How can an exfoliant make my skin look younger?

Exfoliation is perhaps the easiest method to rapidly restore a youthful appearance to the skin. As skin matures, it becomes drab, dull and lifeless. Excessive build-up of dead skin cells and a hormonally driven loss of skin moisture prematurely age one’s face. Years of sun damage creates an uneven, blotchy skin tone, documented to add a decade or more to one’s appearance.

Exfoliation revitalizes and restores vibrancy and evens tone and texture. Within days, skin looks healthier and more youthful.

The outermost portion of the skin, the epidermis, is built much like a brick wall. Cells are stacked upon each other in layers. Like a brick wall, a type of “cement” runs between each cell, bonding them tightly together. What is less widely known is that microscopic fibers actually anchor cells together.

Skincare exfoliation methods typically target the “glue,” containing any number of ingredients aimed at dissolving it. Retinol, glycolic, lactic and salicylic acids are ingredients commonly contained in anti-aging skincare used for this purpose. They are powerful, effective and highly recommended by dermatologists.

Chemical exfoliation without the simultaneous use of physical exfoliation is pointless. And vice versa. Dissolving the “glue” and breaking the anchors which hold these cells together is the quickest and most effective way to exfoliate.
 
Locate a cream that contains chemical exfoliants (such as glycolic acid) and synthetic microdermabrasion particles. Synthetic particles are kinder to your skin, unlikely to cause irritation or abrasions the way natural particles may. Use it a few nights a week as a rejuvenating scrub. Follow with your favorite nightly anti-aging face cream. You’re going to love seeing your skin glow.

You don't need a facelift to look a little younger. In this video, plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Shirley Madhere discusses the age-defying benefits of exfoliation.