Tips for Smoothing & Refining Textured Skin
The truth is that all skin has texture. The airbrushed look you see in magazines and online is unrealistic. But, if your skin is particularly rough, uneven, dull, bumpy, or acne-prone, we’ve got some tips for how to smooth skin texture. Have dry, textured skin that appears crepey? We’ve got you covered, too.
Keep reading as we walk through how to get rid of textured skin and improve smoothness and radiance. We’ll explore:
- How to smooth textured skin with exfoliation
- Skincare for textured skin – what ingredients to look for
- How to get smooth skin texture with DIY remedies
- How to get rid of textured skin with lifestyle habits
- Smooth skin texture product recommendations
Are you ready to get rid of textured skin? Let’s dive in!
Exfoliation Techniques for Textured Skin
Exfoliation is an essential treatment for textured skin. It involves removing dead skin cells and impurities that cling to the skin’s surface and hide inside pores. Exfoliation creates a smooth canvas for the rest of the skincare routine and improves the skin’s appearance, making it look smoother and more refined.
There are two primary types of exfoliation: physical and chemical.
Physical Exfoliation
Physical exfoliation uses a physical abrasive ingredient, such as salt or sugar, to scrub the skin, releasing dead skin, dirt, and other things that clog pores and stick on the skin’s surface. You’ll find physical exfoliants in various face and body scrubs. You can also exfoliate with exfoliating gloves or another gentle abrasive tool.
Chemical Exfoliation
Chemical exfoliation is often a part of the skincare routine for textured skin. It harnesses the power of natural exfoliating chemicals, including hydroxy acids, to remove unwanted cells and impurities from the skin’s outermost layer. It helps clear pores, making them appear smaller, which improves the skin’s texture.
Skincare Ingredients for Smoothing Textured Skin
Textured skin treatments owe their results to the active ingredients in the products. Next, we’ll discuss hydroxy acids, retinol, and hyaluronic acid and why you should use them as part of your skin texture skincare.
Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs)
Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) are a category of natural compounds used to exfoliate and for their texture-smoothing benefits. AHAs “unglue” the bonds that hold dead skin cells on the skin’s surface and in pores. Allowing these cells and impurities to release increases skin turnover, which means new, younger cells take their place. AHAs help to improve the skin’s appearance and minimize pore size.
Examples of AHAs include:
- Glycolic acid
- Lactic acid
- Malic acid
- Tartaric acid
- Citric acid
- Mandelic acid
- Phytic acid
Retinol
Retinol, a form of vitamin A, is a powerful skincare ingredient with anti-aging and skin-smoothing benefits. It’s found in various skincare products for textured skin, including some of our favorites below.
Retinol is used in cosmetic and dermatological treatments because it has profound skin benefits, including:
- Reducing fine lines and wrinkles
- Improving skin hydration
- Brightening skin tone
- Evening skin texture
- Supporting barrier function and skin cell turnover
Read about using hydroxy acids and retinol together in this article.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is another ingredient to look for in skincare to smooth skin. One reason skin may look rough is dehydration, which is common in all skin types. Dry skin makes the skin look more textured and hyaluronic acid can help.
Hyaluronic acid is another natural molecule. It’s identical to the hyaluronic acid made by the body. As a topical agent, it pulls water into the skin and holds it there, plumping the skin and giving it more volume. The result is smoother skin that looks more even and less dull, rough, and lackluster.
DIY Remedies for Textured Skin
Textured, dry skin benefits from many at-home DIY remedies, such as skin brushing, gau sha, or jade rolling to improve lymphatic flow. Additionally, DIY face masks using kitchen ingredients like coconut oil, honey, cucumber, turmeric, and others are popular, affordable, and effective for supporting smooth, even skin.
Cucumber and Mint Mask
Try this simple DIY facial mask when your skin texture needs a pick-me-up. Cucumbers hydrate and cool the skin, and mint is a natural astringent.
Ingredients:
½ small cucumber, finely grated
2 tablespoons mint leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon plain yogurt or/and 1 tablespoon honey
Directions:
Blend the cucumber and mint in a blender. Strain through a sieve or cheesecloth and discard the excess water. Mix in the yogurt or honey (or both). Apply to your face and relax for 15 minutes before washing off.
Lifestyle Changes for Smoother Skin
When it comes to what helps smooth skin texture, you can’t overlook lifestyle and daily habits. In addition to DIY remedies, simple lifestyle swaps and habits can support skin health and appearance. Lifestyle tips include:
- Stay hydrated. In addition to hydrating skincare ingredients, stay hydrated from the inside out by drinking enough water, getting electrolytes, and choosing hydrating foods.
- Use a humidifier. Prevent indoor air from becoming too dry with a humidifier, especially during the winter and in dry climates.
- Eat anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich foods. Upgrade your diet to regularly include a variety of colorful produce, herbs, spices, fish, nuts, and seeds.
- Exercise. Moving your body throughout the day helps improve circulation to the skin.
- Sleep. There’s a reason it’s called beauty sleep!
- Avoid skin irritants. Harsh skincare ingredients, chemicals, and environmental toxins can work against your skincare goals.
Product Recommendations for Textured Skin
Get rid of texture on the face with NassifMD® facial plastic surgeon skincare! Expertly formulated with synergistic active ingredients, these skincare options will help smooth skin texture, improving radiance and confidence.
Cleansers
Cleansing is the first step of every skincare routine, including one focused on textured skin. Use an exfoliating cleanser such as NassifMD® Purifying Glycolic Facial Cleanser to improve skin texture. In a consumer perception study, 96% of users of this face wash agreed their skin looks brighter, smoother, and more even with less noticeable pores. It contains glycolic acid for gentle, natural, chemical exfoliation.
Exfoliants
Whether or not you use a daily exfoliating cleanser, you may consider additional exfoliation a couple of times weekly to target skin texture specifically.
NassifMD® Even, Correct & Renew Retexturizing Pads smooth, even, and brighten the skin, significantly improving its texture after just four weeks of use. The formula contains niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, retinol, and mandelic acid, all of which support smoother texture.
NassifMD® Micro-Spa Radiance Resurfacing Peel is another option to incorporate weekly or twice weekly. This two-step resurfacing peel includes the Radiance Resurfacing Mask with Vitamin C Crystals and Radiance Activating AHA/BHA Gel to unclog pores, promote cellular turnover, and refine the skin’s appearance. Key ingredients include vitamin C, peptides, antioxidants, and hydroxy acids.
Serums
After cleansing and exfoliating, target active ingredients to your clean canvas by using serums. When using multiple serums, layer them from thinnest to thickest. Here are our favorite serums for smoothing textured skin:
- NassifMD® Hydro-Screen with hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and retinol
- NassifMD® Pro Peptide Collagen Serum with beta-glucan, hyaluronic acid, and peptides
- NassifMD® Dermaflect Smart Day Therapy Serum with vitamin C, vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, and mineral complexes
- NassifMD® Night Therapy Serum with plant antioxidants, retinol, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid
- NassifMD® Radiance Brightening Booster Vitamin C Serum with 10% vitamin C, squalene, and antioxidants
Moisturizers
Lock in the benefits of the serums and prepare for makeup on textured skin with a high-quality moisturizer from NassifMD® Skincare. See our full line of moisturizers here.
For moisturizing and smoothing rough texture on the neck and decollete, try NassifMD® Deco-Lift Neck & Decollete Firming and Lifting Complex. It tightens and brightens the skin with peptides, vitamin C, and glycolic acid.
Regarding what to use for textured skin, a healthy lifestyle, DIY remedies, and quality skincare products offering a synergy of active ingredients will transform your skin.
References
- Tang, S. C., & Yang, J. H. (2018). Dual Effects of Alpha-Hydroxy Acids on the Skin. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 23(4), 863.
- Zasada, M., & Budzisz, E. (2019). Retinoids: active molecules influencing skin structure formation in cosmetic and dermatological treatments. Postepy dermatologii i alergologii, 36(4), 392–397.
- Juncan, A. M., Moisă, D. G., Santini, A., Morgovan, C., Rus, L. L., Vonica-Țincu, A. L., & Loghin, F. (2021). Advantages of Hyaluronic Acid and Its Combination with Other Bioactive Ingredients in Cosmeceuticals. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 26(15), 4429.
