If you’re looking for soft, smooth, clear and bright skin - add exfoliation to your organic skincare routine.
Exfoliating your skin can be done a couple of times a week, ideally in the evening after using a natural cleanser. Most people benefit from exfoliation but I would avoid it if you have rosacea or if you have very sensitive skin.
Exfoliating is a key step to keeping your skin looking bright and clear but it’s also a skincare step that can often be too harsh and can end up damaging our skin.
If you are of a certain age, you may remember an apricot facial scrub that was very popular in the 80’s and 90’s. It was very ‘scrubby’ and this was due to the tiny pieces of ground up apricot stones it contained.
Even now, many people still think that this abrasiveness is what makes a good facial exfoliator - but abrasive exfoliation can do our skin more damage than good.
Harsh, abrasive exfoliation can cause tiny micro tears in the skin. These can then lead to inflammation, can make our skin become more sensitive and can upset our skin’s natural barrier.
These abrasive exfoliants often come from fruit stones or nut shells and are irregular in shape.
When you are looking for an organic face scrub, look for one that contains natural, more gentle exfoliating particles.
My favourite ingredient to use in my facial scrubs recipes, come from jojoba wax. These are totally spherical and don’t feel ‘scrubby’ as they gently glide over your skin and polish it.
Don’t take their smoothness as being ineffective. In my opinion, they are one of the best exfoliating grains you can use and in my face scrub recipe Scrub Up, I like to combine them with fruit acids.
This is because certain fruits contain gently dissolving enzymes. For example papaya, which you can find in my facial scrub Scrub Up - contains an enzyme called papain, which gently dissolves dead, dull skin - helping to make skin look brighter, clearer and feel smoother and softer.
Certain fruits are also full of skin-loving natural acids (also known as alpha hydroxy acids – which are then often shortened to AHAs). These fruit acids help our skin in different ways. Malic and Tartaric acids help to boost skin elasticity; Lactic acid helps to moisturise the skin, Glycolic softens the skin whilst Citric helps to stimulate collagen synthesis. The fruits containing these include bilberries (wild blueberries), lemons and oranges as well as from sugar cane and maple.
Twice weekly exfoliation at night can help to gently dissolve dead, dull, dry and flaky skin and clear congested skin. As a result your skin will look and feel softer, smoother, brighter, clearer and in addition, it can help improve the absorption of the best face oils, serums or moisturising creams you use.
Exfoliation is useful at all times of the year, but if you haven’t tried exfoliating before and have started to notice your skin looking dull and gloomy, Winter is the perfect time to start.
Every batch of my natural exfoliator, Scrub Up contains the best ingredients to help brighten, clear, soften and smooth your skin.
I mix papaya and natural fruit acids with jojoba grains. I stir these into a gel made with organic rose petals and cypress water (great for clearing congested skin) and skin calming organic neroli water. Finally I whisk in organic thistle and jojoba oils chosen for their balancing and cleansing properties.
This is your recipe for clear, bright, soft and smooth skin.