What is mechanical exfoliation?
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Dr. Ellen Marmur answered:As old school as it sounds, this method involves physically scrubbing the dead skin off your face. The means can be as elementary as a washcloth or soft brush. A product uses a gritty, granular substance, suspended in a cream, lotion, or gel, that manually scrubs off the surface layer. Granules such as oatmeal, polyethylene beads, salt, sugar, calcium carbonate, dimethicone polymers, or tiny crystal particles are used as gentle buffing tools. Do-it-yourself microdermabrasion kits use a "resurfacing tool" (sounds scary, but it's just a slightly abrasive sponge or soft-bristle brush) to massage a cream with aluminum oxide or mineral crystals onto the skin. If you have a tendency toward sensitivity or rosacea, too much abrasive scrubbing can irritate your skin. It is better to stick with a super-gentle lactic acid exfoliant and use it only once or twice a month at most.
Find out more about this book: Simple Skin Beauty: Every Woman's Guide to a Lifetime of Healthy, Gorgeous...
As old school as it sounds, this method involves physically scrubbing the dead skin off your face. The means can be as elementary as a washcloth or soft brush. A product uses a gritty, granular substance, suspended in a cream, lotion, or gel, that... More

