exfoliation vs flake

exfoliation and flake both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
exfoliation	Yes	No	No	No
flake	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, flake is a hypernym of exfoliation; that is, flake is a word with a broader meaning than exfoliation:

exfoliation: a thin flake of dead epidermis shed from the surface of the skin
flake: a small fragment of something broken off from the whole

Other hypernyms of exfoliation include bit, chip, fleck, scrap.

exfoliation (noun)	flake (noun)
a thin flake of dead epidermis shed from the surface of the skin	a small fragment of something broken off from the whole
the peeling off in flakes or scales of bark or dead skin	a person with an unusual or odd personality
	a crystal of snow

exfoliation (verb)	flake (verb)
	come off in flakes or thin small pieces
	cover with flakes or as if with flakes
	form into flakes