Exfoliation is often presented as an essential step in a skincare routine. What happens if you don’t do it?

Like many teens in the aughts, I spent most nights dutifully scouring my face with a popular scrub that smelled like apricot and felt like sandpaper. Years later, my nightly routine evolved into smearing my face with various expensive acids. The products were different, but the message was the same: in order to look our best, consumers needed to constantly be exfoliating – stripping off the top, dull layer of skin in order to reveal the glowing epidermis below.

In beauty publications and on social media, exfoliation is often presented as an essential step in a skincare routine. In a column from May, Goop’s beauty director, Jean Godfrey-June, wrote: “I am a huge enthusiast when it comes to exfoliation.” On TikTok, videos claim it’s a necessity. “Why you NEED to exfoliate 1-2x a week,” says one. “POV: You need to exfoliate 2-3x a week!!” says another.