Final answer:
Exfoliants are skin care products that remove dead skin cells using a granular substance. These physically scrub away the stratum corneum, the topmost skin layer of dead, keratin-rich cells, reducing microbial load on the skin and keeping it looking fresh and healthy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of skin care products that remove dead skin cells through physical manipulation using a granular substance are known as exfoliants. These products work by gently scrubbing away the topmost surface of the skin, which is made up of a protective layer of dead, keratin-rich cells known as the stratum corneum.
This topmost layer of skin is important as it provides a tough, resistant barrier against degradation by bacterial enzymes, helping to reduce microbial load on the skin. However, for cosmetic reasons, certain procedures such as exfoliation and microdermabrasion are often used to remove some of this layer to keep the skin looking 'fresh' and healthy.
Exfoliation works similarly to the act of degerming, like handwashing, wherein microbial numbers are reduced on the skin's surface using a mild chemical and gentle scrubbing. Both processes stimulate to an extent, the biological shedding and replacement process of skin cells, as new cells are continually produced in the deeper layers of the skin, pushing older cells upwards where they eventually shed off. In conclusion, exfoliants are the skincare products that use granular substances to effectively remove dead skin cells.
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