Many mechanical exfoliation products contain round beads that may be made of synthetic polymers, jojoba beads or even bamboo beads. Mechanical beads create friction, essentially removing dead cells by ‘scrubbing’ them from the skin’s surface.

If your skin is sensitive, prone to acne break outs, or you suffer from a skin condition such as rosacea, you will be better off using a mild mechanical product with round-shaped beads as they are less irritating than scrubs containing rougher products such as apricot kernels or almond shells.

Almost every skin care brand has a mechanical face exfoliator in their range.