Get insights on how to exfoliate face properly, naturally with sugar, and with best products.
Exfoliate Face Meaning
Exfoliation involves the removal of the oldest dead skin cells on the skin’s outermost surface. Exfoliation is involved in the process of all facials, during microdermabrasion or chemical peels at medical spas. Exfoliation can be achieved through mechanical or chemical means.
This process involves physically scrubbing the skin with an abrasive. Mechanical exfoliants include microfiber cloths, adhesive exfoliation sheets, micro-bead facial scrubs, crepe paper, crushed apricot kernel or almond shells, sugar or salt crystals, pumice, and abrasive materials such as sponges, loofahs, brushes, and simply fingernails.
Facial scrubs are available in over-the-counter products for application by the user. People with dry skin should avoid exfoliants which include a significant portion of pumice, or crushed volcanic rock. Pumice is considered a good material to exfoliate the skin of the feet. Microdermabrasion is another mechanical method of exfoliation. – Wikipedia.org
How to Exfoliate Face Properly
- Exfoliating your faceis important for our skin since it eliminates the dead cells and makes our complexion smooth and glowing, as well as helping to minimize scars and blemishes. After exfoliating your face, moisturizers and anti-ageing creams work much better and the skin looks healthier and more beautiful.
This is why it’s a very important procedure to regenerate our facial skin, boosting its health and beauty.
- The first step to exfoliate your face is to choose anexfoliating cream especially for your skin. You can also make homemade exfoliating masks. The important thing is not to use body scrubs on your face because they are made with larger grains or microbeads, which aren’t appropriate for the delicate skin on your face. Body scrubs could irritate or cause discomfort on your face, so it’s convenient to follow this recommendation closely.
- Before you exfoliate the skin, start by thoroughly cleansing your face. It is important that your face is free from impurities when it comes to exfoliating it. It is also always advisable to apply the scrub to damp skin; this way, the product will spread much better.
- Apply the cream or mask to your face with gentle, circular movements. You do not need to apply pressure or force; this will only cause reddening of the skin. Instead, gentle movements are enough to remove the dead skin cells.
- Movements should always be upwards and outwardsfrom the center of the face towards the ears, which makes your skin firmer and more youthful. Apply the scrub evenly across your whole face with the tips of your fingers. Take advantage of this beauty treatment by giving your skin a gentle, stimulating massage for one minute. It’s not necessary to rub on the skin too much, as dead cells are easily removed with the grain of your chosen product.
- Then, wash the product off with cold water. This way you will ensure that the pores close and your face looks much more beautiful. Afterwards, apply your face mask or moisturizing cream and you will see how your skin absorbs it almost immediately.
- Exfoliate your faceonce a week; this way, you will always have bright and beautiful skin that looks squeaky clean. It will also feel smoother and, consequently, you’ll be able to apply your makeup better. Moreover, commercial face scrubs are easily found in your favorite shops, some natural options are very effective.
Best Exfoliator for Face, Products
A good facial exfoliator is an essential part of any skincare regime. Depending on the type and strength of the chosen product, it is a good idea to exfoliate 2-3 times a week in order to get rid of any dead skin cells, clean out your pores and make your skin glow.
The world of exfoliators is often difficult to decipher; is it best to go for a classic face scrub or an AHA (Alpha hydroxy acid) liquid exfoliant? Which is best for which skin type?
How to exfoliate Face with Sugar
A homemade sugar scrub made from cane sugar is a great exfoliator because it naturally contains alpha hydroxy acids. AHAs can remove dead cells that clog the pores of the skin and help the skin with its moisture retention. AHAs also work by supporting collagen in the deeper layers of the skin. Collagen is a springy mattress-like layer beneath the skin that keeps the skin elastic. AHAs are also antioxidants and so guard against the damaging effects of pollutants and too much sun exposure.
If the proper ingredients are not used when making homemade sugar scrubs the skin that they are subsequently used on won’t be getting the AHA benefits contained in the scrub.
Some dermatologists advise women to exfoliate their skin once a week, though some with dry skin exfoliate up to three times a week. A scrub can be used all over the body, not just the face.
Regular exfoliating troubleshoots problems like spots and dull skin tone. Many users report that it not only brightness their skin, but leaves it feeling baby soft. Some sugar scrubs will sting or tingle, but the feeling should go away within about half a minute. Because it scrubs away a bit of the stratum corneum, the user should follow up with a sunscreen. The stratum corneum layer of skin is what a person sees when they look in the mirror. It’s a wall of cells locked together by sebum and other materials that keep moisture in the skin and keep toxins out. Usually, the stratum corneum sheds dead skin cells on its own, but needs a little help now and then.
Since sugar scrub is rubbed into the skin, it’s considered a physical exfoliator. The AHA in the sugar dissolves the protein that keeps a dead cell hanging on to the surface of the skin. Homemade sugar scrubs are gentle enough not to remove too much more than the dead skin cells. To use a scrub till the skin becomes red or inflamed damages it by stripping off a barrier to the pollutants.
The hands should be clean before applying the scrub and the hair should be held back from the face so the hairline and edges of the face can be treated.
The homemade sugar scrub should be smoothed over the face and neck. The fingertips should work in tiny circles across the neck and the face and up to the hairline. The fingers should have some pressure but not too much. The scrub should be massaged in for a minute or two. Then, a wash cloth should be dipped in with warm to hot water and wrung out. Ideally, the cloth should be as soft as possible and if the user can find a muslin washcloth that’s ideal. Hold the cloth over the face. Pat and rub the homemade sugar scrub off the face and repeat until all the scrub is gone from both the face and the wash cloth.
How to Exfoliate Face Acne
- Apply some apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a powerhouse when it comes to acting as an acne remedy. Why? It kills off the bacteria that may be causing all the trouble in the first place. It also becomes alkaline, and balances the pH of your skin, which in turn makes it harder for bacteria to thrive.
To top it off it’s an astringent, like lemon juice, and will help dry up excess oil. Keeping that in mind, don’t overdo and dry out your skin too much. This could cause the sebaceous glands overproduce to compensate, therefore triggering an outbreak.
You will need…
-Pure unfiltered apple cider vinegar
-Fresh water
Directions
Wash your face with water and pat dry. Using a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water, dip a cotton ball into vinegar and apply it directly to the blemish.
Leave on for at least 10 minutes, or overnight. Reapply several times a day, washing face thoroughly after each time. Make sure to use a moisturizer afterwards as well if you feel like your skin is getting dry.
- Make a cinnamon and honey mask
Honey is sticky, and cinnamon is spicy, and it seems like they’re both things you’d want to avoid getting near your skin. Surprisingly, while it may sound strange, honey and cinnamon make a (literally) killer combo when it comes to acne. Cinnamon has antimicrobial properties, so it can help stop bacteria from getting out of hand. If it does, the honey is a natural anti-biotic, ready and waiting to wipe the little buggers out.
You will need…
-2 tablespoons of honey
-1 teaspoon of cinnamon
– paper towels
Directions
Rinse your face with water and pat dry. Mix 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon together until they are thoroughly blended and have formed a sort of paste. Apply the mask to your face (or spot treat) and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse off completely, and pat your face dry. This is a sticky mixture, so make sure you have some paper towels at on hand.
- The land of milk and honey (or yogurt)
While there is quite a bit of hub bub around dairy products causing acne, applied topically it seems that milk can improve your outbreaks and skin tone. The reason it is suggested that milk would cause acne is because of the extra hormones in it-but unless it’s ingested, this doesn’t really do much.
For the most part, it just soothes the irritated skin, and helps tone down the redness. Cleopatra swore on the milk baths she took, and well, she was Cleopatra. You could also use yogurt. The acids in it are antibacterial while the fat provides moisture, making it quite nourishing for skin.
You will need…
– 1 tablespoon plain low-fat or full-fat yogurt or milk, anything but skim
– 1 tablespoon of natural, raw, honey
Directions
Let yogurt or milk come to room temperature (or close to) so you don’t get a chilly shock when you put it on your skin. Mix 1 tablespoon of milk or yogurt thoroughly with 1 tablespoon of honey. You can apply the mixture with a cotton pad, but scooping it up and patting it on works just fine as well. Let each layer dry before adding a new one, until the mask is the thickness you want. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Wash your mask off and use a washcloth to gently scrub in a circular motion, getting rid of loosened dead skin. Once you’re finished, moisturize as usual.
- Whip up some ‘whites
Egg whites are an easy and affordable way to help reduce acne and fade scars left by unfortunate blemishes. The reason people have found egg whites to be helpful for their skin is because they’re chock full of proteins and vitamins that both combat acne, and help to rebuild your skin cells.
They also soak up excess oil, which means excess sebum, (exactly what you were thinking right?) which means less stuff for bacteria to feed on. Hooray! Just make sure to use a good moisturizer afterwards, as they can dry your skin out a bit.
You will need…
-2 to 3 egg whites, separated from yolks
-Bowl
-Washcloth
Directions
Rinse your face with water and pat dry. Separate the whites from the yolks. You can use as many as you like, but normally 2 to 3 is enough. Whisk the whites until they’re frothy, and let them sit for a few minutes. Cover your face with the mixture (applying with fingertips is easy) focusing on problem spots.
3 to 4 layers is usually enough, but make sure to wait the first has dried before applying more. Allow the mask to sit and dry for about 20 minutes before rinsing off completely with warm water and a patting dry with a soft washcloth. Apply moisturizer appropriate for your skin type.
- Papaya for the pimple prone
Papaya is an essential ingredient in a lot of beauty products on the market today, but theres no need to go out of your way to gain its benefits? Plain raw papaya is an all-natural acne remedy that removes dead skin cells and excess lipids from the surface of the skin, leaving it soft and smooth. Lipids are a general term for fats, of which oil is a form of. Papaya also contains an enzyme called papain, which reduces inflammation and helps prevent the pus from forming.
You will need…
-1 fresh papaya
Directions
Rinse your face with water and pat dry. Mash up the flesh of the papaya well, until it is of a consistency that can be easily applied to your skin. Leave it on for 15-20 minutes, and then rinse off completely with warm water. If your skin has a tendency to get dry after you cleanse it, use a moisturizer appropriate for your skin type afterwards.
- Make an orange peel paste
Ah, oranges. They taste rejuvenating and refreshing, and our skin may find them just as appealing as our taste buds do. Acne that is caused by bacteria and extra oil/dead skin cells clogging up pores may improve with the use of an orange peel face mask of sorts, thanks to the vitamin C, citric acid, and it’s astringent properties. The vitamin C is particularly helpful because it promotes the growth of new healthy cells, keeping your skin in better condition overall.
You will need…
-2 Orange peels
-Clean, fresh water
Directions
Rinse your face with water and pat dry. Grind/pound up your orange peels (you could use a blender, mortar and pestle, whatever gets the job done) and add a little water to create a paste. Add a little at a time, as too much will make it too thin and runny. Once you have the right consistency, apply it to your face and/or problem areas. Wait for 20-25 minutes. Ideally the mask should be firm, but it can still work if it isn’t. Rinse off completely with water, pat your face dry, and apply a good moisturize.
- Tap into tea tree oil
You’ll read about tea tree oil for a lot of home remedies, but will most likely see it mentioned the most when comes to skin care, specifically, acne. But why, when too much oil is clogging the pores and making you break out, would you want to use more oil? Tea tree oil isn’t like the oil your skin naturally produces, rather it is more like a solvent that cuts through the extra sebum and dead skin cells, and unblocks the pores. Its antibacterial properties also kill off the acne causing bacteria, and prevent further outbreaks.
Note: Tea tree oil is ok for topical use, but should never be ingested. It should also always be diluted before use.
You will need…
-Tea tree oil (a small bottle will do)
-Clean water
-Q-tips or cotton balls
Directions
Wash your face with water and pat dry. Dilute tea tree oil by mixing 1 part oil to 9 parts water. Dip a Q-tip or cotton swab in mixture, and apply to problem areas. If you decide you want a stronger dilution after a while, you can slowly (slowly!) begin to increase the strength, making sure to use each new mixture for at least a week for making it any stronger. Again, it should never be applied undiluted. You can apply a light moisturizer afterwards if you wish.
Another option, especially if you have sensitive skin, is to dilute it with aloe vera gel instead of water.
- Mix strawberries and honey
Honey and strawberries make a home remedy for acne that sounds pretty sweet (pun intended) and it combines two things that are used commonly in pricey, often time’s harsh, facial scrubs and cleansers. Strawberries may seem random, but consider the fact that they’re high in salicylic acid. Salicylic acid-a primary ingredient in many commercial acne treatments- encourages the epidermis to shed its cells more readily, opening up clogged pores, and neutralizing bacteria. It also shrinks up the pores a little bit, which prevents them from clogging up as much in the future, and encourages new cell growth. Honey also works against bacteria that may be behind your acne, and is an anti-inflammatory.
You will need…
-3 fresh strawberries, washed well
-2 teaspoons of good honey-raw is best
Directions
Wash your face with water and pat dry. Rinse 3 strawberries and mash them up well, taking care that they don’t get over-mashed and runny. Add the strawberries to two teaspoons of honey, and thoroughly blend them together. Apply to your face and let the mixture sit for 20 minutes. Rinse off completely with warm water, pat dry, and moisturize if your skin has a tendency to dry out. Use twice a week for at least a month.
- Utilize a banana peel
Bananas are full of all sorts of goodness-even the part we don’t eat. Their peels contain something called lutein, an extremely powerful antioxidant that reduces swelling and inflammation, and encourages healthy cell growth. So…rubbing a banana peel on your face can reduce the redness, obviousness, and discomfort of acne. It’s (debatably) a better use than using it to trip your friend.
You will need…
-1 banana peel
Directions
Peel your banana and eat it- it’s not cool to waste, and they’re good for you. Take the peel, and rub in a circular motion all over your face. When you feel as though you’ve covered all of your face, let it sit for at least 30 minutes before rinsing it off.
- Aloe for acne
Aloe vera gel can be used with other things to fight acne, but it’s a good thing on its own as well. If it’s going to be used on its own, the best is to have a little aloe plant floating around in your house, otherwise a good gel that’s sold in stores may work as well-just do some research on which ones have the least amount of additives. Not only is the aloe soothing, it works as an anti-inflammatory, decreasing redness and swelling. It also has antibacterial properties.
You will need…
-Enough aloe vera gel to spot treat or cover your problem areas
Directions
Wash your face with water and pat dry. Using your fingertips or a Q-tip, apply the aloe directly to your problem areas.
Best Exfoliating Face wash
Kiss My Face Start Up Exfoliating Face Wash
At first glance, this clear gel doesn’t look like a scrub at all, which is why it’s perfect for sensitive skin. The nongritty formula exfoliates with alpha hydroxy acid and green tea, which fights free radicals and reduces inflammation.