Cellular Turnover VS Exfoliation: Which is better?

Most people don't know the difference between cellular turnover and exfoliation, and they're not sure which one is better for their skin.

Exfoliation is a popular way to slough off dead skin cells, but it can be harsh and irritating. Cellular turnover is a slower process, but it's more gentle and can help improve the skin's overall appearance.

So, which is better? Depends. Let's explore each in detail to help you decide which is right for you.

What Is Cellular Turnover And What Are The Benefits Of It?

Ever notice how smooth a baby's skin is? That's because they're constantly shedding old skin cells and replacing them with new ones. Babies usually experience turnover every couple of weeks, whereas adults can have turnover every 28-42 days. Cellular turnover is the process by which new cells regenerate to replace old or damaged ones. This process is vital for maintaining the health of our skin, hair, and nails. When cellular turnover works appropriately, we see smooth, youthful skin, strong nails, and shiny hair. However, cellular turnover slows as we age, and we start to see signs of aging, such as wrinkles, thinning hair, and dull skin. 

Ways To Improve Cellular Turnover

There are several ways to encourage healthy cellular turnover. However, taking care of our bodies is the best way to keep all of our cells, including skin cells, healthy and working correctly. Here are some tips for promoting healthy cellular turnover:

Eat a healthy diet:

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains helps to nourish our bodies and keep our cells healthy.

Exercise regularly:

Exercise helps improve circulation and keeps our cells moving.

Get enough sleep:

Sleep is essential for all aspects of our health, including the health of our cells.

Reduce stress:

Stress can harm our overall health, including the health of our cells. Activities like participating in your favorite hobby, meditation, yoga, or spending time in nature are ways I like to reduce stress in my life.

Skincare products and treatments:

Consider incorporating peptides and non-invasive skin care therapies like microcurrent in your skincare routine.

More aggressive skin care products and treatments can speed up cellular turnover, but these should be used with caution as they create injury to the skin, which can lead to inflammation, other skin concerns, and downtime.

What Is Exfoliation And What Are The Benefits Of It? 

Exfoliation removes dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. The benefits are two-fold: it helps to reveal healthy, glowing skin underneath and can open up clogged pores and prevent future breakouts. Don't forget that regular exfoliation can also help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. So not only does exfoliation leave your skin looking its best, but it can also help to promote cellular turnover.

Ways To Exfoliate Your Skin:

Mechanical exfoliation:

Use a brush or scrub to physically remove dead skin cells from your face.

Chemical exfoliation:

Use a product containing ingredients such as alpha hydroxy or beta hydroxy acids to dissolve the bonds between skin cells.

Is Cellular Turnover or Exfoliation Better?

Both cellular turnover and exfoliation are essential for keeping our skin looking its best. As you have probably guessed, one can lead to the other, and they are both critical in keeping our skin healthy. I like to say; that one works from the inside out, and the other works in reverse. So, let's take a look at both cellular turnover and exfoliation.

Cellular Turnover

Pro Of Cellular Turnover 

Gentle: Using a more natural approach to increasing cellular turnover allows the body to work at its own pace to slough off dead skin cells, revealing glowing, healthy skin underneath.

Con Of Cellular Turnover 

Slow: One downside to a more gentle approach is that it can take longer to see results.

**Note: If you want to speed up the process of getting rid of cells, there are more aggressive or fast-acting products and treatments. However, they may come with some downsides, similar to over-exfoliating.

Exfoliation

Pro Of Exfoliation

Faster results: Exfoliation removes dead skin cells from the surface of your skin, revealing the healthy, glowing skin underneath. More aggressive beauty treatments like microdermabrasion, and chemical peels, laser resurfacing can expedite the process.

Con Of Exfoliation

Can be harsh: If done incorrectly, exfoliation can damage and dry the skin. Robbing your skin of the moisture it needs can make it respond as if injured and produce more oil. The result is an unhappy complexion that's prone to breakouts! Overdoing it can also break blood vessels and cause flare-ups if you have sensitive skin or conditions like rosacea or acne.

Should You Focus On Cellular Turnover Or Exfoliation For Beautiful Skin?

While working with hundreds of women, I have found that most focus on exfoliating, not cellular turnover. You might be thinking, why is that? Exfoliation is the more popular method because it's what we always see and hear about. And the process seems pretty straightforward, you apply the product as directed and may see and feel immediate results. Cellular turnover is a little more complicated. It's a process that happens inside our bodies.

When doing the advanced skin health analysis, I find the women who focus on exfoliation usually have a build-up of dead skin because the cellular turnover process is not working optimally.

I recommend a focus on cellular turnover first and exfoliation second. If you work on getting the cellular turnover process going, you will slough off the dead skin cells naturally and won't have to rely on exfoliation treatments as much. Additionally, cellular turnover is a whole-body approach. In contrast, exfoliation is typically limited to targeted areas like the face.

The person on the left focuses on exfoliation, and her level of roughness (dead skin build-up) is at 68%; the person on the right focuses on cellular turnover, and her level is at 21%.

Healthy skin starts with a healthy cellular turnover rate. I recommend focusing on this first and foremost to get the dead cells naturally shed. As a result, you will not have to rely on harsh exfoliation that can irritate your skin and cause other skin conditions like dryness, redness, and breakouts. Schedule your advanced skin health consultation today, and let us help you get started on the path to beautiful, healthy skin.