Earlier this summer our beauty contributor, Mika Holborow, shared with you for 4 Steps To Glowing Skin. One of the essential steps she covered was exfoliation. She explained it as “the friendly little helper that removes the dead skin cells that remain on the surface of the face (pleasant sounding isn’t it)!” Every 28 to 45 days your skin cells are renewed leaving a layer of dead skin on top. This is the layer you want to get rid of to avoid pimples, blemishes and release your natural glow.
If you have flaky, dry patches or black heads on your skin, these are a clear signs that your skin is due for a little TLC. There are many ways to exfoliate. Here are 4 that really work.
1. SCRUB
This is the most common exfoliation method. Hence the abundance of scrubbing products available on the market but all scrubs are not created equal. I am not referring to their price tag here but their quality and effects on the environment. Beware of over the counter scrubs that contain microbeads. These scrubbing particles are made of plastic and are extremely hazardous for the environment. Microbeads are so small that they get into our water system and cannot be filtered or properly disposed of. They find their way into oceans, rivers and lakes only to be eaten by the very fish we later consume. Thankfully, Illinois passed a law prohibiting the sale of products with microbeads this past June. It is the first state to do so and I hope this will inspires the rest of the country to follow suit for all of our sakes.
My favorite scrubbing agents are inexpensive, highly effective and natural: sugar and salt. That’s it. Try mixing brown sugar with a little sweet almond oil and voila.
2. CREAM GOMMAGE
Gommage is French for scrub. So a cream gommage is simply an exfoliating cream. I love Clarins’ Gentle Peeling Smooth Away Cream with primrose extract. I was introduced to it 3 years ago and have been using it ever since. This product gently removes impurities with a natural clay and keeps skin pH balanced with primrose extract.
3. CHEMICAL EXFOLIATION
Chemical exfoliation not to be confused with chemical peel, is a superficial exfoliation done with the use of chemicals and enzymes such as alpha-hydroxy, beta-hydroxy, trichloroacetic, and phenol. I have never had a chemical exfoliation or peel but I have seen the effects and results on YouTubers like MyInvisibleChyrsalis. It can be pretty frightening if you ask me. A gentler option would be to rub half a lemon sprinkled with a little bit of sugar directly on your face. Let it sit for a few minutes than rinse thoroughly. The citric acid in the lemon will brighten your skin naturally.
4. GLOVES
I’ve been using exfoliating gloves daily for years. I unfortunately used to have back acne many years ago. I was self conscious about it and wanted to get rid of it but nothing I tried, even acne medicine, helped. That was until I started showering with exfoliating gloves. Now I have multiple pairs and I never travel without them. My back is silky smooth and acne free.
Regular exfoliation will make your skin smoother, softer and makeup application all the more flawless so do it at least once a week depending on the method you decide to use. Also, monitor your skin’s sensitivity, if you experience any irritation or redness discontinue use.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Do you exfoliate? Any favorite products or methods to share?
Stay Conscious & Chic!
