We won’t deny the benefits of exfoliation for your skin care routine—the instant glow, smoother skin, less hyperpigmentation and fewer fine lines and wrinkles—but it’s easy to get carried away. Here are the signs that you’re indulging in too much of a good thing, and how to exfoliate your skin to get the results you want.

1. You’ve got a permanent blush.

A little flush can be normal after you exfoliate depending on the products you use, but if your skin is constantly red and irritated long after your exfoliation routine, it’s taking on more than it can handle. Using a physical exfoliator like NIA24 Physical Cleansing Scrub just 2-3 times a week is all it takes to shed dull skin cells and get all the benefits without the blush. This scrub features smooth jojoba beads and Pro-Niacin (vitamin B3) to strengthen skin and gently polish away impurities.

2. You struggle with dry, flaky skin.

You’d think that exfoliation would help if you have dry, flaky skin (and it does!) but too much can actually make this problem worse. Skin cells don’t turn over as quickly when we get older and that can lead to rough, scaly skin, but get this—even younger skin cells only turn over every 30 days. If you over-exfoliate to make them go faster, you’ll just end up damaging healthy cells and weakening your skin’s moisture barrier.

Here's how to exfoliate your skin: use a gentle daily exfoliating lotion like Obagi Nu-Derm Exfoderm #4, which also hydrates and protects skin. This lotion absorbs quickly and leaves skin with a silky texture as it helps to lighten hyperpigmentation and smooth fine lines and wrinkles.

3. You’re using too many exfoliating treatments.

So many cleansers, toners, serums and moisturizers provide exfoliating benefits that it’s easy to double or triple up on these ingredients without even noticing! Check the ingredient lists on the products you use to make sure you’re spacing out your exfoliating products and giving your skin a chance to recover. This doesn’t mean that you can’t have more than one exfoliator in your routine—just don’t use them back to back.

NeoStrata Skin Active Perfecting Peel is an ideal once-weekly exfoliating treatment that’s easy to add to your current routine. With a 20% glycolic and citric acid blend and skin soothing ingredients, this peel helps fade dark spots and smooth rough skin texture for a beautiful complexion.

How do you exfoliate your skin? Let us know in the comments below!