Exfoliation???

[Kelly]

So this seems way more complicated to me than it should be. Maybe I am missing something obvious.

The goal is to remove the dead skin on top. There are all kinds of sponges, scrubbers, cotton balls. All kinds of agents containing exotic abrasive material.

What do these things do that a plain old face cloth and some soap don't do?

[DonnaT]

Remove the dead skin.

Even the nylon net scrubbers don't remove what a good exfoliater will.

[Davita]

Remember the object is to remove dead skin. You want to clean out the pores, help ingrown hairs pop out, and a few other things. Irritating the skin doesn't help it nor does killing more of it. The milder the solution that accomplishes the task(s), the better.

BTW, our bodies have always had dead skin so don't be thinking it's bad to have it. You are wanting to look fresh and clean and shiny new now and then; don't over do it.

[Kelly]

Ok, the tacit statement is that a wash cloth and facial soap is not abrasive enough to scrape off the dead skin. You need something like ground nut shells or pummes or a rougher kind of application devices. I have a hard time buying that, cause my wash cloth seems more abrasive than the brushes or nylon scrubs. But, if that is what works ok.

Alright, then why do I have to pat dry rather than rub with a towel?

[I'm trying not to be difficult here, really. It just doesn't seem to make sense].

Kelly.

[DonnaT]

Alright, then why do I have to pat dry rather than rub with a towel?

You don't have to. I don't anyway.
If you read fiction, a number of the stories talk about patting dry instead of rubbing. It's fiction, IMHO.

[Davita]

I did a simple google and asked what is the difference between patting and rubbing dry. The first find was yahoo answers. Rubbing irritates and patting doesn't. I know that when I rub hard enough with a towel to act as an exfoliator, I do get red. It's hard to get red patting.

So many myths... so many answers.....