Clarins’ guide to exfoliating your face

There’s more to naturally glowing skin than just a clever highlighter. A radiant complexion requires loving care, regular nourishment and gentle exfoliation. So, if you’re looking to improve your skin’s tone and texture or simply want to ensure you're giving your face the five-star treatment it deserves, exfoliating is a great place to start. From when to exfoliate your face to how to use a face scrub, our guide will tell you everything you need to know about maintaining silky smooth skin.

What are the benefits of exfoliating your face?

Before we guide you through how to exfoliate your face, let’s find out why you don’t want to leave this step out of your beauty regime. Here are our favourite four benefits of exfoliating your skin.

Benefit 1: Maximise your moisturiser

Moisturising on a daily basis is great. But did you know dead skin cells on the surface of your skin can block your skincare products from properly absorbing? Gorgeous products deserve lovingly prepared skin and gently breaking down this barrier with exfoliating granules ensures your skin is ready to soak up the full benefits of your product. At Clarins, we have a variety of day creams and night creams to keep your skin super-nourished around the clock. With creams specifically created to suit different skin types, finding a product that addresses your specific skin concerns is simple. Our moisturising heroes? We love Super Restorative Rose Radiance Cream for daily hydration and Extra-Firming Night Cream to plump and firm overnight.

Benefit 2: Fight nasty breakouts

Without regular exfoliation , the dead cells that build up on the skin’s surface can lead to patchy skin that’s prone to blemishes. So, if you struggle with acne or hormonal breakouts, exfoliating your face can help to keep nasty flare-ups at bay. Our Fresh Scrub uses natural exfoliating beads made from wood cellulose to remove impurities, leaving your skin feeling clean and refined. Finish off with your favourite moisturiser. For acne-prone skin, we recommend Mission Perfection Serum – an anti-dark spot serum which uses Acerola extract to target blemishes.

Benefit 3: Maintain youthful skin

Younger skin replenishes itself naturally every 28 days or so. But this process slows down as we age, with skin often becoming rough and dehydrated due to the build-up of dead cells over time. Gently removing these cells allows for rejuvenated, healthy ones to surface. So, for visibly younger-looking skin, exfoliating is your secret weapon. What’s more, anti-aging products penetrate deeper into freshly exfoliated skin, so top up with our Extra-Firming Night Cream and watch as fine lines are visibly reduced.

Benefit 4: Magical make-up

The fourth benefit? Smooth, fresh skin creates the perfect base for make-up. So, if you want evening-ready skin, start your preparation with a gentle exfoliation . Not only will this encourage cell renewal to give you a more radiant, brighter complexion in an instant, but it will help your make-up remain even and in place all night long. Smile for the camera!

How to use a face scrub

If you’re not sure how to exfoliate skin, don’t worry – you’re in good hands. Our five-step guide will show you the best way to exfoliate your face, so you can say a big hello to the best version of you – the you with radiant, glowing skin.

Step 1: Choose a nourishing face scrub

We love Pure Scrub, which uses lava beads to gently dislodge dead skin cells, instantly revealing a more luminous complexion.

Step 2: Splash your face with warm water

Warm water helps to open up your pores, making it easier to gently remove impurities.

Step 3: Apply face scrub in small, circular motions

We recommend gently massaging for one to two minutes for the silkiest skin. Take extra care around your eye area, where the skin is much softer.

Step 4: Wash away

Rinse away any leftover product with toner. Feeling radiant? You should be.

Step 5: Nourish to flourish

Now there are no dead cells blocking the surface of your skin, your moisturiser is free to work its magic! We love Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream SPF15 which will activate the hydration process at all levels of the skin, leaving it quenched and radiant. Mission accomplished.

How often to exfoliate your skin

Exfoliating supports your skin’s natural cell renewal process, so you don’t need to scrub every day – just provide a little helping hand. For the happiest skin, we recommend adjusting your exfoliating routine to suit your skin type.

How often to exfoliate oily skin

Aim to exfoliate four to five times per week to keep shine at bay. Try Pure Scrub – a gel-based exfoliator containing organic Alpine Willow Herb extract to help reduce the activity of the key enzyme involved in sebum production.

How often to exfoliate combination skin

Is your skin a mixture of dry and oily? We recommend exfoliating two to three times per week. Fresh Scrub is perfect for giving your skin a refreshing blast of hydration and restoring balance.

How often to exfoliate sensitive skin

Choose a mild exfoliator and start by using it once a week, building up slowly to two to three times per week. Comfort Scrub – containing luxurious wild mango butter – is rich in essential fatty acids that gently rejuvenate and nourish sensitive skin.

When to exfoliate your face

This depends entirely on you! Your skin routine needs to work for your lifestyle, so the best time to exfoliate will differ from person to person. If you wear heavy make-up, exfoliating at night can help ensure all traces of foundation are removed along with dead skin cells, allowing your overnight moisturiser to fully absorb into the skin. If your skin often looks dull in the morning, however, a gentle exfoliation when you rise will encourage a more luminous complexion, while creating a perfect, even base for make-up.

A touch of luxury

After a little something extra? Escape to a tranquil place of pampering and relaxation at a Clarins Skin Spa near you. For the ultimate treat, book our signature Radiance Reviver facial – a revitalising treatment that recharges dull, tired skin with a cocktail of antioxidants and plant extracts. A healthy, dewy glow? It’s yours to keep.

Shine brighter

So your face is gorgeous and glowing – but why stop there? For beautifully nourished skin from head to toe, make sure your body is getting the same exfoliation benefits too. Read our guide to exfoliating your body for everything you need to know about making your skin feel its most nourished, radiant self.

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