Your skin entirely regenerates itself every 27 days. Boom! That’s a pretty mind-blowing fact. Your skin is also your largest organ; as it’s constantly regenerating, older skin cells are sloughed off and replaced by new skin cells underneath.
Exfoliating deliberately removes those older skin cells from the outermost layer of your skin, uncovering healthy, new skin underneath, allowing moisturizing products to penetrate more deeply, clearing clogged pores, revitalizing, restoring, and revealing bright, healthy, youthful skin.
Without question, exfoliating is a critical step in any man’s skincare routine if your goal is to keep your complexion looking healthy and vibrant.
Microbeads – Major Problem
You simply cannot have a conversation about exfoliating without discussing microbeads.
We’ve all heard the resounding clarion call about the evils of microbeads over the last decade. Since their introduction in 1972, polyethylene microbeads have found their way into countless personal skincare products, and beyond that, into rivers, oceans, fish, and turtles, carrying with them dangerous environmental pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). All of which, as you might imagine, are extremely harmful to wildlife and natural ecosystems.
By the end of 2017, by way of unrelenting public pressure, microbeads were almost completely phased out of cosmetic products; so, why were they there in the first place…?
In an effort to address one skincare concern, the conventional cosmetics industry created an even greater environmental concern by introducing microbeads as a physical, or mechanical, exfoliating agent in personal care products from soaps, facial scrubs, and body washes, to toothpaste, sunscreen, and deodorants.
The entire point of microbeads was to assist in exfoliating the skin; unfortunately, dead skin cells weren’t the only thing going down the drain. Luckily, microbeads are not the only way to exfoliate, and clearly not the best.
Chemical vs. Mechanical Exfoliating
We should say right out the gate that MËNAJI HAS NEVER USED MICROBEADS IN ANY OF ITS PRODUCTS. Just wanted to get that out of the way before digging any deeper.
Generally speaking, there are two types of exfoliating: mechanical and chemical.
Mechanical exfoliating is the physical scrubbing of your skin with an abrasive substance, i.e. microbeads; cloths, brushes, pumice stones, or loofahs; crushed apricot kernels, salts, or almond shells, certain acids, and other ingredients.
Chemical exfoliating employs naturally derived chemicals that literally break the “glue” that binds dead skin cells together, removing them and revealing the smooth, healthy skin beneath. There are two types of chemical exfoliants most commonly used: alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs). AHAs are water soluble and great for exfoliating dry skin, while BHAs are oil-soluble, penetrating deeper than AHAs into your skin and pores, bringing both anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties to bear as well.
MËNAJI products like our Deep Cleansing Masque, Face & Body Scrub, and Power Hydrator Plus Tinted Moisturizer all include a host of natural chemical exfoliants like lime oil, jojoba seed oil, salicylic acid, and Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate – a cleansing agent derived from coconut oil, allowing them to remove excess surface dirt and oils, cleanse, exfoliate, and penetrate more deeply, clearing pores, and leaving your skin healthy, vibrant, and glowing.
Consider this: MËNAJI’s Deep Cleansing Masque doesn’t contain any physical exfoliants, but it does contain the chemical exfoliant salicylic acid. Salicylic Acid helps soften and remove skin debris that clogs pores and causes acne. Specifically, salicylic acid is an ideal acne treatment for blackheads and whiteheads. Salicylic acid also directly dissolves the keratin that forms to clog pores, and helps regulate skin cells. Please note, MËNAJI’s Deep Cleansing Masque should not be used daily. Its natural chemical exfoliants are best when used 1-2 per week. Using too often can cause redness.
Exfoliate First and Often
Exfoliating your entire body, including your face, is a vital part of your skincare regimen. By cleansing and clearing pores, especially on your face, exfoliating aids in reducing the risk and frequency of breakouts and acne, and also helps treat scars, blemishes, and dry, flaky skin.
MËNAJI’s Face & Body Scrub is designed for daily use in or out of the shower, before or after shaving. It contains no chemical exfoliants, but does contain the physical exfoliant polylactic acid (PLA), also known as Ecoscrub, as well as ingredients like Arnica Montana Flower Extract and Aloe Vera to help soothe and treat your skin with antioxidants and vital nutrients.
Polylactide, or Ecoscrub, is ‘processed’ from the starch of plants such as corn, sugar cane and sugar beet, making it environmentally friendly and sustainable. Within as little as a month, to up to two years, PLA breaks down in the environment.
Ten uses of this scrub is equal to one microdermabrasion – a physical exfoliating treatment performed by a professional aesthetician that will run you $75.00-$200.00 a pop!
Mild, natural chemical exfoliating daily will keep your skin looking and feeling fresh, vibrant, smooth, and healthy. It’s important to find easy, stress-free ways to incorporate exfoliating into your skincare routine. MËNAJI’s complete line of innovative, natural men’s skincare products are designed and formulated to do just that.
Vibrant Skin by MËNAJI
