Exfoliating is a crucial step in your skincare routine whether you have oily, dry, normal or sensitive skin. It removes the top layer of dead skin cells and unclogs pores to reveal smooth, glowing skin. But how do you achieve that perfect complexion with an exfoliator?
An exfoliating scrub uses refined grains (usually natural) to remove dead skin cells and unclogs pores. It may seem like another skincare product, but it’s pretty effective. This blog post will take you through everything you need about exfoliating scrubs and how to use them safely at home.
What Is An Exfoliating Scrub?
An exfoliating scrub is a skincare product that removes the dead cells from your skin’s surface. It helps with cell turnover by encouraging new skin cells to grow, leaving your skin smoother and brighter. An exfoliating scrub is not to be confused with a chemical exfoliant, often used by professionals in a beauty salon.
How Does An Exfoliating Scrub Work?
You might not know how scrubs work and whether it’s even worth using one. Only a fragile layer of dead skin cells sits on the surface of your skin. If you don’t remove this layer regularly, it will build up, clogging your pores and causing blackheads, breakouts, and dull, flaky skin.
Exfoliating scrubs help remove the top layer of dead skin cells and unclog pores. This leaves your skin smooth, fresh, and glowing. While exfoliating, you may feel a slight tingling as your pores get opened, and your skin’s circulation is boosted.
Some scrub formulas contain gently exfoliating ingredients, such as alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) or naturally derived marine micro-organisms.
How To Use An Exfoliating Scrub?
After cleansing your skin, apply the scrub to your face or body in gentle circular motions, avoiding the eye area. Allow the scrub to sit on your skin for a few minutes before rinsing away. Your skin will feel soft and smooth, and your pores will be clean and unclogged.
If you have dry or sensitive skin, you should only use an exfoliating scrub once a week. If you have oily or acne-prone skin, you should use it twice a week. If you have normal skin, you can use an exfoliating scrub daily.
Before using an exfoliating scrub, you should cleanse your skin to remove dirt, grime, and excess oil. Exfoliating while your skin is still dirty could irritate it. Be sure to use a gentle, non-drying cleanser to remove impurities without stripping your skin of its natural oils.
5 Best Exfoliating Scrubs That Will Give You a Glowing Skin
Several exfoliating scrubs are available in the market, but not all are suitable for all skin types. We ensured that we compiled the list with scrubs containing the best ingredients to boost your skin’s glow. Reviews and price were other criteria we used in compiling this list.
Without further ado, here is the best exfoliating scrub you need.
Cetaphil Extra Gentle Daily Scrub
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The beauty powerhouse Cetaphil tops this list with a gentle scrub suitable for sensitive skin types. It is a water-based exfoliant with small fine particles that are tough on dirt and dead skin cell but mild enough to enhance the rate of cell growth.
You can also benefit from using this scrub in the long run since its content can help keep acne and fine lines at bay.
Skinceuticals Micro-Exfoliating Scrub
Natural microbeads are the star of this scrub, as it gently smoothens the skin by whisking away dead skin cells. The brand also ensures the scrub is mild by adding aloe vera, so it’s great for all skin types unless your skin is ultra-sensitive.
Kate Somerville Exfolikate Intensive Pore Exfoliating Treatment
This exfoliating scrub not only removes dead skin cells but also boosts the production of skin cells with its active ingredient lineup, including vitamin E, fruit enzyme and lactic acid. So, you can expect to see glowing skin with even continued use.
UpCircle Coffee Face Scrub Citrus Blend for Dry Skin
If you are a fan of vegan products, you will love this all-natural formula from UpCircle. It contains jojoba oil, an excellent moisturizing ingredient, and coffee grounds for their exfoliating power.
St Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub
This scrub is one of the most popular options from the reviews the product keeps receiving. It is also budget-friendly for the list of effective ingredients packed into the scrub. While apricot fruit extracts dominate all other elements, it also contains corn kernel meal and walnut powder that will help you deeply exfoliate your skin.
Tips When Using An Exfoliating Scrub
- Avoid the eye area – Exfoliating scrubs can cause stinging or burning if you get them in your eyes. Rinse your face with clean water if you get any product in your eyes.
- Remove dead skin cells – Exfoliating scrubs remove the dead skin cells from your skin’s surface, leaving you with smooth and fresh-looking skin. It would be best if you did this thrice a week to prevent breakouts and blackheads.
- Use gentle pressure – Exfoliating scrubs are not meant for vigorous scrubbing. It will help if you use gentle pressure to prevent irritation.
- Avoid sensitive areas – Most exfoliating scrubs are safe for all skin types, but it’s best to avoid sensitive areas like your eye and mouth.
- Choose a formula suited to your skin type – There are many different formulas for exfoliating scrubs, so it’s essential to choose one tailored to your skin type.
- Re-hydrate your skin – Exfoliating scrubs can leave your skin feeling tight, so use a hydrating toner after you cleanse your face.
What are the Benefits of Exfoliating?
If one skincare step is a must-do, it’s exfoliation. This is the process of removing the outermost layer of dead skin cells, revealing the younger and healthier skin hiding underneath. Exfoliation also unclogs your pores, which is especially useful if you have oily or acne-prone skin.
Exfoliating also allows your moisturizers and serums to penetrate your skin more effectively and leaves you with a brighter and more radiant glow. Exfoliating is also a great way to get rid of acne scars.
Exfoliating helps prevent breakouts, which is why it’s an essential part of any skincare routine for those with acne-prone skin. Likewise, those with dry or sensitive skin will also experience many of these benefits.
How DIY an Exfoliating Scrub
What you need: – 1 Cup Sugar – If you have dry or sensitive skin, go for unrefined sugar, which is much gentler on your skin. Other types of sugar might be too rough.
– 1/2 Cup Salt – Another excellent exfoliant. Salt is a great choice for those with acne-prone skin. – 1/2 Cup Coffee grounds – A great way to get rid of dark spots and pigmentation. But only use it if you have dry or normal skin.
– 1/2 Cup Coconut or Olive Oil – A great moisturizer and an excellent ingredient for an exfoliating scrub. – 1/2 Cup Your favourite Herbs – Mint, rosemary, lavender, and chamomile are all great choices.
To make -Gather all the ingredients and mix until it combines. Store it in a glass container. You can also choose to use a store-bought exfoliating scrub as well.
Why use an Exfoliating Scrub?
Exfoliating scrubs are an excellent choice for those with dry or sensitive skin. It’s a gentler way to slough off the dead cells and eliminate any excess oil, dirt, and impurities that build up in your pores.
This helps to prevent breakouts and blackheads. Exfoliating scrubs come in all shapes and sizes, so you can go for one with a little more grit if you have oily skin. Exfoliating scrubs are a great way to improve your skincare products.
If you have sensitive skin, you can safely choose a gentler formula to add as part of your skincare routine.
Are There Different Types Of Scrubs?
There are two types of exfoliating scrub – manual and chemical.
Manual Scrub – A manual scrub uses fine granules like apricot kernels or nut shells to exfoliate dead skin cells from your skin’s surface. It’s handy for sensitive skin and is suitable for daily use.
Chemical Scrub – A chemical scrub contains alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), which exfoliate dead skin cells and unclog pores. It’s ideal for all skin types and can be used twice weekly.
Which is the Best Exfoliating Scrub for you?
As this is a very subjective topic, there is no perfect formula to find the best exfoliating scrub for you. It all depends on the results you want to achieve and the ingredients you want your scrub to contain.
If you have acne-prone skin, you’ll want to choose something with ingredients like rosewood, sandalwood, almond, or walnut shell extracts. To address hyperpigmentation, you can go for coffee grounds or cocoa powder.
And if you have dry skin, you can go for ingredients like almond oil, coconut oil, and jojoba oil. You can opt for a gentler scrub with all-natural ingredients if you have sensitive skin. This will be free of harsh chemicals that further irritate your skin and cause redness.
Alternatively, you can also go for an exfoliating toner or face wash.
The Best Ingredients for Making Your Exfoliating Scrub
Sugar: Sugar is an excellent ingredient for an exfoliating scrub. It’s a fantastic all-natural exfoliator that’s gentle on the skin and works to remove dead skin cells and excess oil.
Salt: Another excellent ingredient for an exfoliating scrub. It’s the perfect ingredient if you have acne-prone skin.
Oil: Oils like jojoba and coconut are great for moisturizing and balancing the skin’s pH. They’re beneficial if you have acne-prone skin. Coconut oil also happens to contain lauric acid, which fights off harmful bacteria and helps to regulate the production of sebum. –
Coffee grounds: They’re excellent for removing dark spots and pigmentation. Coffee grounds are perfect for those who have dry or normal skin.
Herbs: Herbs like peppermint, chamomile, and rosemary are great for soothing your skin and reducing redness.
Optional: Essential oils like orange or coconut are great for sensitive skin.
Which Exfoliating Scrub Should you Pick?
When choosing the best exfoliating scrub, you should choose one with all-natural ingredients, preferably coconut oil or jojoba. You can either go for a scrub with coffee grounds or mix coffee grounds with another element like salt or sugar.
If you have sensitive skin, you can go for a gentler scrub with no or very few ingredients. You can also choose to go for an exfoliating toner, which is like a more delicate version of a scrub. You can opt for an exfoliating scrub with a little more grit if you have oily skin.
This will help to get rid of excess oils and impurities that have built up in your pores. If you have combination skin, you can go for an exfoliating scrub with ingredients that help balance your skin.
Final Words
Exfoliating scrubs use refined grains to remove dead skin cells and unclog pores. It’s an essential step in your skincare routine and should be used at least once a week. Many methods can achieve exfoliating, but a store-bought scrub is the easiest and most convenient way to achieve beautiful, healthy skin.
Choose a scrub formula suited to your skin type and apply it in gentle circular motions. Remember not to scrub too hard, and don’t forget to re-hydrate your skin after cleansing.
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