Exfoliation is an easy process that eliminates dead skin cells from the surface of your body. Most of the time when you exfoliate at home, you use some type of face wash that has tiny, sand-like particles in it. By gently rubbing those particles on your face, helps scrape away dead skin cells and expose newer ones, leaving your skin looking and feeling healthier.

It is actually better to exfoliate your face twice a week, but there are a few factors that could affect how often you should do it. If you have sensitive skin, twice a week might be too much and could cause some skin irritation. Then again, if you live in a warmer climate or your skin is naturally oily, you might have to exfoliate more than twice a week to accommodate a higher accumulation of dead skin cells.

For your body, most health experts agree that two or three times a week is plenty. If your skin is very sensitive, you might prefer to do it less. Remember that the purpose of exfoliating is to remove skin cells that are dead. You shouldn’t have to scrub too hard or too often to make that happen. If you do, you’re likely to take off healthy cells, too, which might leave your skin looking red and feeling sore. Rubbing the particles firmly but gently on your skin in circular motions should be enough to get the job done.

If you over-exfoliate, you could end up doing more harm than good. For some people, exfoliating scrubs might just be too harsh. If that seems to be the case for you, try using a chemical exfoliator containing glycolic acid or salicylic acid. You’ll probably need to use it only once a week. Also, avoid using an exfoliating tool or cleanser near your eyes, as this skin is far too sensitive and doesn’t need exfoliation.

You can use an exfoliating scrub or just combine a regular body wash with a loofah or a washcloth. For an extra burst of energy, try using a salt scrub, which could help with blood flow to your skin and make you look and feel better. Regardless of what you use to exfoliate, your skin might be better off for doing it. Just don’t overdo it. A couple of times a week is plenty — anything more might irritate your skin.

BDST: 1549 HRS, Nov-22, 2014