Now it’s time to use your stone. Rub the stone in circular motions over the area; a medium pressure is more than enough to remove the dead skin. If you’re working on your hands, Tavernise recommends using very light pressure, as this area is more sensitive than the feet.
When you’re exfoliating, you might even see dead skin visibly accumulate on the stone (gross but strangely satisfying). Because this can get messy, it’s best to complete this step over a bath or while you’re in the shower (just don’t fall when balancing on one leg).
Be sure to stop when you’ve reached a desired smoothness (about two to three minutes does the trick, board-certified dermatologist and founder of MMSkincare Ellen Marmur, M.D. says), or when the dead skin stops clinging to the pumice stone’s pores.
If you’re working on callouses, proceed with caution and don’t eliminate them completely “Callouses exist to protect our feet in areas of high friction, so use moderation when attempting to file them down,” board-certified dermatologist Rebecca Marcus, M.D., FAAD tells mbg.
Some people may be able to use a pumice stone every other day, while plenty of others can only tolerate it once a week or once every other week—it all depends on how sensitive your skin is. Start with weekly use and see how you feel—if your skin is sore, dial it back. If your skin continues to dry out or you build callouses quickly, use it every few days, and so on.