I finally gave up on physical exfoliants after realizing how much damage I was doing
For years, I was convinced that gritty scrubs were the only way to get smooth skin, and I'd use them almost daily. My face always felt raw and looked irritated, but I just thought that was part of the process... Then I read about how micro-tears can compromise your barrier and switched to a chemical exfoliant twice a week. The difference is night and day, my skin is actually healing now instead of constantly being aggravated. Sometimes the gentler approach is the real game-changer.