acids or enzymes. And just about everyone’s skin benefits from a combination of both physical and chemical exfoliation. Modeled after in-office chemical peels, the goop peel uses both acids and enzymes (15% glycolic acid plus three kinds of fruit enzymes) to sweep away dead skin cells, clear pores, and brighten skin. On the other hand, the Microderm scrub, which uses mostly physical exfoliants (with a small dollop of glycolic acid to work synergistically with the physical exfoliants), is modeled after in-office microdermabrasion treatments. A couple of times a week, when I’m in the shower in the morning, I smooth in the Microderm—it’s got four different crystals and minerals that exfoliate your skin, and besides feeling amazing, it gives you a glow and softness you’ll notice the second you step out of the shower.
The two types of exfoliation are a great complement to each other, optimizing cell turnover to smooth, polish, and retexturize your skin. I use both the overnight peel and the Microderm, but never within about 24 hours of each other. (Exfoliating too much strips away your skin’s protective barrier, leaving it vulnerable to sun damage, dryness, and even infection.)
I also love our vitamin C serum, and because vitamin C is a mild exfoliant, I don’t use it the morning after I’ve used the overnight peel. It’s fine (for my skin) to use it after the Microderm, though, and it’s my all-time favorite skin treatment for glow.
To figure out your skin’s perfect exfoliation balance, take it slow at first. Never use a product more often than recommended (the overnight peel should be used only once a week; the Microderm can be done up to three times a week), and never layer products in the same session. You wouldn’t want to use any other type of exfoliant at least 24 hours (or up to a week, depending on your skin’s sensitivity) before or after using the overnight peel. As your skin acclimates to exfoliation, you may be able to increase the frequency with which you use some products, but the moment your skin starts to feel at all irritated or stripped, dial it back down.
The other key dial-it-down tip is: If a chemical exfoliant ever feels uncomfortable on skin, the quickest way to stop its action is with oil or a moisturizer: Splash your skin off with water and then go right in with something soothing and oil-based. I cleanse with the goop balm cleanser for this reason, then moisturize with face oil or moisturizer. The ultimate for this purpose is aesthetician and herbalist Tammy Fender's Intensive Repair Balm, in my opinion, but anything oil-, butter-, or balm-based will work. If a physical exfoliant starts to bug you, the fix is simpler: Stop scrubbing and wash it off. (A smoothing of Intensive Repair Balm or otherwise will feel good, though.)
