Dealing with Dead Skin:
Causes and Care Routine
What are
DEAD SKIN CELLS?
Dead skin is a natural part of your body’s renewal process. Dead cells often show up as rough, dry, or flaky patches on the outermost skin layer. In more severe cases, a build-up can lead to calluses, especially on the soles of your feet. Using different exfoliation techniques can help your skin shed effectively.
After exfoliation, dead skin cells usually have a greyish hue and a flaky appearance.
This article covers the causes of dead skin cells, followed by a skincare routine for your face and easy homemade remedies to remove dead skin cells on your body. Finally, it shares some recommended ingredients you can add to your routine to help get rid of dead skin cells.
How does
DEAD SKIN OCCUR?
Over a cycle of about 28 to 42 days, your skin cells move from the middle layer (dermis) to the outer layer (epidermis) and naturally shed, revealing newer ones underneath. This cycle allows your skin to restore itself and replace damaged tissue. But sometimes these dead cells don't fall off the way they should, which leads to a build-up that can trigger skin problems.
10 Causes of
DEAD SKIN
Here are 10 reasons why dead skin doesn't always shed properly:
- Age
As you age, skin cell renewal slows down, which means slower shedding and reduced oil production, causing dryness and build-up.
- Inadequate cleansing
Irregular or improper cleansing can keep dead skin cells on the surface for longer by leaving oils and cosmetics sitting on your skin.
- Incorrect exfoliation
You only need to exfoliate once or twice a week, not every day. Exfoliation speeds up the shedding process, allowing new skin cells to come through.
- Moisturiser misuse
Using the wrong moisturiser, or not using enough, can leave your skin dehydrated and trap dead skin cells on the surface.
- Weather and climate
Dry environments and indoor heating can really dry your skin out, which encourages dead skin cell build-up.
- Sun exposure
Unprotected exposure to UV rays can cause dryness, dark spots, and a thickening of the top layer of your skin.
- Hot showers and baths
Very hot showers and baths can damage your skin’s natural moisture barrier. As a result, your skin becomes less effective at fighting dry skin. This can create a build-up of unwanted dead skin cells.
- Harsh soaps
Aggressive soaps can strip away your skin's natural oils, causing dryness and build-up, especially on more delicate facial skin.
- Swimming pools
Chlorine in swimming pools can irritate and dry out your skin, leading to more dead skin cells.
- Other skin conditions
Other skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema, are also prone to causing dead skin. (If you think you may have one of these conditions, it's best to get advice from a medical professional or your GP.)
How to remove
DEAD SKIN
Depending on the part of your body and your skin type, you should choose techniques and products that help you get rid of dead skin in a gentle but effective way.
1. Cleanse
Cleansing properly and removing all the excess particles, makeup, and pollutants that build up on your skin during the day is really important. A good cleanse helps your skin stay clear, healthy, and radiant. If you skip this step or rush it, your skin can be more vulnerable to breakouts, dehydration, and early signs of ageing.
Cleansing your face before you exfoliate is also helpful because it opens up your pores.
The NIVEA Clear Up Wash Gel, enriched with Salicylic Acid and Niacinamide, deeply cleanses the skin by removing excess oil and clearing out the pores. The range is mainly designed for blemish-prone skin, and isn't advised for sensitive skin.
2. Exfoliate
There are 2 ways you can exfoliate your skin to remove dead cells:
- Chemical Exfoliation: the gentler exfoliation method, which dissolves dead skin instead of brushing it away.
The Clear Up Chemical Exfoliator is enriched with Salicylic and Glycolic Acids to stimulate the removal and renewal of old and damaged skin cells. The product is designed for blemish-prone skin and isn't recommended for sensitive skin.
- Mechanical Exfoliation: in contrast to chemical exfoliation, mechanical exfoliation removes dead skin physically. This technique can involve using a soft brush or a washcloth to gently rub in circles on your face. It tends to work best on normal to oily skin types and can be harsher than chemical exfoliation. If you have dry or sensitive skin, it's better to avoid mechanical exfoliation.
For a men's skincare routine, NIVEA MEN offers Protect & Care Face Cleansing Scrub infused with Provitamin B and Aloe Vera, which can be used to unclog pores and smooth the skin’s appearance by lifting off dead skin cells.
NIVEA also offers a range of scrubs and exfoliators, including the Pore Purifying 3-in-1 Wash Scrub Mask, infused with Kaolin to remove daily impurities and deeply cleanse the skin. The product is based on a vegan formula to suit your skin’s needs.
3. Serum
Serums contain a higher concentration of active ingredients and are able to reach deeper into the skin's surface for better and faster results.
NIVEA offers a range of serums to tackle different concerns such as anti-ageing, dark spots and dry skin. The Cellular Expert Filler Replumbing Hyaluronic Acid Serum is an advanced solution to help you bounce back signs of ageing, keep your skin hydrated and support cell regeneration.
4. Hydration (day/night cream)
Because dryness can cause dead skin, hydration is a crucial step in your skincare routine. You want to nourish your skin with the right ingredients, depending on your skin type.
NIVEA offers day creams and night creams to include in your skincare routines, with products for all skin types. Both ranges are designed to make sure every skin type is cared for with carefully formulated creams.
5. SPF (morning)
In your morning routine, it's important that you finish with an SPF. UV rays can be very harmful to your skin, damaging the cells on the skin’s surface and increasing the chance of dead skin building up.
How to remove
DEAD SKIN ON THE BODY
Using a natural body scrub together with a brush, sponge, or glove is one of the most effective ways to get rid of dead skin cells from the surface of your body. Giving your skin a thorough but gentle scrub removes dead cells and also promotes blood flow.
Arms and legs
Using a brush, sponge, or glove to exfoliate your arms and legs is the easiest method. This can boost circulation and help remove dead skin cells.
The NIVEA Rich Nourishing Body Lotion is enriched with Almond Oil and Vitamin E, providing 48 hours of deep moisture and leaving a non-greasy, healthy-looking finish on your skin.
Feet and hands
You can use a pumice stone to scrub and help remove hard skin on your feet.
Spend about 10 minutes soaking any area of skin that has toughened in warm water. This makes it easier to scrub off dead skin cells by softening them. Then exfoliate your skin with a gentle body scrub that suits your skin type to eliminate the dead skin cells. After drying your skin, nourish it with a body lotion.
Dead skin
Causes: Dead skin cells are natural and occur due to a number of factors such as age, weather and climate, sun exposure, inadequate cleansing and more.
Solutions: To remove dead skin, you can follow a simple skincare routine that should help make your skin more radiant by allowing the fresh, new skin underneath to breathe.
Best ingredients: AHAs and BHAs are very effective ingredients to help with dead skin removal.
Home remedies to
REMOVE DEAD SKIN CELLS
- Coffee scrub
Coffee grounds make an effective exfoliant for removing dead skin cells. Additionally, coffee has a lot of Flavonols, which enhance the texture of the skin and maintain the glow when applied straight to the skin.
- Oatmeal scrub
All skin types can benefit from oatmeal's gritty and granular texture for removing dead skin. Along with excess sebum and other impurities, it helps lift away any dead skin that has built up.
- Orange peel powder
All you need to do to use orange peels as an effective exfoliant is to keep them and let them dry in the sun for a few days. Then pop the dehydrated orange peels into a blender to grind them into a fine powder and store this in a sealed bag. An orange peel scrub can help make your complexion look fresher and more youthful by removing impurities as well as dead skin cells.
- Gram flour
Gram flour, often known as besan, is another product you might easily find in your kitchen cupboard. Gram flour helps to exfoliate your skin, leaving it smooth and radiant. Using besan can also help remove excess oil if you have oily skin.
- Dry brushing
Dry brushing is another way to remove dead skin cells effectively. By using a dry brush on your skin, you can gently loosen dead skin cells and help open up your pores. This way, you clear away the dead skin and give your natural glow a chance to shine through again.
What are the best ingredients
TO REMOVE DEAD SKIN
Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs)
Plant-based AHAs like citric acid, glycolic acid, malic acid and lactic acid help remove dead skin cells, especially on dry to normal skin types.
AHAs work by targeting the adhesive bonds that hold skin cells together, which leads to a smoother renewal of fresh skin.
Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs)
BHAs like salicylic acid exfoliate from deep within the pores, making them suitable for oily, combination and acne-prone skin.
If a build-up of dead skin cells is causing breakouts and blemishes for you, then NIVEA Clear Up could help you address these concerns. Concentrated with niacinamide, salicylic acid and glycolic acid, these products are designed to support you in removing dead skin cells and preventing new blemishes from appearing. Just note that the Clear Up range isn't recommended if you have sensitive skin conditions.
Dead skin removal
at a glance
Dead skin cells are natural and part of your skin’s regeneration process. However, they do have an impact on how your skin looks and feels, and it can be very beneficial to help your skin by removing excess dead skin cells. The most common causes of dead skin cell build-up are skin ageing, inadequate cleansing and environmental conditions. A consistent skincare routine for both your face and body is therefore important, with a focus on cleansing, exfoliation, serum application, hydration and sun protection. You can also consider simple home remedies for dead skin cell removal, as well as the benefits of Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) and Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs) when you're tackling dead skin.
FAQs
