How To Exfoliate Using a Body Glove

The idea of sloughing away dead skin cells, revealing a smooth, radiant body complexion underneath, isn’t just enticing — it’s a key component of a healthy body skincare routine, when done correctly. The key considerations? These five components, gifted from the ancient wisdom of hammam and Mediterranean-style bathing:

1. Ensuring skin is warm and pores are open

2. Preparing skin with a protective cleanser 

3. Choosing & preparing the right glove for your skin

4. Exfoliating no more than 1-2 times weekly

5. Nourishing and protecting newly uncovered skin 

 

Skin temperature 

Ensuring the skin is warm during exfoliation is crucial for several reasons. Warmth opens up pores, making it easier for exfoliants to penetrate and effectively remove dead skin cells. Exfoliating warm, softened skin also reduces the risk of irritation and microtears that cold or dry skin might experience during exfoliation.

Preparing for exfoliation

Exfoliation is a lot like shaving, and just like you wouldn’t take a razor to bare skin, exfoliating without a protectant increases the risk of irritation. But it’s a delicate balance since thick moisturizers hinder the exfoliation process.  Exfoliating prep products, like the saponified olive oil found in Mediterranean bathhouses, walk the line between soaps and emollients. They’re part cleanser that helps unbind dead skin cells so they can be lifted away and part protectant that provides a barrier between the exfoliating mechanism and the new skin layers that will be revealed — and they’re an absolute must for anyone exfoliating regularly (or at all). 

Choosing & preparing the right glove

Exfoliating body gloves come in a variety of fabric strengths from gentle to more thorough. It’s always recommended to start with a gentler glove and see how your skin responds before moving on to deeper exfoliating gloves. Our Exfoliating Body Glove sets includes options for gentle and deep exfoliation and is the first glove to be Microbiome-Friendly certified, meaning its use doesn’t disrupt your skin’s natural balance. When it comes to body glove exfoliation, the glove needs to be soaked and warmed so it’s soft and pliable before you begin scrubbing. Nothing should be stiff, dry or abrasive for healthy exfoliation.

Weekly cadence

• Over-exfoliation is a common mistake that can lead to irritation and damage to the skin's protective barrier. Exfoliation frequency depends on your skin's tolerance, but most people find a weekly body exfoliation practice to be sufficient, as is done in hammam. Some people can tolerate twice a week. Adjust the frequency based on how your skin responds, and listen to its signals. If you notice redness, flakiness, or increased sensitivity, scale back on exfoliation.

Nourishing & protecting skin 

Newly uncovered skin requires care to maintain its radiance. In hammam, the first treatment for freshly exfoliated skin is a clay mask that furthers the cleansing practice by pulling impurities out of pores for optimized skin glow. Moisturizing with oils rich in nourishing phytochemicals helps to lock in moisture and support the skin’s barrier function. Importantly, sun protection is a must always, but especially for recently renewed skin. 

The hammam ritual and ancient Mediterranean bathing practices uniquely understood the proper way to exfoliate, solidifying a weekly schedule and incorporating the often skipped component of warming skin and preparing it and protecting it during the exfoliation process. Explore our 4-step hammam-inspired Body Cleansing Ritual, including our innovative Pre-Exfoliating Foam and Microbiome-Friendly certified Exfoliating Body Glove.