Natural Skin Exfoliants
No matter what our skin care routine or the types of products we choose to use, there is one product that simply cannot be overlooked when it comes to great skin that is smooth and healthy, with an enlivened, translucent glow?and that is an effective and natural facial exfoliant!
Why Exfoliate?
Exfoliating is an essential step toward truly healthy looking skin.
Every skin type, whether it is oily, dry, a combination, young, mature or normal and perfectly functioning, will greatly benefit from a regular exfoliation treatment.
The benefits of exfoliating include:
- Promotes an immediately smoother, brighter complexion that glows with freshness and vitality.
- De-flakes and polishes away dull surface cells to reveal smooth, soft new skin.
- Removes epithelial buildup, which prevents pore congestion, that can otherwise lead to breakouts.
Types of Exfoliants
'Mechanical' Exfoliants
These are exfoliants based on granules being the active ingredient.
With most mechanical exfoliants, one simply applies a small amount of the chosen product to dampened skin and rolls the fingertips over the skin in circular motions, spreading and gently rubbing the exfoliant evenly over the skin?s surface. 30 seconds to 1 minute should be ample time to cover the entire face and neck.
One may wish to concentrate a little more on acne and blackhead-prone areas such as the t-zone, however dry skin areas should be given adequate attention to effectively remove the dull, flaky skin cells and allow more moisture-filled, moisture absorbing cells to come to the surface.
If time is a factor, most mechanical exfoliating treatments can be easily carried out whilst you shower!
'Enzyme' Exfoliants
Fruit enzyme peels are a gentle and natural skin exfoliant but as they are often quite acidic, they are best performed by a qualified esthetician who can assess and prepare your skin correctly for the treatment, as well as quickly identify any signs of irritation and act accordingly.
There are some over-the-counter options for fruit enzyme peels. However, these are often not concentrated enough in enzymes to have any marked effect on the skin.
Generally, enzyme based natural exfoliants are applied to cleansed skin then left in place for a certain period of time and finally rinsed off.
As enzyme exfoliants can be on the acidic side, they are often followed with some type of neutralizing lotion.
'Alpha-Hydroxy Acid' Exfoliants
Alpha-hydroxy acid exfoliants are really a type of low grade chemical peel. Although they are considered a natural facial exfoliant (because they are usually derived from fruit acids), they are quite harsh and can leave the skin in a vulnerable state for quite some time.
AHA peels are usually applied to the skin, left for a period of time and then rinsed off. We do not recommend this type of exfoliant. More information about this below.
What Exfoliant to Use
We do many things to our skin with a huge number of products, some that can have wonderfully rejuvenating effects, others that can cause serious irritation, and those that, well, simply don't live up to the hype.
The key to deciding which exfoliant is right for your skin is to be sure it is has the least potential to irritate while being the most effective at producing the optimum results you desire.
Alchemilla's recommendation is an at-home exfoliant that is a gentle, natural, mechanical facial exfoliant with smooth and uniform exfoliating granules. We have specially created Exfoliating Face Wash Cream for this purpose.
Exfoliating Face Wash Cream is one of the most effective yet gentlest exfoliants available today. With this product you receive INSTANT GRATIFICATION! After just one use, even the most sensitive skin types enjoy the incredible smoothness and glow of their skin and the fact that their skin actually feels moisturized, not stripped.
For a more professional facial treatment, we recommend a natural enzyme mask. Speak to your facialist about the Alchemilla "Professionals Only" Fruit Enzyme Exfoliating Mask.
How Often to Exfoliate
The frequency of exfoliating treatments really depends upon personal preference as well as how resilient the skin is to such treatments.
For optimal skin condition, one should exfoliate at least once per week, but preferably every second day, or every day if the product is a mild granule-based product.
In general: Oily or less sensitive skin types can exfoliate every day, or every second day, and sensitive skin types should generally limit treatments to once, maybe twice per week depending on how their skin responds to the product they are using.
Shop for:
Natural Skin Care Products >
Exfoliating Face Wash Cream >
|
