beauty

Do-it-yourself exfoliant

Premise

Who said that exfoliants can only be found in perfumery or herbal medicine? To save a little on the price, and to take advantage of what mother nature provides, you can make do-it-yourself exfoliants, easy to prepare at home and naturally non-invasive.

Step back to understand ...

Before proceeding with the description of the do-it-yourself exfoliants, let's take a step back, briefly recalling what are the most popular types of "classic" exfoliants:
  • Physical exfoliants (also called scrubs): they are extra-fine powders obtained from the grinding of the seeds of some fruits (eg peach, apricot) or from the walnut shell; microspheres obtained from the processing of Jojoba seed, silicon, kaolin, rock alum or pumice stone. The exfoliating action is given by the mechanical rubbing of these microabrasive substances on the skin
  • Chemical exfoliants: alpha-hydroxy acids (eg lactic acid, glycolic acid, mandelic acid), beta-hydroxy acids (eg salicylic acid), vitamin A derivatives (eg tretinonin, retinol) and polyhydroxy acids (eg gluconolactone, lactobionic acid). The exfoliating action is due to the ability to break or prevent the formation of chemical bonds that hold the superficial epidermal cells (corneocytes) together.

Features

Similar to classic exfoliants - be they physical or chemical - the so-called do-it-yourself exfoliants benefit dry, dry and mature skin by removing dead cells from the superficial epidermal layer, while stimulating the physiological cellular turnover (renewal). However, it is important to emphasize that the exfoliating effect of DIY products, however positive, cannot however be compared to the powerful abrasive / lightening action exerted by classic exfoliants (chemists, above all), for which it is necessary to contact personnel specialized.

Advantages

The purpose of DIY exfoliators is to "pamper" the skin, making it smoother, brighter and more elastic. For this reason, do-it-yourself exfoliants are indicated both for skins that are continually subjected to stress and pollution, and for those that are dry and no longer very young.

But what advantages do DIY exfoliants offer? Why prefer them?

  • Cost significantly lower than classic scrubs.
  • Minimal side effects (compared to chemical peeling).
  • They give the skin a luminous, smooth and youthful appearance.
  • The skin appears softer and smoother.
  • Promote cell renewal.
  • They stimulate the microcirculation.
  • Promote the absorption of other active ingredients and nutrients applied immediately after the do-it-yourself exfoliant.
  • They give a pleasant regenerating perception to the skin.

Please note

A do-it-yourself exfoliator should not be used in case of skin diseases: in such circumstances, the doctor's opinion proves to be essential.

Preparation

The homemade preparation of a do-it-yourself exfoliant is a very simple process. Indeed, it is possible to obtain a good product with the use of very few commonly used ingredients.

In this regard, coarse salt, sugar and baking soda are the basic ingredients to prepare a do-it-yourself exfoliant. It takes only a few minutes and some small steps to get surprising benefits.

Immediately after applying the DIY exfoliant, the skin appears smoother, brighter and smoother; after several applications - which should still be performed regularly - the skin will be regenerated, hydrated and rejuvenated.

Now let's see some recipes for the home preparation of a do-it-yourself exfoliant.

Do-it-yourself exfoliant with coarse salt or bicarbonate

The exfoliating effect of coarse salt is encouraged by its mechanical rubbing on the skin.

In the ideal recipe for preparing a do-it-yourself exfoliant with coarse salt, it is advisable to add to the coarse salt a few tablespoons of olive oil or yogurt and a few drops of essential oil.

As an alternative to coarse salt, it is possible to use sodium bicarbonate: the finest and most impalpable granules exert a more delicate exfoliating action than sodium chloride.

Recommendations for the use of DIY Exfoliant for coarse salt

  • Do not exfoliate the skin of the face with a homemade salt scrub.
  • Avoid contact with eyes.
  • Do not apply to the skin in the presence of abrasions, grazes or open wounds.

Sugar Exfoliating Do It Yourself

Both cane sugar and refined sugar can be used to prepare this type of exfoliant.

The do-it-yourself sugar exfoliator is characterized by being effective, delicate and easy to prepare: just mix a few tablespoons of sugar with seed or olive oil (in general it is recommended to mix sugar and oil in a proportion of 2: 1). You can also add a few drops of essential oil.

A do-it-yourself scrub made with cane sugar, in addition to exfoliating through abrasion and rubbing of the product on the skin, also performs a good skin lightening action. In fact, cane sugar contains a fair amount of glycolic acid, an alpha-hydroxy acid used as a lightening and exfoliating cosmetic ingredient (read more: glycolic acid creams).

Sugar exfoliating for the face

Given its delicacy, the do-it-yourself sugar exfoliant is also suitable for scrubbing the face. In this case - in addition to sugar and olive oil - it is advisable to add a part of honey, an ingredient with emollient properties. Once all the ingredients have been mixed, the mixture obtained must be massaged onto the moistened face.

Sugar exfoliating for lips

The DIY exfoliant with sugar is so delicate that it can even be used for the production of exfoliants for the lips.

Using sugar as a basic ingredient, you can add numerous other ingredients depending on the type of scrub you want to make (for example, fruit pulp, essential oils, honey, etc.).

For example, to remove any dry skin from the lips, it is possible to prepare an exfoliant using four parts of cane sugar and two parts of olive oil. Once the ingredients are mixed, the mixture must be applied to the lips with light circular massages and finally rinsed with warm water.

Do-it-yourself coffee exfoliant

The do-it-yourself coffee exfoliant is particularly suitable for carrying out a body scrub which - in addition to exfoliating the skin - can be useful against cellulite. To do this, simply mix coffee powder with sweet almond oil, with the well-known elasticising properties.

Do-it-yourself exfoliant with clay

By removing the dead cells from the stratum corneum, the clay can also be used to exfoliate the skin. However, unlike sugar and coarse salt, clay is not a very common ingredient in kitchens; therefore, the clay scrub - despite being extremely effective - is not a do-it-yourself exfoliator particularly used in the home environment.

Do-it-yourself exfoliant for sensitive skin

Particularly sensitive skins may become irritated following the application of do-it-yourself exfoliants, even if they are delicate like sugar. In these cases, therefore, it is possible to prepare an ultra-delicate DIY exfoliant using rice starch (with soothing and calming properties). A possible recipe involves the use of rice starch and argan oil. Both of these ingredients are readily available in herbal medicine and in specialized shops, both physical and online.

Other ingredients

What other natural ingredients can be used in the preparation of a DIY Exfoliant?

You can enrich a do-it-yourself exfoliant with other natural products: for example, adding the pureed pulp of a cucumber to a homemade scrub base prepared with sugar or coarse salt, you get a do-it-yourself exfoliating exfoliant. The cucumber, in fact, in addition to giving an immediate feeling of freshness, regenerates the skin exercising a good purifying and remineralizing activity.

Similarly, it is possible to prepare an exfoliant from you with antioxidant properties: in this case, the scrub with coarse salt or sugar can be enriched with a few drops of lemon or blueberry juice. Furthermore, citrus juice is a source of citric acid, an alpha-hydroxy acid with a lightening, exfoliating and anti-radical action.

Not to mention, then, the avocado smoothie, an exotic fruit widely used in cosmetics for its extraordinary ability to stimulate cellular turnover. In the unsaponifiable fraction of avocado oil there are functional substances that stimulate the activity of fibroblasts, encouraging collagen synthesis.

For oily and impure skins, it is recommended to prepare a do-it-yourself exfoliant with coarse salt or sugar combined with a few drops of sage, rosemary, eucalyptus, cypress or mint essential oil.

Even the extracts of chamomile and calendula can embellish a "simple" do-it-yourself exfoliant: the soothing active ingredients isolated from these drugs balance the abrasive action exerted by coarse salt or sugar.

Those just described are just a few examples, but you can prepare countless do-it-yourself exfoliants, playing with natural active ingredients, fruit and vegetable smoothies, and so on.

Useful tips

Following are some tips and useful tips to get the best results from the DIY exfoliant and to prevent the occurrence of any side effects.

  • Test the homemade exfoliant on a small area of ​​the forearm. Only in the absence of post-treatment redness and irritation, extend the application of the product to the areas you wish to exfoliate.
  • For a greater abrasive effect, spread the DIY exfoliant with a horsehair glove or with a specific microfibre cloth.
  • Gently massage the DIY exfoliant with circular movements: in this way, the micro-abrasive action of the product is facilitated.
  • Rinse the homemade scrub with warm water only after massaging the product for a couple of minutes.
  • After removing the DIY exfoliant, it is strongly recommended not to rub the skin with a rough towel. Rather, it is advisable to gently dab the skin with a soft cloth.
  • After applying the do-it-yourself exfoliant, it is recommended to spread cosmetic products on the skin with moisturizing properties (eg hyaluronic acid creams) and nourishing. Oils (eg acai oil, sweet almond oil), waxes (jojoba oil, a liquid wax) and butters (eg Shea butter) are also particularly suitable for nourishing the skin naturally after exfoliating treatment. .
  • To obtain benefits even in the long term, it is necessary to regularly apply the DIY exfoliant on the skin (at least once a week).