Exfoliating is a crucial step in your skin-care routine. It gives you a healthier, more radiant looking skin by getting rid of the old, dry, dead skin cells.
Your skin has the ability to regenerate itself by creating new skin cells in the dermis layer or the inner layer of your skin. In turn, the old, dead skin cells are pushed to the epidermis layer or the outer layer of your skin because of the new skin cells forming underneath them. These dead skin cells flake off eventually but some stay longer than they should. They then cause dull-looking skin and may even clog your pores leading to acne and other skin blemishes. To prevent this, exfoliating is done in order to immediately remove the problem-causing dead skin cells and other impurities while cleansing your pores.
There are various brands and types of face exfoliating scrubs available, distinguished by their characteristic micro-beads which, believe it or not, may cause more harm than good.
The exfoliating scrubs that you usually see are filled with chemicals and synthetic materials that can cause damage to your skin. The good news is that you can actually make your own face exfoliating scrubs right at your own home. They’re natural and cheap and give you the same exfoliating, pore-cleansing effect but are better and healthier for your skin. Here are some of the basic DIY exfoliating face scrubs you can do at home.
1. Baking Soda
Baking soda is one of the main ingredients in most commercial exfoliating products. You can use baking soda alone to effectively exfoliate your skin. Just rub a tablespoon of baking soda in a circular motion on your face, rinse, and then wash your face with a natural liquid soap. Make sure your face is wet when exfoliating. Alternatively, you can mix baking soda with water until it forms a paste, rub onto your skin, and then leave for 5-10 minutes before washing off.
2. Sugar
Combine a teaspoon of sugar with water until you form a paste. Gently rub onto your face, rinse with cool water, and then pat dry. Alternatively, you can use a tablespoon of coconut oil mixed with two tablespoons of sugar.
3. Brown Sugar
Mix ½ cup of honey with ½ cup of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of olive or coconut oil. Store the mixture in an airtight container to make it last longer. You can also just make enough for one use if you want. Rub the mixture gently onto your wet skin and wash off with cool water after use.
4. Sea Salt
Sea salt scrub is great for dry skin since salt can help retain moisture on your skin. Sea salt can also help rejuvenate your skin while stimulating cell growth. Simply mix your preferred essential or massage oil with sea salt until they form a paste. Gently rub onto your face in a circular motion, rinse, and then cleanse your face as usual. If you don’t have essential or massage oils, you can use water instead.
5. Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a very gentle exfoliant with the added benefit of keeping your skin nourished and moisturized while serving as an anti-inflammatory to soothe and relieve your skin from problems such as acne. Because of its features, oatmeal is great for sensitive and dry, flaky skin. Mix finely ground oatmeal with honey and then scrub onto your face in a circular motion. Leave for 15-30 minutes, rinse, and wash as usual. Alternatively, you can mix a tablespoon of ground oatmeal with ¼ teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of water until they form a paste. Apply in the same way.
6. Honey
You can get a lot of benefits from honey, given that it is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral. It can get rid of acne-causing germs to prevent further breakouts while reducing inflammation and keeping your skin hydrated. Mix honey with oatmeal or sugar or coffee grind, rub onto your skin in a circular motion, and then rinse with cool water. Your skin will look rejuvenated and energized afterwards and is smooth and supple to touch.
