What Are Exfoliating Gloves, and Do They Work?
The gloves look similar to tanning mitts, and you wear them over your hands. To use them, you rub the gloves over the body parts you want to exfoliate, oftentimes after soaking in a tub, which typically results in visible skin shedding.
But do exfoliating gloves actually work? They should, according to Kathleen C. Suozzi, MD, director of aesthetic dermatology at Yale Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.
Dr. Suozzi says that there are two ways to exfoliate the skin: chemically with topical acids, or mechanically (sometimes referred to as physically) with scrubs in the form of washes or tools such as sponges or brushes. “Exfoliating gloves are made from fabrics that are designed to remove dead skin cells with gentle mechanical abrasion,” she says.
Additionally, exfoliating gloves are designed to instantly remove the top layer of dead skin cells from the epidermis, says Howard Sobel, MD, a clinical attending cosmetic dermatologic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. He adds that because they conveniently fit onto the hands, it becomes easier to access to hard-to-reach areas, like the back and shoulders, the bikini area, and the heels and toes. Essentially, the tool makes “thorough body exfoliation easy, quick, and mess-free,” he says. “It’s almost like a dry rub spa treatment that you can do at home.”
Exfoliating gloves are also great multitaskers: Dr. Sobel suggests adding your cleanser or shower gel to the glove to wash and exfoliate simultaneously. Once any dead skin is removed, your moisturizer will penetrate the skin, providing improved hydration, as the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) notes.
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