Exfoliation – everyone’s seemingly favorite step in their skin care routine and the theme for this spring issue. Whether mechanical, chemical, or enzymatic exfoliation, there is something rewarding about removing what no longer serves skin. Out with the old, in with the new! While it can be easy to get carried away with this mantra, it is just as important to educate clients on the importance of exfoliation as it is to speak on the dangers of over-exfoliation. Let the primary educators of this issue be the guide.

The first primary article comes from Face Reality Skincare’s education manager, Alex Hernandez, and it is on all things enzymes and acids. Titled, “Going Deep,” discover the treatment possibilities, including contraindications, at-home exfoliation, and which ingredients best target the most common skin concerns.

Although acids and enzyme treatments have become a practitioner favorite, do not forget about the staple treatment, microdermabrasion. A microdermabrasion machine is an essential tool for a treatment room but selecting the right one requires research. Find out the questions a spa owner should be asking manufacturers and how to go about making this large purchase with the article “Master Machine,” by Adriana Perez-Nakamura.

It is also important to remember that exfoliation goes beyond facial treatments. Dead skin cells are not reserved for the complexion, and spas must have options for clients looking to buff out their body, especially as warmer weather rolls in. Learn how to soften, smooth, and reveal brighter, more radiant skin all over in Amanda Azar Walsh’s article, “Body Work.”

Closing off the theme of exfoliation is the article, “The Ingredient Deck,” written by Courtney Sykes. With aesthetic practitioners becoming more ingredient-savvy every day, many are entering the world of formulation to help them select the best exfoliating products for their spa. Uncover what your ingredient labels are hiding today, starting with this article.

Exfoliation is a topic that DERMASCOPE could dedicate many issues to. In fact, we could have made this issue well over 100 pages. The knowledge our contributors bring to each selected topic is beyond impressive, but it is especially true of this issue.