Over-Exfoliated Skin: Signs, Solutions & Recovery Tips

The day gets dreary, and the nights become sleepless when something happens to your face. The past few days have indeed been tough for me with regard to my skin health; the continuous burning sensations, dryness, and peeling in my skin pushed me into a state of dejection. After a few days of doing the best I can, I decided to consult my dermatologist Nita, when my skin health did not improve. 

Upon reaching her clinic, I explained to Nita the skin problems I am going through.After listening to me, she performed some preliminary test and said: “Sumit, you seem to have over-exfoliated skin.”

Me: Over exfoliated the skin? Doctor, what does over-exfoliation mean?

Dr. Nita: You must know what exfoliation is, right? Well, the over-exfoliation is nothing but overtly exfoliating your skin using chemical exfoliants. In order to understand it in a simpler way, we can use the example of our clothes.

Me: Example of clothes to understand the skin concern? Are you serious, doctor? 

Dr.Nita: Very much. Can you tell me what happens when we overwash our clothes? 

Me:The color fades, doctor, In case we are overwashing it for a longer time, it also gets torn.

Dr. Nita: Impressive, Sumit.Now, think of the detergent as your exfoliator and this cloth as your skin. When you use it excessively, your skin's natural barrier is weakened, which further causes inflammation, skin sensitivity, dryness, or peeling.

Me:  Doctor, can you please explain it in a more detailed way? 

Dr. Nita: Sure. Let's dive in.

What’s Over Exfoliated skin?

Do you remember the “thought of the day” thing said during the school’s assembly?Out of so many popular thoughts, one saying that was often articulated during the assembly was “excess of everything is bad.”. Well, nobody knows who actually said it, but whoever said it was 100% right. 

The “exfoliation,” which is one of the most important contributors used to control dryness, breakouts, and peeling, can reverse its impact if used overtly. 

Over-exfoliated skin is nothing but a vulnerable skin that is more prone to getting irritated and inflamed. The overuse of the exfoliants not only removes the dead skin cells but also the healthy ones, which further makes the natural barrier of the skin weak and susceptible.

Signs that Over Exfoliated skin shows?

The over exfoliation results in detrimental effect. Following are the signs that an over exfoliated skin shows.

• Increased sensitivity: As the natural barrier of the skin weakens, the skin becomes more vulnerable that ultimately makes it more susceptible to the external environment.In fact, even the touch in this case can cause irritation in the skin.Your skin may feel tender, reactive, or stingy while applying products.

• Skin irritation and redness: As the skin gets sensitive, its ability to fight the radicals decreases which ultimately results in irritation and redness on the skin.

• Dryness and Peeling: Dryness and peeling are very common signs of over exfoliation.Your skin might feel rough and flaky.

• Tiny pimples and breakouts: The over-exfoliation can damage the skin's protective layer which may further cause breakouts and pimples.

• Dehydrated yet Shiny Skin: The skin may seem tight and dry underneath its glossy exterior.

• Increased Sebum: After over exfoliation, the skin tries to balance the oil in the skin hence they start to produce extra oil, that  can make your face oily 

What causes Excessive Exfoliation?

Over exfoliation is mostly caused by overusing it or not listening to your skin's requirements, but there are other reasons as well. First among all is overuse of abrasive scrubs or chemical exfoliants that may remove more skin than is required, causing discomfort or inflammation. It is also sometimes believed that scrubbing more vigorously or frequently may yield better results; however this could backfire and damage the skin barrier.

Not choosing the right product for the right skin type, can be another factor. It is like you can't be using oil to combat the oil.There are certain skin types, like sensitive skin, that are very potent, so in case you are using a product designated for oily skin on it, it may result in excessive exfoliation.

The environmental factors like dry weather or sun exposure also increase the risk of skin damage. At the end, if you don't let  your skin recover properly between exfoliating treatments, it may cause various problems. Excessive use might disrupt the skin's natural balance, which takes a lot  time to restore and rejuvenate.It is important to note that less is often more when it comes to finding the perfect routine and paying attention to your skin. 

How to prevent Over-Exfoliation?

We can prevent over-exfoliation only when we know what we should be doing and what we should not be.

Let's go through certain “do's and don'ts” to avoid over exfoliation of the skin.

Healing Over-Exfoliated Skin: Steps to Recovery

Being gentle and providing your skin with the attention it requires to heal itself are key to healing over-exfoliated skin. Here are some tips to aid in your skin's healing:

1. Cease exfoliating right away

The first step in the direction of healing over exfoliated skin is to stop using exfoliant.Give time to your skin to recover.

2. Maintain a Basic Routine

Don't follow a long skin care routine. Stick to the essentials: sunscreen, a mild cleanser, and a calming moisturizer. Retinoids and strong acids are some of the products containing active chemicals that you should stay away from until your skin feels better.

3. Use Comforting Items

One should use the products with relaxing elements like oat extract, centella asiatica, or aloe vera. These products can help you in reducing redness and irritation.

4. Ensure you moisturize your skin.

Instead of over-exfoliating, concentrate on restoring your skin's natural moisture barrier. Apply a thick, non-irritating moisturizer to seal in moisture and promote skin repair.

5. Stay Out of the Sun

Excessive exfoliation makes skin more susceptible to sun damage. When possible, avoid direct sunlight and always use a broad-spectrum sunscreen

6. It takes time to heal, so have patience. 

Depending on the extent of the damage, your skin may not entirely recover for a few days or even weeks. Don't give in to the temptation to resume using exfoliants too soon.Patience is the key.

7. Pay attention to your skin.

It's important to know what our skin is going through.We need to take note of our skin's sensation, and we should not complicate matters if it's still sensitive or agitated.

Home Remedies for preventing Over Exfoliation

In India, our home and the kitchen have solutions for everything.From normal cuts to skin issues, you can find something that is going to heal or prevent such issues. Maybe the rich legacy of Ayurveda is the reason behind these magical Indian homes and the kitchen.

Following are some of the home remedial methods that can help you in preventing over-exfoliation:

• Cold Compress: The easiest and simplest way to prevent or fix the over-exfoliated skin is to compress your skin using a wet cloth. You can soak the cloth in cold milk or refrigerated green tea and compress it in affected areas to reduce inflammation.
  
  
• Hydration and moisturization: Maintaining proper hydration is essential for good skin. Aloe vera gel, honey paste, and cucumber masks are examples of natural hydrators that can be used to stay hydrated. You can use natural moisturizers like shea butter, ghee, coconut oil, or jojoba oil to seal in the moisture.  
  
  
• Drink plenty of water: It is mandatory to drink plenty of water to maintain a healthy body.Your skin can’t heal if you do not have enough water in your body. Aside from normal water, you can drink coconut water, fruit juices, and others to enhance the overall health of your skin.

Products suggestions for preventing Over Exfoliation of the skin

The products listed below can be used in the specified order to help your skin heal or avoid over-exfoliation: 

• Gentle cleansers

• Hydrating toners

• Moisturisers(Hydrating)

• Sunscreen

• Barrier repairing serums

• Occlusive for overnight repair

Summing Up

Our skin is the largest and one of the most important organs of our body; taking care of it should be our utmost priority. But it should be taken care of with patience and awareness. Sometimes in a hurry, just to achieve a faster result, people start over using the products on their skin. This overuse of products, instead of helping, becomes a nightmare for our skin.Thus, it is very important to know your skin and the product in order to gain the desired result.Over-exfoliation can indeed be a frustrating and ugly problem for your skin.Imperatively, you must be very cautious before using any exfoliants, especially the synthetic ones. Always remember, less is always more.

Recommended Products by Blue Nectar:

AHA Exfoliating Face Serum with Plant Based Glycolic Acid for Deep Exfoliation (14 herbs, 30ml)

Shubhr Volcanic Clay Face Mask for Deep Cleansing (13 Herbs, 50 grams)

Turmeric Ubtan Powder for Glowing Skin (9 herbs, 100 gm)

Related Articles:

Everything You Need to Know About Skin Peeling

References:

https://medium.com/scrub-me-secrets-the-blog/4-signs-youve-over-exfoliated-your-skin-3e4c933c9bb7

https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/over-exfoliating

https://www.grazia.co.in/beauty/skin-care/over-exfoliation-can-be-gruesome-heres-how-to-tackle-it-10356.html