Exfoliation has at least two meanings:

• In cosmetology, exfoliation is a cosmetic technique aimed at removing dead skin cells from the face and body. Removing excess dead skin cells is reasoned to reveal younger and healthier looking skin underneath. Exfoliation can be done in a number of ways: the most common being to use a device such as a luffa, or by using a specific substance designed to help scrub the skin.

• In geology, exfoliation is a weathering process, mainly caused by freeze-thaw cycles. Exfoliation causes rock, such as granite, to weather in large, thin sheets. Exfoliation causes characteristic dome-shaped rock formations, as in granite domes.