Scrub-a-dubbing feels amazing, but it’s unnecessary, derms say, since your skin naturally sheds any dead cells. “Sloughing off skin cells and oils with an exfoliant will only cause a vicious cycle of irritation and dryness in the long run, leading some to want to exfoliate even more to get the new dry cells off,” Dr. Krant says.
Break it: According to the American Board of Dermatology, you should exfoliate your face and body no more than once or twice a week. “If you have skin that tends to be oily, be careful not to overdo it, as this may have the opposite effect and cause your sebaceous glands to produce even more oil,” Dr. Lamba says. She recommends using either a glycolic acid, salicylic acid, or enzyme-based peel, or going with a brush, microdermabrasion, or scrub. And easy does it: “Be gentler than you think,” Dr. Krant says. “Redness and rawness is not a good sign.”
