Exfoliation for Men: A Quick and Dirty Guide

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Humans are—what’s a nice way to say this—sort of gross. For example, our faces. They’re pretty much always covered in a layer of grime and dead skin cells. Not exactly an appealing thought. Luckily, there’s a scrub for that. 

And that’s what we’re here to discuss: Exfoliation. 

Exfoliation is the process of getting in there with a gritty scrub (like our bamboo face scrub) to rid your moneymaker of the inevitable detritus it accumulates throughout your day. It’s a little bit of rebirth for your face, and that’s only sort of a metaphor because it’s literally getting rid of decay—those dead skin cells. 

Beyond getting rid of the nasty, it keeps your skin healthy and looking good. So at the risk of stating the obvious: If exfoliation isn’t already an integral part of your skin care routine, you need to bring the practice into your life. 

Now that you’re committed to ridding your face of dead skin cells (doesn’t take a whole lot of expert persuasion), let’s dig into some basics of how to do it. We recommend our bamboo facial exfoliant, a gritty blend of walnut shells and bamboo stems that repairs your skin’s moisture barrier with its hydrating sugar technology. It’s best to prep for the scrub by cleaning your face with our charcoal face wash. 

While exfoliating most certainly needs to be in your repertoire, it shouldn’t be a part of your everyday process. It’s understandable if it seems like it should be. After all, now that you know they’re there, are you just going to let dead skin cells hang out on your face? A thorough exfoliation also leaves you feeling like a million bucks. Raise your hand if you’re not into that kind of sensation.

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BUT like too many thoroughly enjoyable things in this world, there’s such a thing as overkill when it comes to exfoliation. The diminishing returns come quickly. Again, the primary benefit of exfoliating is that it removes dead skin cells. Lucky for you, the dead cells aren’t piling up that fast. 

“Over-exfoliation can strip the skin of natural oils,” as aesthetician Vicki McNulty points out. That can lead to breakouts, dry skin, irritation, redness, etc. An overzealous exfoliator is defeating the purpose. 

So how often should you exfoliate? It depends on your skin type, but twice per week will likely get the job done. It’s great to exfoliate before you shave—clearing debris reduces your razor’s workload. So if you’re the kind of guy who likes to let a little stubble come on for a few days before you shave, working the practice into that routine will make sense for you. 

If your skin starts feeling a little too sensitive, try reducing how often you scrub. Our body scrubber is also a bit more gentle and still gets the job done right. You’ll know when you’ve found just the right approach for your skin.  

Exfoliating takes your skin to the next level. Now that you’re there, there’s something else you should know: You can kick it up a notch higher. While you’ll probably find that exfoliating twice weekly is the right move for your skin, you’ll certainly find that if you pair that routine with a weekly peel-off face mask for blackheads, your skin will reach its peak potential. And that’s truly the goal here. 

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Skin care is all about the right routine. Exfoliated skin means fewer clogged pores, which means fewer breakouts. It’s just something you do if you want to present a healthy face to the world. And who doesn’t, right?