Do not even attempt to search for anything about skincare on the internet. You will get loaded down with more garbage then you can imagine.
It means to scrub off the very outer layer, which is composed of dead skin cells. It is done with an abrasive, generally a liquid with a suspension of small particles. Lots of over-the-counter stuff to do this. Dermatologists have more industrial strength methods. Some people think it’s a good idea to do it.
…and some people think it’s a waste of time and money. Especially money. 
Those dead skin cells will be sloughed off naturally anyway–the only thing exfoliation does is makes your skin feel really smooth. Some people think it’s worth paying 20 bucks for special stuff to make their skin feel really smooth.
But there’s no medical reason for it at all. It’s purely for “fun”.
Actually, this sort of question is an ideal candidate for using Google’s ability to limit searches to the .edu domain. That cuts a lot of garbage.
UC Davis has a couple of pretty good pages on exfoliation procedures:
WHAT ARE SOME HOME CARE TREATMENTS FOR REDUCING WRINKLES?
WHAT ARE PROFESSIONAL EXFOLIATION PROCEDURES FOR SKIN WRINKLES?
Slathering acid on your face to make the skin peel has become a very popular home remedy over the last few years. The “alpha hydroxy” that pops up in all the ads is also called Glycolic acid. It’s pretty strong stuff. Malic, citric and tartaric acids are also used to achieve the same effect. Or you can pay a doctor to paint your face with trichloroacetic acid :eek:
I’ll take the wrinkles, please.
I just bought some junk yesterday that contains lactic acid. Don’t forget the lactic acid 
You don’t need some special gunk to exfoliate - a rough washcloth and a bit of scrubbing will do.
As someone who talks to people about exfoliation all damn day, I think I’ll chime in.
I’m working right now in customer service for a large mail-order company that sells products to treat acne. One of the products we well in our acne-fighting kit has an exfoliant. The official reason for this is because skin cells are supposed to cause acne in some people by getting clogged in the pores, and also that exfoliating and cleaning the skin before using acne treatments makes it easier for the chemicals (or whatever) to reach the pores.
The cleanser that we have has little ‘grains’ in it that scrub your face as you wash. Basically you just need to scrub, but this is simply giving people what they need to do it. (Said cleanser also has other anti-acne chemicals in it, so I suppose either way it’s not a total loss.)
Is it needed? Well, I don’t know. I do know that when someone screws up the cleanser such that it does not include those grains, you get a whole bunch of calls from angry people who say the cleanser “isn’t right” and how their face feels wrong. 
Basically, you get smoother skin. I sometimes have to worry about exfoliation on my elbows (less so now than as a teenager, blissfully) because they tend to get a buildup of dead skin, making them rough. It’s not going to hurt me, but they’re nicer if they’re smooth, see?
Moving the thread deeper into IMHO territory - as far as “is it needed” if I don’t exfoliate my skin, it looks greyish. And I’ll look ill. I also am more likely to get acne on various parts of my body. The dead skin will eventually slough off, but it doesn’t do so fast enough.
However, it can be done with a rough washcloth (the really cheap kinds are great for exfoliation), or with a loofah, or the plastic mesh thingies, or anything even slightly abrasive,. The special cleansers with exfoliating beads are nice - but not by any means necessary to do the job, the same is true of acids.
This may sound crazy, but please bear with me. My method of exfoliation is simple, cheap, and effective. I smooth on about a spoonful of Miracle Whip and let it dry on my face and neck. I wait about 20-30 minutes to let it dry and then I gently rub off the gobs of dead skin cells. I’m forty three years old and my skin is smooth and even-colored. I look better now than when I was thirty-three years old. I think the vinegar, eggs, and sugar in the Miracle Whip are a combination of acids that are very effective in exfoliation. Go to www.icompact.com and do a search on “Miracle Whip” in the Skin Care forums. You’ll get a lot of responses, most very positive. Don’t forget to wash your face with a mild cleanser to wash off the excess Miracle Whip and dead skin cells. Oh, and apply sunscreen liberally.
If Miracle Whip does that to your skin, imagine what it does to your digestive tract!
AFAIK, vinegar is the only acid in MW. Although I don’t recommend this, a dilute solution of vinegar would probably defoliate just as well.
Err, I hope you meant exfoliate. Defoliation is what Agent Orange does. You don’t want that on your physog.
I use an oatmeal scrub on my face occasionally–otherwise my skin gets rough and dry. Also use a salt or sugar scrub on my legs during the winter to keep them from getting all dry and itchy.
No need to spend big bucks here: Oatmeal scrub - Blenderize (or just grind between your palms) some oats, add a touch of water, milk, honey, oil (for dry skin), whatever. Scrub very gently and rinse.
Salt/sugar scrub - Add salt or sugar to oil (whatever kind floats your boat, cooking oil will do in a pinch) and scrub legs, feet, etc. A little too rough for the face imo, but some people use it that way.
Best,
karol, soapmaker/natural bodycare enthusiast
I’ve been a slavish user of Retinol and alpha/beta hydroxys for four years now. I’m now 45, and I have not seen any advancing in wrinkles or fine lines.
I also exfolliate using oatmeal, cornmeal or just a plain 'ole washcloth. Every now and again, I use Dead Sea salts ('cos I know what the Boys like). For elbows, heels and dry flakey hands, I use Bag Balm. It’s a lifesaver in the cold winter months.
I don’t necessarily want to bother exfoliating my skin; however, it gets very flaky. I’ve found that the biore strips, which are supposed to remove blackheads (and don’t) do, however, remove extra skin flakes.
20 bucks!? You must have some really highfalutin exfoliants out there in Decatur! I use St. Ives apricot scrub which costs $2.79.
Exfoliating daily really makes a big difference in my skin. I also exfoliate the backs of my arms, because I am prone to back-of-the-arm-bumps (aka keratosis pilaris). I think it depends on the person, though, as some people do not like to exfoliate at all.
Plus it feels good.