Expert Blog - Final

The Secret Weapon for Stunning Skin

DIY Skin Exfoliation

Do you want beautiful, youthful, soft, and glowing skin? OF COURSE! So don’t stop reading quite yet gentlemen! This scrubba dub dub secret is not just for women; it’s for you too!

This is a step-by-step guide on how to create your own skin exfoliation in your very own home. Although most people wash their faces on a daily basis with regular soap, a facial scrub uses small particles to get rid of your old skin to make room for the new. WOW, just like snake shedding its’ skin! So you see boys, this isn’t so girly after all.

Why You Should Exfoliate

Image 1: Suzanne “Exfoliate Your Way to More Youthful….”

If you want to make room for that beautiful, youthful, soft, and glowing skin then… you must exfoliate! The skin constantly generates new skin cells at the lower layer (the dermis) and pushes the old skin cells to the surface (the epidermis) (“The Importance…”). And as the skin cells rise to the surface they slowly die and begin to build up unevenly on the skin’s surface giving a dry, rough, and dull appearance. It is important to remove the dead skin cells because if it is left on the skin surface it can clog your pores and cause acne and other blemishes (“The Best Natural..”). By exfoliating, we can remove those dead skin cells and make room for our healthy, new, and younger radiant cells.

Exfoliation is a simple process that does not take much time to do. It can be done for both the face and the body. Follow the steps below and you will be on your way to having a face that is as soft as a baby’s bottom…. Okay, maybe not that soft but you know what I mean.

What is Your Skin Type?

First things first, we need to figure out what type of skin you have. It is important to know what type of skin you have so that you can ensure proper care and treatment of your skin.

Image 2: Gbemi “#Beauty-How to Know Your Skin Type.”

Listed below with a description are the five most common skin types:

• Normal Skin: skin is not too dry and not too oily, few to no imperfections, no severe sensitivity, barely visible pore, radiant complexion
• Oily Skin: enlarged pores, dull or shiny skin, thick complexion, blackheads, spots, or other blemishes
•  Dry Skin: almost visible pores, dull skin, rough complexion, red patches, less elasticity, more visible lines
•  Combination Skin: overly dilated pores, blackheads, shiny skin
•  Sensitive Skin: redness, itching, burning, dryness (“Skin Types and Care..”)

Once you’ve figured out what type of skin you have you can manipulate the ingredients and measurements below to create your own facial scrub that tends to your face.

What Do You Need?

Next, you will need to gather all the necessary ingredients to make your facial scrub.

Natural Exfoliants

Image 3: Personal Photo – I use brown sugar for my facial 

scrub and sea salt for my body scrub

There are many different types of natural exfoliants, two of the most commonly used are sugar and sea salt. I personally use sugar as my natural exfoliant because it is a natural source of glycolic acid. Glycolic acid helps boost new cell production and it helps break down the protein that is keeping the dead cells from falling off your skin. Also, sugar is less abrasive because it dissolves more easily. However, sea salt works very well too because it contains minerals that will rejuvenate your skin, stimulate cell growth, and help your skin retain moisture (“The Best Natural..”).

Tip:

•           People with sensitive skin should use brown sugar
•       People with dry skin should use sea salt
•       People with normal, oily, or combination can decide which natural exfoliant they prefer

Natural Oil

Image 4: Personal Photo – I use organic virgin coconut oil 

for my natural oil and I always like to use honey

Natural oil is needed to soften and moisturize your skin. The most commonly used oils consist of olive oil, almond oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil. All these oils are great for your skin but listed below is an explanation on what the oils are best at:

• Olive oil: is good for really dry skin and won’t clog your pores
• Almond oil: helps reduce effects of UVB rays and improve skin tone
• Avocado oil: helps your skin retain moisture
• Virgin Coconut oil: packed with antioxidant which helps prevent aging (Spinney)

Honey

Natural raw honey is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral. That means it kills infections – including acne. Honey reduces inflammation and hydrates the skin. Honey can be mixed with any of the exfoliants mentioned above (“The Best Natural..”).

Image 5: Personal Photo – These are the two main essential oils 

I like to add (Melaleuca & Lavender). I also like using 

the skin of the lime to give my facial scrub a fresh and fruity scent.

Container

A container of any size is needed in order to store your finished product.

Optional Items

You can personalize your facial scrub even more by adding essential oils or fruits that will help your skin even more. 

What Do You Do?

You’ve identified your skin type and picked out your ingredients, so now you are ready for the easiest step – making your personal facial scrub!

Ingredients:

Image 6: Personal Photo – Finished facial scrub 

• ¾ cup of sugar (or salt)
• ½ cup of oil (olive oil, almond oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil)
• 1 TBSP of honey
•  Optional: fruit, essential oil

      Instruction:

•         Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and stir
•      Add in finely chopped fruit and essential oil (optional)
•      Mix together until combined but don’t mix too much or it will start to dissolve
•      Fill the container with the finished product

    Congratulations! You have successfully created your very own secret weapon for stunning skin! 

     Exfoliate Away!

     Before I let you go off on your own to achieving beautiful, and radiant skin, I have some helpful tips!

•         Exfoliate in the shower or while washing up before bed time
•      Be gentle – let the exfoliating particles do their job
•      Exfoliate by gently scrubbing the particles in small upward circular motion over your entire face
•      Don’t over due it – exfoliate 2/3 times a week
•      Moisturize afterwards to avoid skin from drying out

      I hope I have given you a new perspective on exfoliating and some helpful tips on how to create your own personalized facial scrub.  Good Luck!

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    Work Cited

       Gbemi. "#Beauty-How to Know Your Skin Type." Buzzed By Beauty. N.p., 26 Feb. 2015.

               Web. 22 Sept. 2015.

“     Skin Types and Care: Normal, Dry, Oily, Combination, Sensitive”. WebMD. WebMD,
               n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.

       Spinney, Misty. Homemade Face Scrubs for Every Skin Type. Brit + Co, 5 Sept. 2013.

               Web. 21 Sept. 2015.

       Suzanne. "Exfoliate Your Way to More Youthful & Glowing Skin!" Exfoliate Your Way  
               to More Youthful & Glowing Skin! Dermatology Associates, 12 Nov. 2014. Web.

               21 Sept. 2015.

"     The Best Natural Exfoliants and DIY Facial Scrub Recipes." The Crunchy Moose. N.p.,

               14 Apr. 2014. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.

"     The Importance of Exfoliation." A Woman's Health. N.p., 17 May 2013. Web. 21 Sept.

               2015.