Exfoliants: Scrubs vs. Serums

While we can all agree that exfoliation is an essential part of any good skin care regimen, there is more than one way to slough dead skin cells. Manual exfoliators, such as at-home scrubs and professional microdermabrasion treatments, remove dead skin cells by way of small, sand-like granules scraping against the skin. The friction caused by this scraping removes the surface skin cells. While manual exfoliators have the benefit of instantaneous cell removal, they can be harsh if overused. Some aggressive manual exfoliants can even cause broken capillaries over time or exacerbate rosacea.

Serum-based exfoliants such as Emerge by Kalologie Labs dissolve dead skin cells on the surface rather than scraping them away. While the benefits of an exfoliating serum are often cumulative, they often do more than merely exfoliate; for example, Emerge is also anti-bacterial and anti-aging. Any type of exfoliation increases sun sensitivity, however, so sunscreen is a must regardless of how you de-flake your face.