Stop Scrubbing Your Face

One of the most common causes of irritation and breakouts is over-exfoliating. Your skin’s protective layer, the stratum corneum, is incredibly thin. It is only about 50 microns thick, which is half the thickness of a sheet of paper. When you scrub aggressively, you are literally damaging the one barrier that keeps moisture in and irritants out.

Once this barrier is weakened, your skin becomes red, tight, inflamed, and more acne prone. Over-scrubbing also causes micro-tears, disrupts your microbiome, and increases water loss. This is why your skin can feel dry and oily at the same time.

Healthy skin does not need harsh scrubs. It needs support. Choose gentle enzyme exfoliants or mild chemical exfoliants and protect your barrier. Your glow comes from balanced skin, not from scrubbing it raw.

Sources

1. Elias PM. The skin barrier as an innate immune element. Journal of Dermatology.

2. Rawlings A, Harding CR. Barrier function of the stratum corneum. Dermatologic Therapy.

3. Pappas A. Stratum corneum structure and thickness. Dermato-Endocrinology.