Short answers, pulled from the story.
The word exfoliation comes from the Latin term meaning to strip off leaves. Ancient Egyptians practiced this removal of surface skin cells and built-up dirt as early as recorded history allows.
Tilbury Fox developed phenol peeling in 1871 to lessen the appearance of freckles. That method increased in popularity after its initial creation.
Illinois became the first American state to ban microbead use in June 2014. Microbead particles used in mechanical exfoliation measure less than 1 mm in size and cannot be caught by sewage works releasing large amounts into the environment.
Only alpha-hydroxyl acids and beta hydroxyl acids appear on the market for daily use. AHAs clear the outer layer while BHAs penetrate and clean from within.