Flake It Till You Make It: Why Flaking is Necessary for Rejuvenation

It’s the beginning of a new year. Maybe you’re starting a new skin care regimen. Maybe you’re moving up to the next level of your regimen. Seems like a good time to review the basics about what to expect when using dermatological products, or as we like to call them, products that work.

The question we are asked most often from people using our products for the first time is “Why is my skin flaky?” Let’s start there. If your skin is flaking, all is right with the world. Your skin is acclimating. You may also notice some tightness or itching. Your skin may feel dry or appear rosy and pink. These are the signs of cellular regeneration and real change in your skin. They are normal, expected, and necessary; crucial, in fact, for generating healthy new cells, clearing impactions, lifting excess pigment, and diminishing fine lines.

Skin cells mature, rise to the surface, and are shed away in a period of about 30 days. Vivant products are formulated to accelerate that process with transformative ingredients that work deep in the dermis. Vitamin A propionate, the patented ingredient in Vivant’s vitamin A therapies, speeds cell turnover from 30 to about 14 days.

Our mandelic acid serums are also formulated to lightly exfoliate and gently accelerate cell turnover. Benzoyl peroxide is a keratolytic agent, which means it creates a controlled peel in the skin, a necessary component in clearing and retexturing.

What all these cell regenerators have in common is the rapid renewal that results in the flaking that you see. It’s the sign that your products are working. You can’t get to where you want to be without some of these signs of acclimation occurring.

Without exfoliation, dead skin cells build up on the surface of skin and block the moisture barrier, making fine lines appear more visible, and keeping your products from delivering their effective ingredients. Exfoliating removes the dead skin cells allowing moisture into the skin and enhancing absorption of products. Ultimately, more exfoliation equals more moisture and better results from products such as vitamin A correctors, sun protectants, and hydrators. Using products immediately after washing will also help to seal in moisture.

When you see the micro flakes on the surface of your skin, it’s easy to think your skin is excessively dry, but unless your skin feels uncomfortable or irritated, push on. (If your skin is stinging or inflamed, back off to once a day every other day and gradually ramp back up to daily usage.) Use one of Vivant’s exfoliating scrub cleansers to help loosen and lift the flakes.

If your skin is naturally dry, you will notice improvement sooner than people with oily skin because dry skin has more dead skin cells on the surface, so it will exfoliate faster.

Within four to six weeks, the signs of acclimation will disappear while firmness, texture, and tone are improved. Your skin will feel renewed, softer, more elastic, hydrated, and resilient.

Don’t fear the flake.