How to keep mature skin looking healthy and youthful with gentle but regular exfoliation
Exfoliation is defined as “the process of removing dead skin cells from the outer layer of your skin”. It allows the surface of our skin to be smoother, brighter and more luminous, which gives a youthful look to the skin.
A few basic facts worth knowing about your skin. You have most likely heard it before: your skin is your body’s primary barrier and its largest organ. In other words, the primary function of your skin is to protect your body. Did you know that the cells that make up your skin never stop growing and dividing? In a young person the natural cycle of regeneration takes around 28 days. As you (and us, all) age biologically, this process of cell regeneration slows down, taking up to 60 or even 80 days with a progressive build-up of dead skin cells which leaves the skin looking dull, rough and dry.
This build-up of dead skin cells can also trigger a chain reaction by limiting or preventing the absorption of active ingredients present in your skincare, which in turn clogs pores and eventually leading to pimples and acne.
This is precisely where exfoliation comes into play: it removes dead skin cells to uncover fresh new cells below.
The benefits of exfoliating are significant for all skin types but most particularly for mature skin. Done regularly, exfoliation:
- Improves skin texture and tone
- Prevents clogged pores resulting in fewer blemishes
- Increases collagen production
- Enhances blood and lymph circulation
- Helps the effectiveness of skincare by enhancing absorption
How often should you exfoliate?
It’s always better to use a gentle exfoliant like Phyt’s Contact+ as aggressive products can disrupt your skin barrier function and create inflammation. Too many exfoliations or using too aggressive products will not fix the problem, but make it worse.
Your skin type and condition are other factors that you have to consider. As a general rule, we recommend a gentle exfoliation:
- Young skin: once a week
- Mature skin: once to twice a week
Why Phyt’s Contact+?
Contact+ is a gentle exfoliating mask that eliminates dead skin cells without damaging the protective layer of the skin.
Phyt’s chose plant cellulose as the exfoliating agent because it works by adhering to dead skin cells that are then removed with gentle massage motions on the skin surface. The old cells build-up is eliminated leaving the skin looking smooth and brighter. Plant cellulose is gentle and will not irritate the skin.
Directions: One to twice a week, spread a thin layer on clean, dry skin and leave for 5 minutes or until dry. Then with your fingertips, perform a dry massage with gentle circular movements to remove the product. Finish by rinsing your face with water or a toner.
Exfoliating agents
Most facial exfoliants use exfoliating agents such as fruit kernels (often apricot, almond or cherry); some will have sand or even pearl fragments and others tiny plastic beads. These natural ingredients do not have a completely smooth surface and can be quite abrasive if used too often or on sensitive skin. They tend to be irritating because they cause micro-cuts in the skin. Abrasive plastic beads are softer to the skin but they are now considered as polluting and unsustainable.
Plant cellulose is a new natural exfoliating agent with particles showing the same exfoliating properties as the ingredients listed above, but without the associated drawbacks.
Cellulose is an important component of the cell walls of green plants and it’s the most abundant natural polymer. By definition, polymers are large molecules made by bonding (chemically linking) a series of building blocks called monomers – think of it as a chain, with each of its links a monomer.
Polymers are everywhere. Just look around: your plastic water bottle, the silicone rubber tips on your phone’s earbuds, the nylon and polyester in your jacket or sneakers, the rubber in the tires on the family car. Many proteins in your body are polymers, too: keratin (KAIR-uh-tin – the stuff your hair and nails are made from- even the DNA in your cells is a polymer.
Going back to plant cellulose, the type used in skin care is microcrystalline cellulose.
What are the main active ingredients in Contact+?
Phyt’s Contact+ exfoliating agent is plant cellulose, chosen for its efficacy and gentleness on the skin – and because it’s completely natural..
Ylang Ylang essential oil and Sunflower seed oil are also part of the formula.
Ylang Ylang is a skin booster with a natural ability to stimulate a natural glow. As an antiseptic, Ylang Ylang essential oil can help fight infections by purifying, protecting and healing. It has been shown to improve blood flow and fight inflammation, supporting a healthy circulatory system. Last but not least and thanks to its ability to act directly on the olfactory system in the brain, Ylang Ylang essential oil can have immediate positive effects on your mood. Who does not want that?
In Contact+, Ylang Ylang acts as an effective skin cleanser while boosting the regenerative process of the epidermis. Whether your skin is dry or oily, Ylang Ylang oil corrects the amount of oil your sebaceous glands produce, ensuring your complexion has just the right amount of moisture. It’s antioxidant properties help to fight off the free radicals that are responsible for premature ageing.
Sunflower seed oil acts as a carrier oil. It is cold pressed from the seeds of the Sunflower. This smooth, nourishing oil is non-comedogenic, meaning it won’t clog pores. Sunflower oil slows the look of wrinkles, reduces the appearance of enlarged pores, eliminates acne-causing bacteria, prevents blemishing, and evens out the skin tone.
Try Contact+, your skin will love it and you will love how soft, silky and brighten your skin feels and looks, and how more effectively the active ingredients in your serum or moisturiser will be absorbed and work their own magic.
