Scrub-a-dub!

Nothing feels better than peeling back the layers... Of your face! I discovered exfoliation in Jr High. I was in love right away! Of course, back then I used the cheap drugstore apricot product that is not(!) what you should use. But, you ask yourself, or perhaps, me! Why should I exfoliate, what is the big deal? Well, when you remove the top layers of skin you get a couple of benefits; less possibilities of break outs as the oil from your skin won't get trapped under the dead skin. If your skin is aging, it will help rejuvenate it and lessen the look of fine lines and wrinkles. It will help to minimize pores and allow your make-up to sit better, and if done regularly and properly it will keep your skin younger looking and super healthy. Now, there have been many a delightful scientific advancement on both sides, but they are both not for everyone, so let's break it down.
There are two main forms of exfoliation manual; a serum or lotion that typically contains beads or other agitators that you manually have to scrub into your skin to remove the layers. Then of course the chemical exfoliates that have either a natural or chemical acid; glycolic, lactic, salicylic etc. There are good and bad things about both. Some faces are super sensitive to the chemicals and the acids can give them rashes or too much pealing. If you choose the wrong manual you could really be doing severe damage to it; cheaper exfoliates are made with nut shells who's dagger-like edges tear up your skin instead of smoothly scuffing it away.
If you do choose an manual to try, a great everyday one is Philosophy's Microdelivery . The great thing about this one is that the beads begin to dissipate after 60 seconds so that you cannot do any damage to your skin with it. Thoughtful, no? A good chemical one, that's actually not too expensive is the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish face wash. This product contains salicylic acid and I found it really reduced my pores when used regularly. Yay!
Daily exfoliation is best done in the morning as your skin naturally purges during the night. And I think if you start using a product regularly you'll really like the improvements you'll find! Now there are masks and there's derm-abrasion kits and so forth and we'll get into that another time. For now I wish you to go forth and scrub!