This is a skincare practice that is typically unappreciated until the practitioner has to deal with thinning or mature skin. In our youth, we tend to mindlessly scrub away without a care about micro-tears, unnecessary pulling or tugging on our skin, or irritation caused by harsh ingredients. But as we age, we come to understand that more is not necessarily more, and it’s better to be gentle and go slow than to potentially damage our complexion by moving too quickly in the quest for results.
In that spirit, we’ve rounded up a few favorites for truly gentle skin exfoliation:
A good face brush is key to deep cleaning without harsh scrubbing. This gentle version from SUVÉ is well made and gets the job done quickly and easily. It comes with an angled handle for easy storage and to help the bristles dry faster between uses.
Another way to get your skin squeaky clean (no, not really. no squeaking.) without harsh tugging or tearing is with the an exfoliating blend from brands like WAWAZA. Using Azuki beans and Okinawan marine clay, it forms a paste (with a little water) to gently clean and exfoliate your skin.
For toning and gentle exfoliation on clean skin, a soft bamboo round like the ones from Jenny Patinkin are wonderful. They are reusable, and you can reportedly use them multiple times before swapping them out for a new one. When using them, be sure not to press down and create more (and unnecessary) friction on your skin. Just lightly run them over your face and neck for glowing results.