Ever wonder how some people seem to have that perfect, glowing skin? It's no secret or magical potion. It's because they exfoliate. And it's a practice everyone should get in the habit of doing.

Exfoliation is the process of getting rid of the old, dead cells on the outermost surface of your skin. It's been a part of men and women's skin care routines for centuries, beginning with the ancient Egyptians, and it's been proven to play a dramatic role in achieving younger skin.

Your Skin's Life Cycle

Your skin is constantly regenerating itself. New skin cells are created in the dermis (the lower layer of the skin). Over time, these skin cells work their way to the surface and die. These dead cells are constantly shedding and the entire cycle repeats itself.

However, some of the cells have a hard time leaving the skin. Dirt and oil trap these cells on the skin's surface, causing your face to look dull, your pores to look larger and your wrinkles to appear deeper.

The longer these dead cells build upon each other, the greater chance you have for clogged pores and acne. The longer the pores are clogged, the less likely they are to shrink back down to a smooth and flawless appearance.

Why Your Skin Needs Help

The amount of time it takes your skin to regenerate has everything to do with your age. As babies, the skin usually renews itself in 14 days, needing little to no help to shed dead cells and replace them with new, healthy skin.

In fact, the skin continues to do a pretty good job at restoring itself until you hit 30. It's at this time that your skin's life cycle begins to slow, causing more flaws to appear on the skin's surface. By the time you hit 50, your skin takes nearly 40 days to regenerate, resulting in a rough, uneven, older-looking complexion.

How Exfoliation Works

There are two ways to exfoliate the skin: physical and chemical.

Physical exfoliation involves scrubbing the skin with an abrasive. This abrasive could be a rough cloth or loofah, facial scrubs (with ground-up kernels, nut shells, sugar or salt) or microdermabrasion, which uses an electric-powered sponge and a crystal-based cream to manually remove dead cells.

Physical exfoliation does a good job at sloughing away dry, damaged skin. But it's important not to go overboard. If your abrasive is too rough or if you use it too often, it can lead to skin irritation and damage.

Chemical exfoliation includes cleansers, gels, serums and creams that contain beta hydroxy acids, alpha hydroxy acid or fruit enzymes to loosen the glue-like substance that holds skin cells together, allowing them to shed more easily.

Chemical exfoliation is the best treatment for unclogging large pores, lightening hyperpigmentation and reducing the appearance fine lines and wrinkles.

One of the best chemical exfoliants on the market today is Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. It's a unique powder that activates with water and releases papain, salicylic acid and rice enzymes to remove dead skin cells, shrink pores and smooth away wrinkles.

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant can be purchased online at DermStore.com. They offer Free Shipping on all orders, plus, they're giving away a free travel-size Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant with every $100 Dermalogica purchase while supplies last (enter DTSMFCS at checkout).