Exfoliating is a critical part of any skin care regime. Everyday we shed, naturally, millions of dead skin cells and about every 28 days our top layer of skin sheds off releasing newer fresher skin cells. Our top layer of our skin is also known as our environmental protection barrier protecting us from the sun, climate, microbial assault, and locks in moisture. With the top layer of our skin working to protect us from any damage, the skin becomes dull and dry overtime. Although, we naturally exfoliate, we often turn to chemicals and products to help us eradicate old skin and honestly it isn't as bad as you may think it is.
Exfoliating is the process in which we remove dead, dull, dry skin off of our bodies and face in preparation for newer, nourished, smooth skin. By opening up our pores and unclogging them we are promoting fresher, cleaner skin and by doing so we can guarantee a natural glow. As we make room for our new skin cells the top layer of our skin gradually becomes smoother and softer locking in moisture, doing the duties the old skin cells could no longer provide. Exfoliation might be something new for you to try but it has been done since way before our time.
Egyptians used sea salt (literally salt from the sea), natron, honey, and alabaster powder (minerals) to exfoliate in their time. Pumice stones were very popular as well as scrubs made from sand and the aloe vera plant. Cleopatra used to soak in donkeys milk that was very much sour and fermented but all the better because it contained lactic acid (an alpha hydroxy acid) which is used in all of our modern day exfoliants.
Lactic acid plays a huge role in exfoliation because of the fact that it is one of the Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) that is used in exfoliants we use today. AHA's help rid our skin of any dead and dull cells that may coat it.
In the Middle Ages people used wine as a chemical exfoliant to get a more youthful look, men used to exfoliate their skin too. Let's not forget that in the Ancient and Middle Ages men taking care of the was of the normal and very much regular. Wine was used frequently to exfoliate because of its tartaric acid that it contained. The tartaric acid is also an AHA.
Native American tribes used dried corncobs to rub all over their bodies and sand from the bottom of a river. It was in the 20th century that dermatologists started to experiment with chemical peels.
Like anything else on this earth, exfoliation has been around for many years and has been modified and modernized. Most of the exfoliants that we use today are made with sugar as well as other ingredients such as salt, seed extract, list goes on. There are so many natural ingredients. Sugar is one of the main products that help rid the body and face of the dry dull skin leaving you with the appearance of smoother, nourished, and glowing skin. It is very gentle on the skin oppose to salt. Salt can cause tears in the skin and dry the skin of the natural oils. Since sugar has natural humectant properties those type of scrubs are far more hydrating than salt. We should all be exfoliating our bodies, face, and lips. I exfoliate 2-3 times a week as suggested and I recommend that you do the same. Also, keep in mind that if your skin is senitive that you should only exfoliate once a week so that you aren’t irritating your skin. Do NOT ever over exfoliate as you can cause more damage to your skin than you think you can. Over exfoliating can cause your skin to become itritated and you can dry the skin out, you won’t find the results that you were looking for.
If you have not tried exfoliating you should definitely try it out! There are many ways to get you hands on a scrub. You can either make one from scratch with natural products that you may find in your kitchen or you can purchase one from Marshalls or any other store/website that you like. If you'd like to make an at home facial, lip, or body scrub I can assist you in the specific ingredients that you will need. We all know how well ALL NATURAL products work on the skin and how they benefit your skin and your body without any additives.
LOVE YOUR SKIN AND TREAT IT RIGHT!
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