I am wondering how often I should exfoliate.

Lately, I've felt like my makeup isn't applying as well as it used to.
In particular, as days when the skin around my cheeks and nose became slightly flaky became more frequent, I became concerned that exfoliation might be the problem.
So, I decided to exfoliate a little more often.
For the first few days, I was satisfied because my skin texture felt refined.
However, as time passed, I felt that my skin became more sensitive and the tightness after washing my face worsened.
I started to get confused whether the problem was caused by not exfoliating enough or by over-managing it.
It was difficult to establish a standard because there were conflicting claims: some said dead skin cells need to be removed, while others said they play a protective role.
They say the care cycle varies depending on skin type, but I'm not sure which category my skin falls into.
So these days, I'm debating whether to take a break from exfoliation for a while or just reduce the frequency.