exfoliate
Americanverb (used with object)
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exfoliates,
present (3rd person singular)
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exfoliated,
past participle, past
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exfoliating
present participle
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to throw off in scales, splinters, etc.
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to remove the surface of (a bone, the skin, etc.) in scales or laminae.
verb (used without object)
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exfoliates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
exfoliated,
past participle, past
-
exfoliating
present participle
-
to throw off scales or flakes; peel off in thin fragments.
The bark of some trees exfoliates.
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Geology.
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to split or swell into a scaly aggregate, as certain minerals when heated.
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to separate into rudely concentric layers or sheets, as certain rocks during weathering.
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Medicine/Medical. to separate and come off in scales, as scaling skin or any structure separating in flakes.
verb
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(tr) to wash (a part of the body) with a granular cosmetic preparation in order to remove dead cells from the skin's surface
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(of bark, skin, etc) to peel off in (layers, flakes, or scales)
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(intr) (of rocks or minerals) to shed the thin outermost layer because of weathering or heating
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(of some minerals, esp mica) to split or cause to split into thin flakes
a factory to exfoliate vermiculite
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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exfoliatesimple
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exfoliatessimple
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have exfoliatedperfect
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has exfoliatedperfect
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am exfoliatingprogressive
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are exfoliatingprogressive
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is exfoliatingprogressive
-
have been exfoliatingperfect progressive
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has been exfoliatingperfect progressive
Past
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exfoliatedsimple
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had exfoliatedperfect
-
was exfoliatingprogressive
-
were exfoliatingprogressive
-
had been exfoliatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of exfoliate
First recorded in 1605–15; from Late Latin exfoliātus, past participle of exfoliāre “to strip off leaves”; see origin at ex- 1, foliate
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I have this silicone exfoliant pad that I will use to fully exfoliate my body.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2025
Dee also combines the treatments with high-grade medical skin care to exfoliate dead skin cells and use serums to stimulate collagen and elastin.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 24, 2023
Over-the-counter salicylic acid peels, can help exfoliate away at least some of the hyperpigmentation.
From Slate ● Nov. 5, 2022
These are like facial masks for your feet, and many make lofty promises to remove calluses, exfoliate your skin and make your feet feel smoother and softer.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 19, 2022
Here are pieces of rails along which the wheels of locomotives have slidden; the granules have yielded and become plates; they exfoliate or come off in leaves.
From The Glaciers of the Alps Being a narrative of excursions and ascents, etc. by John Tyndall
“If you don’t like ‘Crazy,’ there’s something wrong with you,” Lenae says as a pedicurist exfoliates her feet in a West Hollywood hotel room.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2025
The spa’s most popular body treatment is the Honey Glow Body Wrap, which exfoliates your entire body in a warm wrap of honey.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 29, 2021
She demonstrates how to apply a cleanser to the nubs and how to move the buzzing device around your face as it exfoliates and removes dirt.
From Slate ● Apr. 25, 2019
The tree looks enough like its American parent that it is frequently mistaken for a sycamore, as both have smooth grayish brown bark, which exfoliates to reveal a tan or pale green trunk beneath.
From New York Times ● Dec. 22, 2016
When heated before the blowpipe, the mineral exfoliates, owing to loss of water, and on this account was named apophyllite by R.J.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 3 "Apollodorus" to "Aral" by Various
After addressing structural problems such as loss of adhesion and exfoliated paint, the restorers then used reversible techniques -- including watercolour paint -- to "stitch" everything back together, she said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
The cavities were created using focused ion beam milling in thick, mechanically exfoliated Bi2Te3 flakes.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 24, 2026
For 45 minutes, a “Q-facial” machine sprayed, vacuumed, exfoliated and hydrated my face, delivering ultrasonic waves at two different depths.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025
Once my feet were soaked and clipped, she exfoliated the tops of my feet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2022
“Yeah. I have five humongous bug bites on my legs and arms, my butt crack has been thoroughly exfoliated with sand, I’m hungry, exhausted, and I haven’t seen a ship anywhere.”
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
She starts by using an exfoliating mitt to apply an oil-based Nerra cleanser and follows with Prequel’s Gleanser, a hydrating, glycerin-based wash that she also uses on her face.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
They swirled hand-muddled blueberries and raw honey into organic, sugar-free yogurt for his facial; they stirred exfoliating Japanese volcanic sand into mineral-rich Korean mud for his hydrating mask.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2025
When the trees shed their puzzle-piece bark, it’s like they’re exfoliating: They deposit pollutants into the soil, preventing them from entering local waterways or our lungs, while jettisoning damaged bark.
From Slate ● Mar. 16, 2024
But many of these contain potentially harmful active ingredients intended for adults only, such as exfoliating acids.
From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2024
Ifemelu had finished and Aunty Uju was coating an exfoliating mask on her face when The General called to say he could no longer come.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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