Scrub Up Well - The Benefits of Exfoliating

Give me a facial salt scrub and I'll scrape off a layer of skin like a sand-grinder. Whilst this is definitely not the method most optimum for cleaning your delicate skin, there are many benefits to a (gentle) regular facial exfoliation, leading to a younger-looking and blemish-free face.

Dermatologists have found that helping your skin with the removal of dead cells will increase cell turnover, revealing newer, healthier skin cells plus a decrease in blackheads, pigmentation and fine lines. Here are five reasons why picking up a pot of microbead exfoliator or salt crystal facial scrub with crushed coffee beans and shards of diamonds (okay, so I made that bit up) could transform your face and help you scrub up. 

Helps Clear Acne & Breakouts

 Exfoliation helps to reduce the occurrence of acne and blackhead breakouts. Acne-prone skin sheds extra skin cells more than other skin types, but the cells do not fall away. Instead, they stick to the skin, clogging pores and hair follicles. As this dead cell debris builds, the skin produces excess follicle oils—which leads to blackheads and blemishes. Regular exfoliation is like “taking out the rubbish”, reducing the likelihood of clogged pores and acne.

1. Improve Your Skins Texture

    Exfoliating the tired, dead cells also speeds up the skin renewal process, allowing new healthy cells to take their place. This process turns your complexion from dull and dry to bright, vibrant, and smooth. In addition, regular exfoliation reduces fine lines and wrinkles and keeps your skin much softer. 

2. Reduces Appearance of Large Pores

    Along with dead cells, exfoliating also removes the dirt stuck deep inside your pores. Washing your skin alone will not accomplish this. When pores become clogged, they appear larger, which is the last thing we all want. By “decongesting” your pores through exfoliation, they will diminish in size and allow your skin a healthy polished glow.

3. Exfoliate Away All Signs of Aging

    As you age, your skin becomes drier and loses plasticity (that magic word!), which can result in lines and wrinkles. You also may find your skin is more rough in texture than it used to be. This is because of the multiple layers of dead skin cells that accumulate of the years. Exfoliators containing renitoid compounds which are effective and safe options to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

4. Better Absorption

    Serum and moisturizers are better absorbed into skin that’s not blocked by layers of dead cells and dirt. Exfoliating allows your skin to be properly moisturized and stay healthy. Regular exfoliating of your face will aid a smoother application of makeup and will also allow your sunscreen to better protect your skin.

Three of the Best... Lush Products

Mask of Magnaminty - £9.75/315g

This green, clay-like face mask contains bentonite gel for soothing and cleansing the skin, peppermint oil to stimulate skin cells and reduce spots and inflammations, and marigold oil and chlorophyllin to treat the skin. It is a mint green deep cleansing mud that smells delightful and is soothing just to plaster it onto your face. Prior to tweaking their ingredients, this clay mask used to dry up and crack once applied - leaving your face stuck firm until you scrubbed it off. Now their new mask stays fresh and moist on your face until it's time to rinse the rough textured clay off. It's supposed to yank out debris from pores while exfoliating dry skin and calming redness - it's a one hit wonder to address many needs. 

With evening primrose seeds and aduki beans inside to exfoliate the skin as you wash it off, this is an added bonus for me - I love to scrub my face raw to remove oil and blocked pores. It leaves my skin fresh and smooth, without the price tag of a professional spa facial. This one's a winner! It's also Lush's only fresh mask that doesn't have to be kept in the fridge or used in a set amount of days. 

 

Ocean Salt (Self-Preserving) Facial Scrub - £13.25/250g

Ocean Salt is like a martini cocktail for your face. It contains vodka, grapefruit, lime, and salt and the odd times a bit has gone into my mouth it's like drinking a tequila cocktail with salt rim! The giant chunks of sea salt are rich in minerals and excellent for scrubbing away dead skin, whilst the avocado butter, coconut oil and seaweed leave skin soft, smooth and conditioned.

I usually emerge from the shower with a bright red face after using this - only because it's so exfoliating and I do like to attack my face with a flannel covered in rock salt scrub. It is so refreshing, and will get rid of any stubborn spots or blemishes you may have lurking on your face. 

Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter - £6.75/50g

This indulgent cuticle butter contains shea butter, mango butter, beeswax and cold-pressed avocado oil which are extremely beneficial for the skin: especially the cuticles which are prone to dryness. I love the scent - it smells like lemon sherbet and will brighten up any day. Another great thing about this product is that a little goes a long way - just the smallest amount spreads all over.

This intense conditioning butter leaves skin soft and hydrated thanks to all the oils and specially selected ingredients, and can be applied to any dry areas including knees, elbows, heels, brittle nails and cuticles. It spreads like butter, and soaks into the skin pretty quickly. My own qualm with this luscious pot of lemon cream is that it's quite greasy (when applied liberally) - my colleague brought a pot of it into work and left oil all over the phone handset! 

I don't have dry cuticles, but this is also a great nourishing butter to combat any damage from nail polish over-use, or for an evening pamper.