Literally Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Exfoliating Your Face (2025)

POV: You’re scrolling through Instagram, and you come across a pic of your favorite celeb, an influencer you love, or your beauty-obsessed BFF. Their skin is absolutely glowing, so you’re suddenly inspired to whip out your favorite scrub or exfoliating brush. Unfortunately, the results aren’t what you’d hoped for. Instead, you wind up with a raw face.

Meet the expert: Avnee Shah, MD, is a New Jersey-based dermatologist.

Sound familiar? New Jersey-based dermatologist Avnee Shah, MD, says *a lot* of us are honorary members of the over-scrubbers club. “You can tell you’re over-exfoliating if your skin becomes red and starts to peel or flake,” she says. It’s kind of ironic, actually—peeling skin might make you think that you're seeing results, or need to exfoliate even more. In reality, it's a sign that you need to slow things down.

So, this one goes out to anyone who’s ever turned beet-red after layering an exfoliating toner under a salicylic acid gel under a glycolic acid moisturizer. Below, Dr. Shah dishes on everything you need to know from the tools you can use to possible routines for different skin types. Read on for all the details, and get ready to refine your regimen. (Just remember to check in with your derm if you’re planning on incorporating new products.)

What is exfoliation?

For the folks in the back: Exfoliation is a skin-care technique whereby you remove dead cells from the top layer of your skin. By removing this layer of clutter off of your skin, exfoliation helps brighten your complexion and allows your skin-care products to penetrate deeper into your skin (making them work better), says Dr. Shah.

It might make your skin softer and reduce the risk of acne since those dead skin cells can accumulate and clog up your pores, she says. Exfoliation is especially helpful as we age and cell turnover slows down, as it keeps the process moving along and prevents the skin from looking dull. "It helps promote that next layer of keratinocytes (the top layer and protective barrier of your skin) and skin cells to regenerate and reform," adds Dr. Spizuoco.

Types of exfoliation

• Physical: Physical exfoliation typically employs a tool (like an oscillating cleansing brush or even a washcloth) or face scrub to physically remove the dead skin cells. Dr. Shah says that if you go the scrub route, the finer the particle, the better off you’ll be because they’re less abrasive. (Think: sugar scrubs and rice enzyme powders like Tatcha's.)
  
• Chemical: Chemical exfoliators, on the other hand, use alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) - or beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) (think: a face wash with salicylic acid or a facial peel pad or moisturizer with glycolic acid) to dissolve the sticky glue that holds these cells together, says Dr. Shah. According to Dr. Shah, retinoids can also be considered exfoliants, since they also work to increase cell turnover. “I find that if people are using retinoids, they don’t really need to exfoliate on top of that,” she says.

The best exfoliating method for you really depends on your preferences, as well as what kind of skin you have (more on that in a sec). Dr. Shah notes that dermatologists are recommending chemical exfoliation more than physical methods these days, especially since scrubs have the potential to create small tears in the skin.

How often should you exfoliate your face?

As a general rule, less is more. The goal is NOT to turn beet-red or to feel a sting—it’s to gently help along your body’s natural exfoliation process so that your face glows. For sensitive skin Dr. Shah advises skipping exfoliation altogether. But if you feel like you have to exfoliate, just use a creamy cleanser with a low percentage of glycolic acid once a week, she says.

If you have oily skin or are acne-prone, you have a lot more freedom with your regimen—Dr. Shah says you can exfoliate up to four times per week (just make sure you work up to it over time), and your skin can probably tolerate both chemical and physical exfoliation. One option for your regimen, according to Dr. Shah, is to use an AHA-based cleanser two to three times per week and a facial peel pad once per week. Alternatively, you might work up to using a retinoid every day. Meanwhile, those with normal to combination skin can exfoliate twice per week by using a retinoid or an AHA or BHA cleanser.

When should you skip exfoliation?

If you're mid-breakout, you might be tempted to go to town with exfoliants—but you should actually avoid abrasive physical methods. “I see exfoliation in a lot of my acne patients doing more harm than good,” Dr. Shah says.

Why? If you have cystic or chronic acne, your skin is already inflamed. So irritating it further with harsher exfoliants can leave behind dark marks known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. The marks can last even longer (and happen more often) in people who have tan to deeper skin tones, Dr. Shah adds. As for chemical exfoliants, they can help in some cases, she explains, but it’s best to get advice from your dermatologist before going for it because you’ll want to take a more nuanced approach to your exfoliation regimen.

Other times you should hold off on exfoliation: when you have any kind of cut or open wound on your face, if you have an infection on your face like a cold sore (it'll spread!), or if you're sunburned. Moisturizer and TLC is more of what your skin needs during those times.

How to exfoliate your face

Physical Exfoliation

1. Using a clean brush or your favorite scrub, move in small, gentle, circular strokes around your face, says Dr. Shah.
2. Keep your movements light. Shah says think of it more like caressing flower petals rather than rubbing a stain out of your favorite shirt.
3. Rinse with lukewarm water so your freshly exfoliated face isn’t irritated by hot water.
4. Pat face dry and apply moisturizer. Don't skip this—Dr. Shah says exfoliation is always a bit drying.

Chemical Exfoliation

1. To prep your skin, Dr. Spizuoco recommends washing your face with a gentle cleanser and lukewarm water to remove oil, dirt, and other impurities. Then, pat dry with a clean towel.
2. Take your favorite chemical exfoliant and apply gently in small, circular motions after cleansing.
3. If it's a product that sits on your face (like a peel), follow the package directions for how long you should wait before rinsing off your face. If it's a face wash, lightly rinse your face with lukewarm water.
4. Pat face dry and apply moisturizer. Again, don't skip this step!

If you still manage to overdo it, remember that no one gets a trophy in the exfoliation Olympics. Take a few days off, and come back when the seas (and your complexion) are calm again.

What to do if you over-exfoliate

So you went a little overboard on exfoliating and now you're dealing with symptoms like irritation, redness, flaking, and increased sensitivity. it's not an ideal situation to be in, but the good news is a quick trip to see your dermatologist can provide you with the best course of action on next steps for recovery.

Of course, it's not always easy to get an appointment with a doctor on short notice. In this case, Dr. Spizuoco recommends sticking to soothing, non-irritating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and ceramides to repair the skin.