Exfoliating is back — just don’t do it like you did in the Eighties!
MIDLIFE women have a chequered history with exfoliation. When I was eight, back in 1924 — OK, 1979 — a twentysomething cousin armed me with a Buf-Puf, paint stripper-style toner and dense, old-lady moisturising gunk, and instructed me to scrub.
I did so religiously for the next few years. Frankly, it’s a surprise I have any face left.
Buf-Pufs were basically plate scourers sold for the complexion and still seem to be available on Amazon, where reviewers rave. Presumably these hardy types are also fans of those pumice-like apricot scrubs that tore your face off in the name of loveliness.
I see these products as a metaphor for the 1980s itself: a gritty decade in which a woman was required to slough off her softer features, even as a tween.
One can see how exfoliation becomes addictive — there’s no quicker way to freshen one’s face, particularly in midlife. Some brands are actually based on the process: check out Paula’s Choice and Kate Somerville Skincare.
Healthy skin naturally sheds dead cells to make way for new ones. As we age, this process slows down, creating a dull and dismal build up. Exfoliation jogs this process along, whether via oldschool physical methods (flannels, scrubs, bristles, grains), or new-broom chemical ones (such as glycolic and salicylic acids).
Most dermatologists favour chemical approaches as they tend to be less abrasive, unsticking dead cells from the skin’s surface rather than shunting them away.
But there’s still a place for a bit of a scrub, provided one doesn’t go crazy.
I always have 1990s favourite Origins Never a Dull Moment Skin-brightening Face Polisher (£28.50, origins. co.uk) in my arsenal, the lazy woman’s face enlivener. Simply slather on, lie back, and its papaya enzyme will gobble up dead cells Pac-Man style. Then swoosh its granules about as you remove. Film stars and models of a certain age deploy it when hungover or unslept.
If my skin’s more red and spotty than dead on its feet, I reach for supermarket stalwart Nip + Fab’s Glycolic Fix Scrub (£12.95, nipandfab.com). Used on top of a buffering cleansing oil, its retexturing glycolic acid and zitbusting salicylic acid leave my skin bright and clear. Also works wonders on old-crone hands.
Some like a daily grain-fest. Dermalogica’s hugely popular Daily Microfoliant (£55, dermalogica.co.uk) is ideal — a salicylic acid and rice enzyme polisher admired by the glowing actress Cate Blanchett. I’ve recently been toying with Bliss Jelly Glow Gentle Exfoliator Peel (£9.99, boots.com), a mild formula, boasting plantbased fibres that act like micro-lint rollers to whisk away autumnal flakiness. The chemical exfoliator brigade argue that their approach improves texture without roughing up the complexion. But overdoing it could still be damaging, so go easy. Lixirskin’s new Ionic Shot Powder to Mousse Clarifying Mask (£27, lixirskin. co.uk) is a new addition to this field. Chemist Colette Haydon created this negativelycharged powder that mixes into any cream cleanser to form a paste, after spending years as a formulator for top beauty brands. The paste reacts with the positively-charged epidermis to attract sebum in pores, softening and dissolving it to eliminate congestion. Colette, who uses the satisfying term ‘deincrustration’, recommends using this grime magnet for five minutes, thrice weekly. Greasyskinned fans will be ecstatic.
Pixi Glow Tonic (£18, pixibeauty. co.uk) is the cult buy in this category. A five per cent glycolic acid strong enough to be effective, but not irritating, it is prized by Kim Kardashian, model Jourdan Dunn, and skincare guru Caroline Hirons.
However, my skin seems to prefer Ren’s Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic (£27, renskin care.com), in which lactic acid breaks up dead cells, rendering skin bright but in no way tight.
Budget buyers note that Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic 5% (£6.95, superdrug.com) is also a winner, while I’ve been enjoying Aldi’s Lacura Healthy Glow Glycolic Toner (£3.49, aldi.co.uk).
Every skin will have its exfoliation sweet spot: I alternate between physical and chemical approaches, feeding my face in their wake. And do use SPF, or you’re exposing your tender new cells to instant damage.