Exfoliation has a marketing problem: the word sounds like effort, so the products sold for it tend to feel like sandpaper, and feeling like sandpaper reads as working. Dermatology's version is quieter. Here's the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) guidance, in plain language. Anders doesn't currently sell an exfoliant, so read this as education, not a pitch.
What it actually is
The AAD's definition: "Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells from the outer layer of your skin." That's it. Your skin already sheds these cells on its own — the renewal cycle from how skin actually works — so exfoliating is an assist, not a rescue.
The two methods
Per the AAD: "Mechanical exfoliation uses a tool, such as a brush, pad, or sponge, or a scrub to physically remove dead skin cells. Chemical exfoliation uses chemicals, such as alpha and beta hydroxy acids, to dissolve dead skin cells."
Mechanical is the scrub aisle. Chemical is the acids aisle — and if "alpha hydroxy acid" sounds familiar, that's the family mandelic acid belongs to, the one we're building our next product around. That's a fact about chemistry, not a claim about results.
The rule that matters most
From the AAD: "Generally, the more aggressive the exfoliation, the less often it needs to be done." Intensity and frequency trade off. The common mistake is maxing both — a harsh scrub, daily — which is how exfoliation becomes irritation. The AAD's face-washing guidance is blunter still: "Resist the temptation to scrub your skin because scrubbing irritates the skin."
Their technique advice, if you do exfoliate: "Be gentle to your skin. If you use a scrub or chemical exfoliator, apply the product gently using small, circular motions." And a hard stop: "Never exfoliate if you have open cuts or wounds or if your skin is sunburned."
Who should be most careful
- Darker skin tones. The AAD warns that "more aggressive forms of exfoliation" can lead to "increased pigmentation, or dark spots, on the skin," and advises avoiding strong chemical or mechanical exfoliation "if you have a darker skin tone or notice dark spots on your skin after burns, bug bites or acne breakouts." If that's you, the timeline for those marks is in our dark marks article — months, sometimes longer — which is why not creating them beats treating them.
- Dry, sensitive, or acne-prone skin. The AAD suggests this group "may prefer just a washcloth and a mild chemical exfoliator, as mechanical exfoliation may be too irritating for this skin type."
The AAD's summary rule: "Select an exfoliation method that suits your skin type." Notice what's absent — nobody is told they must exfoliate at all.
The honest part
There is no Anders exfoliant to sell you at the end of this page. The mandelic serum we've written about isn't out yet, and when it is, it will have to make its case on its own label, not by borrowing this article's citations. If your skin is doing fine without exfoliating, "keep doing nothing" is a legitimate reading of the evidence above.
Sources
General education, not medical advice, and not a claim about any Anders product. Ongoing redness, stinging, or irritation from any product is a reason to stop using it — and persistent skin problems are a dermatologist's job.