Who doesn’t want clear, glowing, youthful-looking skin? But excessive pollution, grime, and poor blood circulation make it next to impossible to achieve. That is why only cleansing your face with a face wash is not enough. To take your skincare routine to the next level, you need to include exfoliation in your skincare regime.
THE TWO TYPES
Our skin regenerates new cells and sheds the old dead cells in a cyclical process, usually taking about 28-30 days. But our hectic lifestyle makes this process more difficult, which causes the dead skin cells not to shed completely. As a result, the dead skin cells clog our pores, causing acne, dullness, and uneven skin texture. Exfoliating our skin regularly can get rid of this problem. Exfoliation is the process of removing those trapped dead skin cells from the surface. There are mainly two types of exfoliators used for our face: physical and chemical.
Physical Exfoliation
Physical ExfoliationIt works by manually rubbing off the dead cells on the surface of your skin. Scrubs and
exfoliating devices such as face cleansing brushes can be used for the purpose. Different types of homemade scrubs have been used for centuries all over the world to maintain beautiful skin. Dried orange peel powder, crushed walnut particles, ground coffee beans, and ground oats are among the most common and trusted ingredients found in scrubs and homemade face packs to remove dead skin cells. Different types of face scrubs are widely available in the market.
Chemical Exfoliation
Chemical ExfoliationChemical exfoliators work by loosening the adhesive that binds dead skin cells to the skin surface, and thus these products unclog pores and remove dead skin cells to reveal new skin cells underneath them. Chemical exfoliators are gaining much popularity as they cause less irritation to the skin and are scientifically proven to give more effective results. Lactic acid, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, etc., are the common chemicals used in these products.
So, start including exfoliation as part of your skincare regime, and you will notice clear, smooth, and glowing skin.
DIY Exfoliating Scrub:
Mix 2 tablespoons of finely ground oats with three teaspoons of freshly ground coffee. Add half a cup of yoghurt and one teaspoon of honey to it and mix well. Now, apply this mixture all over the face and neck, and gently scrub in an upward circular motion for about 2-3 minutes. Leave it on for another 10-15 minutes. Then gently clean your face with cold water. Use this scrub once a week for the best results.
The ground oats and the coffee will physically scrub off the dead skin cells at the surface level while improving blood circulation. Along with that, the lactic acid present in the yoghurt and the small amount of gluconic acid present in the honey will gently loosen the dead skin cells and reveal glowing skin.
Warning: Do not use scrub over broken/irritated skin or any active pimple/cystic acne. Scrubbing your face too harshly and too frequently may cause skin irritation and micro-tears in skin cells. Follow the usage instructions in the products. Exfoliating makes skin more sensitive to UV rays, so use sunscreen on freshly exfoliated skin before stepping out at daylight. Those with sensitive skin can apply chilled rose water and a thin layer of aloe vera gel to calm and soothe freshly exfoliated skin.