The short answer
Not really, and over-exfoliating is one of the commonest causes of irritated skin. If you do, a chemical exfoliant once or twice a week beats a scrub.
- Skin sheds itself. Exfoliation is cosmetic acceleration, not a requirement.
- Chemical beats physical. A gentle acid, glycolic or lactic or salicylic, is more even and less damaging than a gritty scrub.
- Once or twice a week is plenty for most people.
- Stop if skin becomes red, tight, stinging or unusually reactive. That is a damaged barrier, not progress.
What will ruin it
Scrubs with hard irregular particles, the old crushed-shell type, cause micro-tears. And stacking a scrub, an acid and a retinoid in the same routine is how people end up with skin that reacts to everything.
Why it works
The outer layer of skin is a barrier, and removing it faster than it is replaced leaves the skin underneath exposed. Most "sensitive skin" that appears suddenly in adulthood is a barrier that has been over-treated.
This is general information, not medical advice, and it does not replace a GP, a pharmacist or NHS 111. Call 999 in an emergency. Full disclaimer.