What can you use to exfoliate sensitive skin?

[Destinysdaughter]

Oh I'm a bit confused about this! I'm hearing about AHAs, glycolic acid and how exfoliation is the key to youthful skin but I also read that these products are not good for sensitive skin! Anyone know how you can safely exfoliate sensitive skin, prone to redness...?

I just rub my face with a flannel.

I use a really gentle scrub from Lush called Buche de Noel, which is only available in winter, in summer I use their Angels on Bare Skin which is slightly less gentle but my skin is less sensitive then.

Sugar mixed with coconut oil.

Nothing abrasive (so not a flannel, or a traditional 'scrub') that will just make your skin angry and more red!

I read that salicylic acid (e.g. Clinique's mild clarifying lotion) is good for sensitive or rosacea prone skin. However, I also use glycolic acid toners on my redness-prone skin and have no problems. I've used Pixiglow and FAB pads and like them both.

I was in Superdrug today and the Nip and Fab glycolic acid pads were half price, was so tempted to get them but scared of using something that will rip my skin off and make it inflamed and even more sensitive to the sun. Am v pale so have to use factor 50 in the sun as it is...!

Bicarbonate of soda is very fine. Use a tiny amount to make a teaspoon size paste by adding warm water drop by drop and gently exfoliate using small circular motions with fingertips.

Gently.

Nothing abrasive (so not a flannel, or a traditional 'scrub') that will just make your skin angry and more red!
But my skin is fine with a flannel. What makes it angry and red - and itchy too - is using too many products or ingredients.

In any case, I thought the skin shed dead cells all the time? Yet suddenly we're being told they're so hard to remove, you need to buy a special product to do it. Oh and one that makes you more senstitive to sun so you need to buy another product to fix that too.....

My first 'Bah Humbug' of the season.

Dermalogica daily microexfoliant.
Don't use it daily.

If you use a facecloth ( in whatever form) that is enough to exfoliate your skin.
There is some guff that using an aha is anti ageing ( aides cell turnover and poss collagen production? )but as far as I can see as long as your face gets clean so that it can absorb what it needs to it will be fine
I use aha and bha because many moons ago I had horrible acne.
I rate the bha and use it every day as it does help with the oil slick production.
I use v gentle washcloths so that they cleanse and exfoliate at the same time.
The aha makes my capillaries stand out more clearly or maybe irritates them in someway and therefore I am far more sparing with its use

Dunno if that is as clear as mud

Don't use soda! If you have sensitive skin it will irritate the hell out of it.

Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel is good and very gentle. It's expensive but lasts absolutely ages becaus you don't need to use much. It kind of dissolves the dead skin and brightens your complexion.

Thanks everyone! Still confused tho as there is differing and contradictory advice out there. Agree that using products that make your skin more sensitive to the sun is a really bad idea!

Salicylic acid (BHA) is fine for sensitive skin - I use the Clinique mild clarifying lotion and find it good - but i would steer clear of any other acids.

Nothing with scrubby particles in, nothing with alcohol or witch hazel in, nothing with fragrance in or essential oils and no glycolic either.

You can try salicylic but make sure it's a good formulation like Clinique Mild Clarifying or Paula's Choice BHA - lots of salicylic products are the wrong pH or have loads of alcohol or witch hazel in. Salicylic in itself is supposed to be anti-inflammatory so much better than the other acids.

I use salicylic because I have acne. If I didn't have acne I don't think I'd bother as the effect isn't so amazing TBH.

More important is lots of SPF. Which won't make your current skin look better but will help your future skin much more than anything else.

My skin is sensitive and find that the less products i use the better. I use a muslin cloth with my normal cleanser and I find that's enough to exfoliate my skin.

I meant don't scrub it vigorously with a flannel! I use a flannel to remove my cleanser and agree that in itself shouldn't irritate your skin

OP - have a read of Caroline Hirons blog. I learnt a lot about 'modern' skincare on there. Bah humbug all you like - my skin is a bazillion times better since I revamped my skincare after reading her advice and recommendations.

But seriously, why do we need a special product to remove dead cells that drop off anyway?

And what is the point of 'modern' skincare products that increase sun sensitivity? Sun protection is about the only off-the-shelf anti ageing product that is generally agreed to work.

And isn't Caroline Hirons paid to endorse products? I don't take any notice when Penelope Cruz recommends something so why should we listen to CH?

I'm the same. I used to scrub all the time. Don't use anything with the word 'peel' on it, your skin doesn't need it. What it needs is time to heal. I had second degree facial burns thanks to a stupid beautician that I sued... But was left with very sensitive skin. The dermatologist advised me to just use water and moisturiser. I didn't believe it, I had a few blackheads for a few weeks and the everything cleared up magically. Now I just use body shop vitamin E cream cleanser in the shower each day, and my usual moisturiser. That's it. Don't scrub!! Xx

I read on here a while ago that just using your fingertips with your usual cleanser is enough exfoliation for sensitive skin.
I use Avene gentle cleanser.

Paula's choice have some good products and most come in sample sizes as well if you want to try different ones to see what/if anything suits. The mild Clinique one is also good and alcohol free.