By Dr Dirk Kremer.

If you're after great looking, healthy skin, chances are you have a whole range of skincare products in your morning and evening skincare routine. There are plenty of products on the market that help your skin look healthy, including antioxidants, moisturisers, anti-pigmentation products and serums. However, to ensure these products work most effectively, you need to make certain that your daily skincare routine includes exfoliators.

What are exfoliators and how do they work?

As we go about our day-to-day lives, our body regenerates skin cells and sheds dead cells, but as we age, it becomes more difficult for our skin to shed these dead cells naturally, and they subsequently build up on our skin. If you’ve ever rubbed your arm, you’ll probably see little flakes appear in the air: these are dead skin cells. Exfoliators work by helping our bodies remove the oldest dead skin cells on the outermost surface, either through mechanical or chemical means.

Mechanical exfoliation is the process of physically scrubbing the skin with an abrasive surface such as microfibre cloths, micro-bead facial scrubs, sponges, brushes or loofahs. These are usually combined with an exfoliation cream to ensure the skin isn’t damaged in the process and is left smooth and ready for other skincare products to be applied.

Chemical exfoliation is the process of applying scrubs containing fruit enzymes or certain types of acids onto the skin; common acids include salicylic, citric, malic and glycolic. Chemical exfoliation may also include products containing acids such as beta or alpha hydroxy, all of which help to loosen the skin cells by weakening the cells’ glue-like substance.

Why should you use exfoliators?

Exfoliators are essential for healthy skin because they help open skin pores, soften skin, exfoliate epidermal skin cells, and refresh and renew the surface of the skin. They also help other skincare products such as serums and moisturisers work more effectively by removing a layer of dead skin cells that stop other products penetrating the skin deeply. If that wasn’t enough, exfoliators have been proven to help people overcome a number of skincare problems, including blemished skin, clogged pores, dry skin, hyperpigmentation and red marks left behind after a spot breakout.

As with all skincare products, care should be taken to not over-apply/exfoliate as this can actually damage the skin. Exfoliators are designed to remove the top layer of dead skin, but if you find your skin is red, inflamed or sore after exfoliation, it could be because you are exfoliating your skin too often. It is recommended that you exfoliate about twice a week, but this will depend on your unique skincare needs.

SkinDoc formula’s Skin Smootherator

Here at SkinDoc formula I have created a ground-breaking skin exfoliator called the Skin Smootherator. The Skin Smootherator works in two ways: first, by exfoliating the skin, and second, by unclogging dirty pores. The product takes advantage of the active ingredient, Lactic Acid, to soften the skin and encourage healthy collagen growth. Lactic Acid was chosen to be the active ingredient as it’s a very effective alpha hydroxy acid, and a brilliant exfoliator that doesn’t cause tissue damage or irritation. Skin Smootherator delivers all the benefits of Lactic Acid in a very convenient and soft gel that should be applied as often as tolerated by your skin. Combine the Skin Smootherator with SkinDoc formula’s range of moisturisers for even better results.

As a passionate advocate of healthy skin, I have created a wealth of skincare products which are all available exclusively through SkinDoc formula. To find out more about each product, please browse through the range of skincare collections, and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch today.