exfoliate vs peel off

exfoliate and peel off both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
exfoliate	No	No	Yes	No
peel off	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, peel off is a hypernym of exfoliate; that is, peel off is a word with a broader meaning than exfoliate:

exfoliate (verb)	peel off (verb)
grow by producing or unfolding leaves	peel off in scales
cast off in scales, laminae, or splinters	take off, as with some difficulty
remove the surface, in scales or laminae	peel off the outer layer of something
spread by opening the leaves of	come off in flakes or thin small pieces
come off in a very thin piece	leave a formation