health

Exfoliators: What Do They Do?

By Andi Bradshaw ⋅ November 8, 2008 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅ Post a comment

The earlier you consistently include these items in your skin care routine the more effective your moisturizer will be. This translates to your skin looking healthier and smoother as well as looking younger than you actually are. If you’re fifteen, that may not be such an encouraging thought, but if you’re thirty, forty or fifty…

Also called scrubs, exfoliators are designed to “scrub” away dry or dead skin cells. Made of dried fruits, nuts, sugars, salts, and/or grains (i.e. oats, wheat, etc.), grasses and flowers, these items are finely ground for the face and coarsely ground for the body. These ground particles are added to creams, lotions, oils as well as liquid and compressed (bar) soaps.

Why Do I Need Exfoliators?

Many people are not aware of the fact that their skin renews itself every 25 days and that ashy, flaky feeling skin is just dead skin cells that haven’t been removed. The body is able to withstand larger particles and although they’re not designed to be abrasive or scratch the skin, if exfoliators are used with excessive pressure - they will.

It’s not common knowledge that skin renews itself every 25 days or that flaky or ashy skin is just dry skin that needs to be removed. Men’s faces need exfoliating too and the bottom half receives that through shaving. The top halfcould use a weekly scrub to keep the face evenly smooth.

What Do They Do?

The scrubbing granules are much smaller for the face, so they won’t irritate or enlarge the pores. When exfoliators are used properly, the tiny granules polish the skin by lifting and removing the dead skin cells that prevent natural oils from surfacing. When your natural oils are blocked from the surface, you get clogged pores which can develop into white heads and if the pore becomesinfected with bacteria it can develop into acne, particularly on your back or shoulders where your skin is dryer.

How Do I Use Exfoliators?

If you have dry skin, you can use the oil based scrubs and oily skin should use the gel based products. Combination skin can use the lotion types and sensitive skin should use the mildest or baking soda based scrubs. After cleansing and while your skin is still wet, apply about a teaspoon of your exfoliator to a clean, wet wash cloth.

Gently scrub your face and neck for about 30 seconds, using circular motions. Thoroughly rinse to remove granules and use a clean towel to pat the area dry. Follow with your toner, eye cream or gel and moisturizers.

Those new to exfoliators often believe that using the product more often or longer will give better results. Wrong! These products have been tested by their developers to determine how to get the best results. You don’t want your outcome to be extremely dry skin, so use twice weekly, follow directions for time and you’ll get the best results from your home facial treatment.

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