Facial exfoliation for men: how often and with what

If there's one step of men's skincare that gets done wrong, it's this one. Either you never exfoliate, or you scrub daily with a coarse-grain wash believing that the harsher it feels, the cleaner it gets. Both roads end in the same place: dull skin, visible pores and constant reactivity.

What exfoliation actually does

Your skin renews its cells roughly every four weeks, and that cycle slows with age. Those dead cells pile up on the surface, dull the tone, thicken the texture and clog the pore. Exfoliating clears that layer so skin reflects light again, and so the moisturiser you apply afterwards actually sinks in instead of sitting on top. For a man who shaves, it's also what keeps ingrown hairs off the neck.

Physical or chemical

A physical exfoliant — the gritty kind — works by friction and is the harshest option when the grain is uneven. A chemical one dissolves the bonds between dead cells without any scrubbing, and it's what we recommend in most cases. Salicylic acid is oil-soluble, so it gets inside the pore: unbeatable for oily skin, blackheads or breakout-prone skin. Lactic or mandelic acid is the choice for dry or sensitive skin, very common with Andorra's mountain climate.

How often, by skin type

Oily skin, two or three times a week. Combination, once. Dry or sensitive, every ten to fifteen days. Always at night, never on the same day as retinol, and with sunscreen the next morning — no debate.

If your skin is asking for something deeper, that's where a professional facial in Andorra la Vella comes in: controlled extraction and actives you simply can't replicate at home.

Live it at 357 Hair Gallery

At 357 Hair Gallery (Andorra la Vella) we don't cut hair: we sculpt presence. Book your appointment online in 60 seconds on the website or message us on WhatsApp at +376 666 966. See you soon.