Exfoliant

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A product that helps clear away dead skin cells while promoting skin renewal and improving overall texture by removing surface impurities
2. A material applied to the skin to slough off dead cells and reveal smoother skin underneath
3. An agent used in skincare to eliminate the outer layer of dead skin, enhancing the skin's appearance and feel

Etymology: "Exfoliant" is built on "exfoliate," so its history is really the history of that verb with one extra suffix attached. "Exfoliate" comes from Latin "exfoliare," formed from "ex-" (out, away) and "folium" (leaf). The original picture is literal: a plant shedding its leaves, or a tree stripping off its bark in layers, which is why the verb also fits thin peeling sheets of stone or skin. The English verb developed its medical sense over time, applied to skin peeling away in flakes, and the noun "exfoliant" follows the familiar pattern of agent nouns made with "-ant," naming the thing that does the action. A product that performs the action is therefore an exfoliant, just as a deodorant deodorises or a lubricant lubricates.

Synonyms: scrub, peel, cleanser