Exfoliating Scrub Season: Rescuing a Face That Feels Like Old, Not So Crunchy - Toast

Not always, and anyone who tells you everybody needs a scrub is selling you something (per usual).

• Oily or congested: If you're oily or congested, you're the easiest case. All that extra oil and the gunk stuck in your pores make skin look flat, and a scrub shifts a good chunk of it. You'll probably tolerate it better than most. Probably. It doesn't mean you can go at your nose like it's a burnt saucepan.
• Combination skin: Combination skin should treat the face like two different provinces. Be thorough around the nose, forehead and chin, then be almost apologetic on the cheeks.
• Dry skin: Dry skin can still join in, but slowly. Go for a gentler format, scrub less often than you think you should, and get moisturiser on straight afterwards. Otherwise you'll be tight and flaky by teatime and wondering why you bothered.
• Sensitive skin : Sensitive skin needs a patch test along the jaw first. Keep it short, use less than you think, and don't feel guilty about skipping a week.

And if you're breaking out? Active, angry spots don't want rubbing. I know the urge, believe me. But scrubbing inflamed skin usually just makes it crosser and redder. Gentler product, avoid the sore bits, or leave it altogether until things settle. If it won't settle, see a pharmacist or a dermatologist. They've seen worse than your chin, I promise.

At nineteen I scrubbed with real aggression. I honestly thought redness meant it was working. It meant my skin was begging for mercy.

These days I start with a damp face, lukewarm water, and never dry. Scrubbing dry skin just drags, and drag is the enemy. I take roughly a 10p piece of product, no more, and work it in with light little circles for somewhere between thirty seconds and a minute. If your fingertips go white you're pushing too hard, so lighten up. Let the grains do the job.

Eyes are off limits. That skin is wafer thin and has done nothing to deserve this. Then I rinse properly, again with lukewarm water, because hot water on freshly buffed skin stings like mad. Moisturiser goes on while my face is still a little damp, and the next morning, without fail, sunscreen. Skin that's just been exfoliated burns more easily. Skipping SPF here undoes the entire point, so don't.

One to three times a week is the usual range. I'd begin with once and watch what happens, which is boring advice but good advice. You can always add a session, whereas repairing a stripped skin barrier takes weeks and a lot of patience.

Your face will tell you when you've overdone it, and it's not subtle. Redness that hangs about long after you've rinsed. A tight, squeaky feeling. Stinging from products that normally feel fine, like your usual moisturiser suddenly behaving like lemon juice. Any of that, stop. Mild cleanser, moisturiser, SPF, nothing else for a week or two. Yes, even if you still look dull. Dull sorts itself out. A battered barrier is the real faff.

Plenty of us got put off by chunky, gritty scrubs years ago, the sort that felt like your face was being sanded for a DIY project. If that's you, a gel-based scrub is a much kinder way back in. The texture is slippery and cushiony, so there's more glide and far less of that scraping feeling, and honestly the whole thing just feels less intimidating.

That's the pitch for Lakmē's Gentle Deep Clean Gel Scrubs: a gel feel and a gentle approach, with no sandpaper involved. There are two, and I wouldn't treat them as twins. Pick whichever matches your mood.

The Lakmē Blush & Glow Orange Walnut Gentle Deep Clean Gel Scrub is the one for people who like a bit of pep in their routine. Orange gives it that bright, fresh, wake-me-up feel, and the walnut brings the polish. If your skin runs oily or combination and you want to actually feel something happening, start with this one.

The Lakmē Blush & Glow Green Apple Apricot Gentle Deep Clean Gel Scrub sounds softer and I think it is. Green apple and apricot, fruity and easy-going. I'd hand this to the friend who flinches whenever you say the word "exfoliate". It's a lovely first step if harsh scrubs have burnt you before but you still fancy a gentle nudge for dull skin.

Whichever you go for, the earlier rules still apply. Damp skin, light touch, short session, moisturiser, SPF. A gentle scrub can't save you from a heavy hand.

Scrubs are a must in your skincare routine. You shouldn't sky away from using it. But here are some tips you must take into consideration. Try not to pick at inflamed or active breakouts. You can try to treat the rest of the face but work around these spots if they are bumpy – use a milder treatment instead, if necessary. If you do scrub, do this just once to three times a week (on damp skin) avoiding your eyes. Oily skin usually copes better than drier types such as those that are sensitive, dry or spotty.

Always follow up with a good amount of moisturiser plus some sun protection cream, and stop using the scrub immediately if there's even a slight tingle or a bit of redness after using it.