The benefits of exfoliation are many. You probably already know it’s great for giving your complexion an instant glow, but did you also know it helps other products with beneficial ingredients penetrate more easily and efficiently? Or that it boosts cell turnover?

Exfoliation is an ultra-important step in your skincare routine, and if you haven’t been taking advantage of it, it’s certainly time to do so now. With regular exfoliation (not too much, but not too little either), you can ensure your pores are tighter and smaller, your skin is renewed and skin tone evened out, the appearance of wrinkles is decreased and all those skincare products you’re using are actually doing their jobs. In short, exfoliation is crucial. But it can be a little confusing too. Let’s discuss the six exfoliation mistakes people commonly make and ensure that you’re not making them during your daily routine.

Mistake #1: Exfoliating Too Frequently

Exfoliation is important, but it’s also a delicate process. If you’re exfoliating every day, you’re most likely exfoliating far too often, especially if you have sensitive skin. This can be detrimental to skin, causing it to become sensitized, irritated, red and dry. It can also lead to breakouts by forcing your oil glands to produce more oil to overcompensate for the dryness.

If you use a physical exfoliant (an exfoliant that contains ingredients like beads or walnut powder), it can be particularly sensitizing, and even lead to small tears in skin that can draw in irritants. But even a chemical exfoliant (an exfoliant that relies on acids or fruit enzymes) can cause irritation. It’s best to exfoliate 1-3 times a week, depending on your skin needs or what your dermatologist recommends.

The ILUMA Intense Brightening Exfoliating Powder is water-activated and works to gently polish and refine skin to help even out tone and reduce the appearance of discoloration.

Mistake #2: Not Exfoliating Enough

Exfoliating only once or twice a month, or every few weeks when you suddenly remember to, might not be not enough. Of course, if your skin is so sensitive that your dermatologist recommends very infrequent exfoliation, that’s one thing. Others with less sensitive skin can benefit from exfoliating at least once a week, perhaps even as often as three times a week (though typically not more than thrice). As previously mentioned, exfoliating regularly is very beneficial in helping to soften the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and hyperpigmentation, while removing dead surface skin cells and helping your complexion become more radiant overall. It will also help important ingredients found in your creams and lotions (like hyaluronic acid, vitamins A, C and E, etc.) access your skin more readily.

The ORMEDIC balancing gel polisher is a great choice for all skin types. This gentle daily polisher—which combines physical, enzymatic, and acid-based exfoliation—refines and balances the skin. Pomegranate enzymes, olive pit powder and bamboo spheres smooth away dullness to reveal a newfound radiance. Caviar lime extract, a natural source of alpha hydroxy acids, help to leave the skin feeling soft, smooth and refreshed.

Mistake #3: Using Too Harsh Of An Exfoliator For Your Unique Skin Type/Issues

It can feel so satisfying to use a rough scrub to aggressively buff away dead skin cells, but very few skin types can withstand this treatment. As tempting as it can be to use a scrub you’ve been led to believe will solve all your skin concerns (like breakouts), it’s important to determine what your skin personally needs to prevent a sensitizing reaction. If you go too hard with your scrub or exfoliant, you will likely regret it when your skin becomes irritated or breaks out. Make sure you choose an exfoliant that is gentle (chemical exfoliants are usually far gentler than physical ones) with ingredients like alpha hydroxy acids or fruit enzymes that will exfoliate thoroughly without leading to irritation. A physical exfoliant with rounded naturally derived microbeads can also be a good choice as opposed to jagged exfoliants like walnut powder, which can be too harsh.

Mistake #4: Not Exfoliating When You’re Dry

Maybe it seems counterintuitive or unnecessary to exfoliate when your skin is dry, but you’d be wrong to think so. Exfoliation of dry skin won’t make skin drier – it will actually help remove flakiness, prepping skin perfectly for the application of moisturizer and various serums. Once that flakiness and dryness has been exfoliated away, the hydrating ingredients in a moisturizer will work to their best ability to nourish and protect your skin. However, be aware that exfoliating dry skin is typically best done with a chemical exfoliant rather than a physical one.

Mistake #5: Not Nourishing Your Skin After You Exfoliate

You can’t just exfoliate one to three times a week and consider your skin woes solved. It’s imperative to follow up an exfoliating treatment with effective serums and moisturizers to soothe skin, quench thirst and protect and nourish with beneficial ingredients like vitamins and antioxidants. If you don’t follow up exfoliation with other nourishing treatments, your skin won’t reap the benefits of these ingredients that can help prevent the formation of visible signs of aging, like fine lines or discoloration.

Mistake #6: Thinking You Can’t Combine Physical vs. Chemical Exfoliators

You absolutely can combine physical and chemical exfoliators if your skin is itching for an extra dose of exfoliation. Even sensitive skin can benefit from the combination of physical and chemical exfoliants as long as the formulation is gentle. The ORMEDIC Balancing Gel Polisher is a perfect example of a physical and chemical exfoliating combo that can revolutionize your skin. It combines pomegranate enzymes, olive pit powder and bamboo spheres for a remarkable dose of exfoliation that will rejuvenate and refine dull, tired, aging skin while preventing irritation. It also has alpha hydroxy acids in the form of a caviar lime extract that help to soften and smooth for skin that is plump and youthful.