All Things Exfoliation: Are You Exfoliating Correctly?

Hello, My Dear SBA Family!

For many of us millennials (and older!), our first exposure to exfoliating might have been with scrubs like St. Ives. Remember scrubbing the daylights out of our faces with those harsh, gritty formulas? Unfortunately, products like these often contained toxic ingredients and overly abrasive particles that damaged the skin’s natural barrier rather than supporting it. Over-exfoliating like this can lead to redness, irritation, breakouts, and even premature fine lines.

If your skin feels tight, flaky, or overly sensitive, it might be time to take a good look at your exfoliation routine! So, let’s talk all about exfoliating correctly and giving your skin the care it truly deserves

Why Exfoliation Matters

Your skin, AKA the largest organ of your body, goes through A LOT each day: pollution, sweat, makeup, sun exposure, and much more. Over time, dead skin cells build up on the surface which can dull your complexion and clog your pores. When you exfoliate with the correct and gentle exfoliation products, you can remove this icky buildup which helps to reveal healthy skin underneath! Exfoliation is also very important because when you have buildup, your skin wont be able to absorb your products fully. So, for optimal product absorption, you need to be exfoliating!

The Dangers of Over Exfoliating

Exfoliation is a powerful tool for achieving and maintaining healthy skin, too much of a good thing can cause harm! Over exfoliation occurs when you use harsh products or exfoliate too frequently. Your skin will suffer! Over exfoliating can:

Damage your skin’s natural barrier > increased sensitivity.
Cause redness, inflammation, and irritation.
Lead to breakouts and worsen acne.
Make your skin feel tight or overly dry.
Cause premature fine lines & wrinkles!

Symptoms of Over Exfoliation:

Prolonged redness or flaky skin.
Stinging or burning when applying products.
Increased oil production as your skin tries to compensate for the loss of its natural barrier oils.
Development of small bumps or rashes.
Fine lines & wrinkles.

If you notice any of these signs, it’s important to pause exfoliation and allow your skin to heal... I REPEAT: if you are experiencing any skin irritation, delay using exfoliants until it is resolved.

Exfoliating Based on Your Skin Type

At Skin Balm Apothecary, we offer three main natural exfoliants designed for different skin goals. Take a look at this comparison chart!

	Key Ingredients	Best For	Skincare Goals	Use
Coffee Face Polish	100% Kona Coffee, Hibiscus Powder, Rosehip Seed Powder	Aging, dull, or pigmented skin	Brightening, fading hyperpigmentation, anti-aging	1-2 times per week
Revive Clay Mask	Moroccan Clay, Moringa Leaf Powder, Rosehip Seed Powder	Dry or sensitive skin	Hydration, soothing, boosting collagen	2 times per week
Detox Clay Mask	Bentonite Clay, Activated Charcoal, Witch Hazel Powder	Oily or acne-prone skin	Deep cleansing, minimizing pores, calming acne	1-2 times per week

Remember: pay attention to your skin. If your skin needs/benefits from two exfoliation sessions a week (followed up with deeply nourishing products), great! If you only need one session a week, that's great too. When it comes to exfoliation, less is more. You don't want to over do it! Also, if your skin allows it, try alternating between exfoliants to receive the unique benefits of each.

How to Exfoliate Correctly

Start Slow: Begin with once-a-week exfoliation and adjust based on your skin’s tolerance. Over time, you can increase frequency if your skin responds well.
Listen to Your Skin: If you notice redness, tightness, or irritation, reduce frequency. The goal is to exfoliate just enough to deeply clear out the skin without damaging the skin barrier in the process.
Follow With Hydration: After exfoliating, apply a hydrating product like our Blue Tansy Moisturizer, our serums, or our balms to replenish moisture and soothe your skin.
Alternate Exfoliants: We also have the Revive Clay Mask and Detox Clay Masks that can be used gently enough for your second exfoliation of the week. You can also switch between the Coffee Face Polish and our Revive Clay Mask/Detox Clay Mask. So alternating weekly between them, if that's what your skin needs! Please reach out to us if you have more questions about exfoliating with our products. We love chatting with you!

Exfoliation Guide for Each Skin Type

Even if you use our Coffee Polish 1-2 times a week → you can still do either of our clay masks too. Here is a simple guideline to follow depending on what type of skin you have:

Oily Skin: Coffee Polish 1-2 times a week and our Detox Clay Mask 1-2 times a week. You can switch between these two options.
Dry Skin: Coffee Polish 1 time a week and/or our Revive Clay Mask 1 times a week. Many times, dry skin only need one exfoliant per week.
Combination Skin: Coffee Polish 1-2 times a week and our Revive Clay Mask or Detox Clay Mask 1 time a week.
Mature Skin: Coffee Polish 1 time a week and our Revive Clay Mask 1 time a week.
Sensitive Skin: Start with the Revive Clay Mask 1 time a week and see how your skin responds. Depending on your skin, you may only need to use a facial exfoliant 1 time per week. Again, keep in mind that if you are experiencing any skin irritation, delay using exfoliants until it is resolved.

Our Exfoliants, Explained.

Coffee Face Polish: Packed with plant collagen, Vitamin C, and AHAs, it brightens skin, fades hyperpigmentation, and smooths fine lines for a radiant glow. The Coffee Polish is meant to offer more of a top layer exfoliation and helps combat hyperpigmentation and is great at aging gracefully due to the Hibiscus Flower (nature's Botox).
Revive Clay Mask: Infused with Moroccan clay and Moringa Leaf Powder, it hydrates, soothes, and promotes elasticity, making it perfect for dry or mature skin. Individuals with rosacea have also praised this mask as being gentle yet effective!
Detox Clay Mask: Featuring bentonite clay and activated charcoal, it draws out impurities, reduces inflammation, and minimizes pores, ideal for oily and acne-prone skin.

Why include clay in our masks?

Both of our masks literally "drink" out impurities and draw (quite literally due to the ion charge in our Detox Clay Mask) out stubborn buildup etc. deeper in the pores. It offers a lighter exfoliation of the top layer but still gets the blood stimulated under the skin for a healthy glow like our polish does. Let's explore how this happens!

Clay masks have been used for centuries as a natural way to cleanse and exfoliate the skin. Both the Revive and Detox Clay Masks contain mineral-rich clays that "drink" impurities out of the skin thanks to their highly absorbent nature. These clays have a natural ionic charge that literally attracts toxins, dirt, and excess sebum to them, pulling them out of the pores like a magnet! Pretty cool, huh?

Bentonite Clay: Found in our Detox Clay Mask, bentonite clay comes from volcanic ash and is renowned for its negative ionic charge. But, theres nothing "negative" about it, other than this scientific term. This charge basically binds to positively charged toxins and impurities, removing them from the skin. It also absorbs excess oil, which is why so many oily/acne-prone skin girlies love this mask.
Moroccan Clay: Found in our Revive Clay Mask, Moroccan clay (Rhassoul) is super rich in magnesium, silica, potassium, and calcium. These minerals help nourish the skin while gently detoxifying, making it especially beneficial for dry or sensitive skin types. Moroccan clay is known to improve skin elasticity and texture and give the skin a boost of hydration.

Both clays also help stimulate blood flow beneath the skin, which is one of the reasons your skin will literally glow after using - its the power of these natural ingredients supporting your skins natural repair process. Unlike harsher exfoliants (SAINT IVES, lol), these clays offer a gentle yet effective way to deeply cleanse pores without damaging or stripping the skin barrier. That's why you can use these on the regular!

We hope this has been helpful! Always reach out with any questions. We're here for you!

Brier C. & Chelsea H. (Founder & Formulator)

Skin Balm Apothecary