Estheticians, here’s how to avoid over-exfoliating and address over-exfoliation damage.

Today’s skincare market is fueled by a “more is more” culture. Skincare brands, influencers, and wannabe-viral routine videos layer on the maximalism pressure almost as thick as their products. Your clients see “10-step routines” and “shelfies” that put flashy acids first and skin barriers dead last. Knowing this, it’s easy to see why over-exfoliation damage is one of the leading problems estheticians are observing across the country.

But exfoliating too much can happen faster than we think—even to licensed estheticians.

From the Field: Skin Irritation After Exfoliating

Take licensed esthetician Lesley Charles of Coco’s Haus of Esthetics, for example. While recording a routine cleansing video, Charles felt her skin becoming tender and saw it break out in swelling and welts, some common signs of over-exfoliation. She racked her brain for answers: Did she miss a step? Where did she go wrong?

Then Charles realized her mistakes. First, she’d neglected to track her retinol use and exfoliated too soon after. Second, she’d mixed two different types of exfoliants and didn’t give her skin sufficient time to recover in between.

At first, Charles was hesitant to post the video. She felt she “should’ve known better as a licensed esthetician” and was afraid for her skin’s outcome after exfoliating too much.

Ultimately, she decided to post it for the same reason we decided to share it here: It’s a great learning opportunity to explore what happens if you exfoliate too much (and how easily it can happen).

“I’ve seen a lot of clients in my treatment room looking for solutions and not realizing that, most of the time, it’s not the actual product, but user error. It happens!” Charles said in her Instagram post. “With skincare, if you’re just slapping products on your skin and not knowing what and why, then your journey isn’t going to be the best. I understand introducing new products into your routine can be exciting, and you’re ready to see the results. But this is a gentle reminder that slow and moderate is key.” 

Why Exfoliation Matters in Skin Care

More estheticians and consumers reading up on the dangers of over-exfoliation damage. Nevertheless, face exfoliators can be a beneficial skincare step for those looking to improve acne or texture.

According to Premier Dermatology Partners, exfoliation can help by mechanically (manually, like with a textured surface or scrubbing product) or chemically (like with exfoliating acids and retinoids) removing dead skin cells before they naturally fall off the skin’s surface. 

People can exfoliate at home, with the assistance of a dermatologist, or with some estheticians, depending on the state you live in and the scope of services you’re licensed to perform. (Explore the differences in scope between estheticians and dermatologists in our past article.) 

Aside from aesthetic appeal, technically exfoliation isn’t required. If you never exfoliated, your skin would look dryer and flakier and have a bumpier texture, says Rachel Reynolds, MD, in a Harvard Health article.

When It’s Helpful: Acne, Dullness, Aging

But if someone is visiting an esthetician, odds are they’re interested in the aesthetic benefits of exfoliation. The primary benefits include fighting acne, alleviating dullness, and diminishing signs of aging.

More specifically, according to Premier Dermatology Partners, removing old skin cells can help:

• Prevent acne breakouts.
• Promote smoother and brighter complexion.
• Reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and sun damage.
• Improve the effectiveness of other skincare products.

But before you and your clients start signing “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! smooth skin after midnight,” take caution. If you go too ham, too fast, exfoliating too much can create over-exfoliation damage. (Then they’ll be singing “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! my barrier back tonight.”)

To protect your clients, let’s discuss what happens if you exfoliate too much and signs of over-exfoliation.

What happens if you exfoliate too much?

Exfoliating too much removes too many of the good bacteria and oils necessary to keep a healthy microbiome, Colette Brown writes for Skin Inc. This compromises the skin barrier. 

What does over exfoliated skin look like? Brown, a licensed clinical esthetician, and Beauty Med Inc. describe several side effects of over-exfoliation, including:

• Irritation, like a bumpy rash from exfoliating.
• Prolonged redness.
• Dehydration.
• Micro lesions.
• Dry, flaky patches.
• Excessive oil production.
• Skin that feels tight.
• Acne.
• Lost elasticity.

Can over-exfoliating cause acne?

Yes, over-exfoliating can cause breakouts by weakening the skin’s natural defenses. 

When the microbiome is weak, it’s easier for acne-causing bacteria to bypass these defenses. It’s worse when you excessively exfoliate active acne, writes Beauty Med Inc. Moreover, the inflammation that stems from over-exfoliation can prevent active acne from healing, which creates more breakouts, Beauty Med Inc. explains. 

Lastly, exfoliating too much can lead to an overproduction of sebum, a naturally secreting oil in skin, clogging pores even further, CeraVe says.

Key Signs of Over-Exfoliation to Look Out For

As an esthetician, you likely spend a good amount of time trying to undo the damage of clients overdoing their exfoliation. Because you know too much of a good thing isn’t necessarily a good thing. 

By watching for signs of over-exfoliation damage, you can hopefully intervene and teach them how to prevent over-exfoliating. Alternatively, if you’ve accidentally been exfoliating them too much, watching for signs can help you pivot as needed.

Here are a few red flags to watch for.

1. They report burning.

First, clients might report over-exfoliated skin burning, stinging, or turning red when you apply other products, even moisturizer and sunscreen.

“That is a sign that that top, protective layer has gotten over-exfoliated and is not able to protect you as well from things getting into the skin. You have heightened neurosensory responses to otherwise innocuous things,” said dermatologist @DrDrayzday in her YouTube video.

They may also report more sensitivity to the sun and cold wind, especially if they live in colder, dryer climates, she said. Their skin is likely more vulnerable to UV rays, too, and the damage that may follow.

2. They’ve noticed more breakouts.

If your clients’ acne is getting worse, not better, they might be overdoing the exfoliation.

“An increased number of acne breakouts is probably one of the most common issues around over-exfoliating. Because you end up losing a lot more water from the skin. That causes dryness, impaired moisture barrier function, and ultimately that’s going to lead to a lot more irritation that flairs the acne,” @DrDrayzday explains in her video.

Your customers probably don’t know this is a sign of over-exfoliation. Or if they do, they may not know how to fix it. As a result, they’ll probably assume that particular product isn’t working and introduce something else: new chemical exfoliants, a new exfoliating face cleanser, or a new serum after exfoliating. In doing so, the cycle of exfoliating too much and over-exfoliation damage continues to escalate.

3. Their skin looks or feels more oily.

As over-exfoliated skin continues to overcompensate with sebum production, breakouts won’t be the only red flag. Their skin might look shinier or feel more oily than it did before.

4. Their skin looks or feels dryer.

On the flip side, another sign of a compromised skin barrier from exfoliating too much is skin that looks or feels dehydrated.

Your clients may complain about skin feeling tight, no matter how much product they layer on. You might also notice patches where the skin is peeling or flaking.

5. Visible signs of skin aging, hyperpigmentation, and texture become more noticeable.

Irritation from over-exfoliating can also make pre-existing hyperpigmentation worse, @DrDrayzday says. This is especially important for clients with deeper skin tones, as they’re more prone to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Similarly, texture and signs of skin aging like fine lines may also become more obvious—the opposite of what clients expect from exfoliation. That’s because a damaged skin barrier loses water more easily than a healthy barrier, @DrDrayzday explains. 

Like with breakouts, people may not realize that worsening texture or wrinkles is a sign of over-exfoliation. Luckily, as their esthetician, your intervention can hopefully help break the cycle.

How to Help Patients Exfoliate the Right Way

No esthetician wants to wait until visible over-exfoliation damage before steering clients in the right direction. Ideally, you’ll want to teach them how to avoid over-exfoliating in the first place.

Whether someone is already in the over-exfoliation deep end or they’ve just started learning, you can help. We recommend helping them create a routine for their skin type and knowing when it’s time for a dermatologist.

Building a Routine That Supports Skin Health

You can discuss common mistakes all day long. But if you’re teaching clients or new esthis how to prevent over exfoliating, actionable steps are the way to go. One important step is to help them create a routine best suited to their skin type. 

Help them determine their skin type and tolerance, Invigorate Spa suggests on their blog. You might teach them about common exfoliator ingredients so you can suggest mechanical or chemical exfoliants best suited to their skin’s sensitivity and needs. 

Set a rule for how often to exfoliate, teach them how to track their exfoliation (including retinols) so they have ample recovery time, prioritize good hydration and sunscreen, and warn them to be gentle. And equally important, take into account their climate, current products, and pre-existing conditions like eczema.

If they’re familiar with the dangers of over-exfoliation and have a written schedule to follow, they can avoid common mistakes from the get-go. 

Supporting Skin Recovery and Repair

What should be included in a barrier-repair routine post-over-exfoliation?

If their skin is already damaged from exfoliating too much, take a step back to help their skin recover. The client may feel frustrated with their lack of progress at first. But it’s an essential step toward breaking the cycle and achieving lasting progress in the future. 

Encourage your client to stop all exfoliation while their barrier recovers. You might even teach them how to recognize irritating or exfoliator ingredients that could accidentally cause further damage, like urea at certain concentrations, @DrDrayzday‬ suggests. 

Then teach them what to use after over-exfoliating. For example, recommend simple routines and gentle, limited-ingredient cleansers and moisturizing products to aid repair, Invigorate Spa writes.  

Additionally, @DrDrayzday shares a warning: If your skin barrier is impaired from overexfoliating, don’t put away the cleanser. You still need to cleanse, especially because a damaged barrier lets in dirt and impurities more easily, she says. But consider warning them to cleanse daily instead of twice daily, and to use lukewarm water, not hot water. Adding a humidifier to your bedroom can support recovery while you sleep, as well, she suggests.

When It’s Time for a Stronger Intervention

If you’ve recommended a simple, gentle skincare routine and their symptoms go unchanged (or get worse), refer your client to a dermatologist.

You might spend a few weeks to a month advising them on how to heal over-exfoliated skin. But if the stinging persists, if they’re showing signs of skin infection, pre-existing conditions like eczema get worse, or if you can’t relieve the client’s pain within your scope as an esthetician, they need to see a doctor.

Insurance: Your buffer when exfoliation rubs clients the wrong way.

You’ve educated your clients about the dangers of exfoliating too much. You’ve taught them about best practices and common mistakes to avoid. You’ve even helped them create a schedule to track their products and avoid overexfoliating. But they still accuse you of leading them astray. Indeed, dealing with unhappy clients is a big con of being an esthetician.

With WellnessPro’s esthetician liability insurance, you have real peace of mind against accidents tied to the products you use and missteps from your esthetician practice. Because we believe your personal defense should be stronger than your strongest skin barrier.

To get started, complete our online app in just 15 minutes.