Exfoliation is often hailed as the ultimate step to achieving glowing, healthy skin, and while it’s true that exfoliation can work wonders, there’s a fine line between helping your skin and hurting it. Over-exfoliation is one of the most common mistakes I see in clients who are trying to improve their skin but unknowingly compromise their skin barrier instead.
From harsh scrubs to cleansing brushes, and even overusing at-home peels or peel pads, it’s surprisingly easy to overdo it. Add in treatments like dermaplaning—which removes not just dead skin cells but also part of your skin’s natural barrier—and your skin may start sending distress signals in the form of sensitivity, redness, dryness, breakouts, or flaky skin. If any of these sound familiar, keep reading to learn how to repair the damage and prevent further harm.
What Happens When You Over-Exfoliate?
Your skin’s natural barrier is its first line of defense against the environment. It protects your skin from harmful bacteria, pollution, and irritants while locking in hydration. Over-exfoliation strips away this protective barrier, leaving your skin vulnerable and inflamed.
Common signs of over-exfoliation include:
Increased redness and sensitivity
Dry, tight, or flaky patches
Breakouts and clogged pores (yes, over-exfoliating can cause more acne!)
A shiny yet dehydrated complexion
When your barrier is compromised, it becomes harder for your skin to retain moisture, leaving it thirsty and irritated. It also reduces your skin's ability to heal itself, creating a vicious cycle of inflammation and damage.
Why Less Is More When It Comes to Exfoliation
Despite what you may have heard, your skin doesn’t need daily exfoliation to stay healthy. In fact, exfoliating just once or twice a week is often enough for most people, depending on their skin type and the products they’re using.
If you’re a fan of peel pads or exfoliating toners, limit them to twice a week if you can. And please, skip the harsh scrubs (like apricot kernel scrubs) and cleansing brushes altogether—these are often too aggressive and can cause micro-tears in the skin.
Another tip? Avoid using poorly formulated “at-home peels” purchased online from sites like Amazon or eBay. These products often lack quality control and may contain ingredients or concentrations that aren’t safe for your skin. It’s always better to trust products recommended by a skincare professional (like me!) who understands your skin’s unique needs.
How I Approach Barrier Repair in My Treatments
The good news is that over-exfoliated skin can be repaired with the right products and treatments. Every skin treatment I offer is designed not only to target your specific concerns—whether it’s acne, hyperpigmentation, or anti-aging—but also to strengthen and repair your skin’s barrier.
Barrier repair is essential for achieving long-term results, and I only use products that support this goal. For example:
Nimue Pre & Post Serum: This dual-action serum creates an immediate, intelligent layer on the surface of your skin to protect and repair the barrier. It deeply hydrates while improving barrier health over time.
Nimue TDS Serums: These targeted transdermal solutions are designed to help repair the skin's natural barrier while delivering hydration and preparing the skin to absorb other active ingredients more effectively. (Click here to order your Nimue products)
These products are just two examples of how medical grade formulations can help restore your skin to its healthiest state.
How to Know If You’ve Over-Exfoliated
If you suspect you’ve been over-exfoliating, here are a few steps you can take to start the healing process:
Stop all exfoliation immediately for at least a week to give your skin time to recover.
Switch to gentle, barrier-supporting products like the Nimue Pre & Post Serum or TDS Serums to help repair and protect your skin.
Focus on hydration! Look for products with ingredients like hyaluronic acid or glycerin to replenish lost moisture.
Avoid irritating ingredients like strong acids or retinoids until your skin has fully healed.
Ensure you are wearing SPF daily to protect your skin from further damage (you should be doing this daily anyway - I love the Nimue Sun-C SPF 40 every single day)
If you’re unsure about your skincare routine or suspect you’ve been over-exfoliating, why not fill out my Skin Check-In Form? It’s a completely free service where I’ll create a personalised skincare plan for you—no Zoom calls, no bookings, and no pressure to buy. Just a few simple messages back and forth to help you get the healthy, glowing skin you deserve.
This way we can identify the best products for your skin type and concerns, repair any damage, and create a routine that works. Remember, skincare doesn’t have to be complicated—sometimes, it’s as simple as dialing things back and giving your skin the care it truly needs. Regular clients of mine understand now more than ever that less is definitely more when it comes to skin care.
Want to get started? Click here to fill out the Skin Check-In Form today.
Thank you so much for reading,
Emmaline x
Comentarios