Let me start by saying that I have never been one to have an extensive skincare routine. First of all, I don’t have the time or energy for a 10-part series of exfoliating and moisturizing every night, besides the fact that I would probably fall asleep before I was done with it.
But after talking to one of my best friends about the importance of exfoliating, I have started incorporating a few natural scrubs that are quick, easy and make your skin feel oh so smooth!
Why Should You Exfoliate?
Exfoliating is basically like pressure-washing your face. It goes beyond your daily cleansing routine and removes dead skin cells, revealing healthy, new beautiful skin. It smooths your complexion and helps prevent breakouts by removing dirt and gunk that can get trapped and become irritated.
Exfoliating also helps your moisturizer penetrate more deeply into your skin by opening your pores. Maintaining a simple exfoliation and moisturizing routine can help your skin look fresh and youthful all the time.
Why Make Your Own Instead of Using Store-Bought Scrubs?
It’s Better For You
Like many beauty products today, many store-bought scrubs are full of chemicals and preservatives to keep them last longer. Your skin absorbs about 60% of everything you put on it, so whatever those store-bought brands are using is going directly into your pores. Why not use natural ingredients that add beneficial vitamins and nutrients to your skin instead?
It’s So Much Cheaper!
It’s so easy to make your own scrubs out of simple ingredients you probably already have around your house that it doesn’t really make sense to me to buy scrubs. Many scrubs can run for $20 and you can only use them a few times. And that’s not even the higher end price!
What Type of Scrub Should You Make?
There are a bunch of different scrubs you can make depending on what you want to use it for. The only real qualification for a scrub is that it has some sort of exfoliating substance to make it effective at deep cleaning your skin. For example, a sugar scrub, which is one of the most common types of scrubs, uses sugar to exfoliate your skin.
- Sugar Scrubs – Sugar scrubs are a great versatile option that are gentle on your skin. They typically have an oil base to make the sugar into a paste, which can help moisturize your skin as well. If you’re a fan of scented scrubs or fruity scrubs, sugar scrubs will work well for you.
- Salt Scrubs – Salt scrubs use sea salt as an exfoliant. They are also typically oil-based and work well to bring toxins out of your skin.
- Herbal Scrubs – Herbal scrubs are perfect for helping you relax and for healing your skin. You can use tons of different herbal concoctions to create the right combination for you.
- Energizing Scrubs – Drinking your morning cup of joe isn’t the only way to energize your body. You can also use coffee in a scrub to help wake up your skin. This one also works well as a body scrub because the caffeine helps smooth cellulite-prone areas.
- Moisturizing Scrubs – Like I said earlier, exfoliating helps get moisture into your pores, so moisturizing scrubs are that much more effective at hydrating your skin and helping your skin hold the moisture.
Try making your own scrubs. Here’s one of my favorites. The oatmeal is not only exfoliating, but also moisturizing and helps calm inflammation and irritation in your skin. Make it yourself and let me know what you think.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs. oatmeal (ground finely)
- 1 Tbs. honey
- 1-2 Tbs. coconut oil
Instructions
- Grind up your oatmeal until it is a very fine, flour-like consistency.
- Melt coconut oil and add it to the oatmeal.
- Add honey and mix together well.
- If the consistency seems too thick, add more coconut oil.
- Remove make up and dampen face with warm water.
- Apply the scrub all over your face, massaging it in small circles with your fingers for a few minutes.
- **Remember, it is a scrub, not a mask, so don't expect it to stick to your face**
- Rinse the scrub off with warm water and pat to dry.
