facialExfoliation is one of the healthiest things you can do for your skin. Studies show that the skin regenerates after approximately 30 days. If these old cells are not eliminated from the surface of the skin, their accumulation leads to tired-looking skin that has a dull appearance.

Additionally, such skin is often blemished and starts to form scales. Exfoliation works to remove these old skin cells, thus allowing the skin to retain a youthful glowing look.Exfoliation also has the advantage of unclogging the skin’s pores, allowing it to breathe easily. This is beneficial because when you apply moisturizing lotion on the skin, the unclogged pores allow the ingredients to penetrate into the skin.

To ensure that you get the best of exfoliation procedures for your skin, it is important to make sure that your homemade remedies also include a moisturizing agent. This is vital to prevent the skin from drying as well as getting irritated. Below are some of the simplest yet most effective remedies for natural exfoliation.

NOTE: As a a general guide, the number of times you exfoliate will be dependent on the type of skin you have. For those with normal skin, exfoliation may be done twice or thrice weekly, while those with dry skin must not exfoliate more than twice weekly. Sensitive skin has best results when exfoliated once weekly. For the purposes of this post, the remedies below will indicate the frequency of exfoliation for normal skin.


1. Homemade Sugar Skin Scrub:

Time Required: 45 Min
What You Need: 1 Cup of sugar (preferably granulated), 1/4 cup olive oil, bowl, wooden stick, and glass container for storage. 10 drop essential oil of your choice.
Difficulty: Easy

 

Granulated sugar is an excellent choice of ingredient in this homemade scrub because its coarseness helps get rid of old skin cells, leaving behind smooth glowing skin. In addition to this, sugar is rich in glycolic acid which boosts the production of new skin cells. Olive oil is added, both for its moisturization properties as well as for its ability to improve the texture of the skin. The oil is also packed with antioxidants whose action in eliminating free radicals goes a long way in reducing the aged appearance of dull skin.

Essential oils, while optional, are recommended for their calming fragrance that enhances the exfoliation process. You may use chamomile oil for its soothing properties, or opt for orange oil thanks to its fresh citrusy scent that soothes the skin and acts as a stress reliever. Below are the steps that you need to follow when preparing this homemade sugar skin scrub.

Additional tips for the preparation of this homemade scrub:

  • Olive oil may be substituted using almond, coconut or canola oil.
  • In case you are preparing body scrub, you may replace granulated sugar with sea salt.
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice may be used in place of the essential oil as it is packed with antioxidants whose anti-ageing properties make it an ideal replacement.

Directions:

  1. Place the sugar in the bowl and pour in the olive oil followed by the essential oil.
  2. Use the wooden stick to mix the ingredients until you have a consistent paste.
  3. Divide the scrub into two portions so that you have the amount of scrub you need for this particular procedure as well as for storage purposes.
  4. Store the remaining sugar scrub in the glass jar.
  5. Use this scrub on the skin (most common parts of the body include the face, hands, knees, feet and elbows among others) at least twice weekly.
  6. After applying, massage the scrub in circular motions to get the best results. At this point, you must avoid scrubbing damaged skin (this is skin that is cut, broken, burned or injured) to prevent further irritation.
  7. Wipe the scrub off the skin using a wet washcloth and proceed to rinse with warm water.
  8. Apply an appropriate skin moisturizer to hydrate the skin.

 


2. Oatmeal Facial Scrub:

Time Required: 30 Min
What You Need: 1 Tablespoon of ground oatmeal, 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda, and warm water.
Difficulty: Easy

 

Oatmeal is a gentle exfoliator and this makes it ideal for those with sensitive skin. Its anti-inflammatory properties, coupled with its moisturizing characteristics ensure that the skin is rejuvenated and retains its smooth texture. Baking soda is a popular home remedy for exfoliation as it helps to maintain the skin’s natural pH balance during exfoliation. This mixture is a simple and effective home remedy for the process of exfoliation. Follow the directions below to prepare this scrub.

Directions:

  1. Mix the oatmeal with the baking soda and stir well until the two are well-mixed.
  2. Add warm water in drops in order to create a paste.
  3. Apply the paste on your face and massage gently for about 5 minutes.
  4. Rinse with warm water and pat dry before applying a skin moisturizer.
  5. Use this remedy at least twice weekly.

 


3. Cucumber:

Time Required: 30 Min
What You Need: Fresh cucumber (number of cucumbers is dependent on the area of the skin to be scrubbed).
Difficulty: Easy

 

Cucumber has long been used for its immense benefits on the skin as far as adding moisture is concerned. One of the easiest remedies to prepare, cucumber also has a cooling effect on the skin and allows the skin to get rejuvenated. All you need for this remedy is fresh cucumber(s) and warm water to rinse the skin.

Directions:

  1. Wash the cucumber before use and then peel it.
  2. Mash the cucumber flesh until you have a gooey substance which is what you will use as a scrub.
  3. Apply the mashed cucumber on the skin and massage in upward circular motions using your fingertips.
  4. Do this for 20 minutes before rinsing using warm water.
  5. Apply a skin moisturizer to seal in the remedy’s effects. Use this at least twice weekly.

 


4. Avocado and Oatmeal Scrub:

Time Required: 30 Min
What You Need: 1 Ripe avocado, 1/2 cup of oatmeal, 3 drops of raw organic honey, and warm water to rinse.
Difficulty: Easy

 

Avocado is a creamy fleshy fruit that is not only delicious to taste, but also has immense benefits on the skin. This popular fruit is rich in Vitamins that help the skin rejuvenate and attain a smooth texture. Oatmeal on the other hand, is a gentle exfoliator that works well in allowing for skin cell regeneration. Mix the two and you have a potent remedy that ensures your skin remains soft, supple and moisturized after every weekly exfoliation. Follow the directions below to get the best of this home remedy.

Directions:

  1. Peel the avocado and get rid of the seed before scooping the fleshy part into a bowl.
  2. Mash the avocado until you have a creamy paste.
  3. Add the oatmeal and drizzle the honey on the mixture.
  4. Mix the ingredients some more until you get the desired consistency.
  5. Apply the scrub on your skin and use it to scrub or 20 minutes.
  6. Rinse the scrub using warm water before applying a skin moisturizer. Use this remedy thrice weekly to get best results after exfoliation.

 


5. Banana Scrub:

Time Required: 30 Min
What You Need: 2 Ripe bananas, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and cool water to rinse. Honey (optional).
Difficulty: Easy

 

Bananas are a popular fruit across the world, but did you know that they also make for excellent exfoliation scrubs? That’s right, the pulp of the banana fruit, mixed with sugar granules, helps get rid of dead skin cells when scrubbed on the face. Banana also has a mild aroma that results in a refreshing exfoliation process. Honey is added for its humectant properties that help the skin retain moisture and prevent drying. Below are the steps you need to prepare banana scrub.

Directions:

  1. Peel the two bananas and mash in a bowl until you have a coarse consistent paste.
  2. Add the sugar to the mashed bananas before drizzling the honey and mixing some more.
  3. Massage this fruity scrub on your skin for 20 minutes or so and then rinse using cool water.
  4. Slather a generous amount of moisturizing lotion on your skin to lock in the positive effects.

 


6. Pawpaw and Curd Scrub:

Time Required: 40 Min
What You Need: 1 Cup of ripe pawpaw, 2 tablespoons of hung curd, a few drops of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of honey, and cool water to rinse.
Difficulty: Easy

 

Ripe pawpaw is rich in proteolytic enzymes that help break down the old skin cells during exfoliation. This eases the process of skin cell regeneration giving way to smooth youthful skin. Curd, which is obtained from milk, is rich in proteins that nourish the skin and help in maintaining its health. A mixture of pawpaw and curd works excellently in scrubbing the skin. Prepare the remedy as follows.

Directions:

  1. Peel and remove the seeds from the pawpaw fruit before cutting half of it.
  2. Chop the pawpaw into small pieces and add the curd before mashing the ingredients together.
  3. Add the lemon juice and honey before mashing some more.
  4. Apply the scrub on your skin in circular motions using your fingertips.
  5. Leave the mixture on for 20 minutes and then rinse using cool water.
  6. Apply a moisturizing lotion on the skin. Use this remedy twice daily.

 


7. Honey and Orange Peels Scrub:

Time Required: 30 Min
What You Need: 1/2 Cup each of ground orange peel and oats, 2 tablespoons of raw honey, and warm water.
Difficulty: Easy

 

Orange peels are rich in Vitamin C, and this is what makes them ideal for the preparation of homemade scrubs. When mixed with oats, the coarse consistency comes in handy in eliminating old skin cells. Honey is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal in nature, which means it is an effective remedy in getting rid of skin infections and reducing skin breakouts as is the case with acne. In addition, honey also has great moisturizing properties that make it easy to add to any of the aforementioned homemade scrubs. Mix the orange peels with oats as indicated below.

Directions:

  1. Mix the orange peel powder with the oats before adding the honey.
  2. Adjust the consistency of the scrub to your preferred state by adding warm water.
  3. Apply the scrub on clean skin and stroke gently in upward motions for best results.
  4. Let the scrub remain on the skin for some 30 minutes before rinsing.
  5. Dry the skin and finish off by applying a skin moisturizer.

 


8. Fenugreek Seeds:

Time Required: 30 Min
What You Need: 1/2 Cup of fenugreek seeds, warm water, and blender.
Difficulty: Easy

 

Fenugreek seeds are a handy home remedy whenever you need to exfoliate your skin. This scrub is recommended for those who get whiteheads regularly, and who would like to use a gentle scrub on the skin. To get the best of this remedy, you need to blend and mix with water to get a paste-like substance as described below.

Directions:

  1. Place the seeds in a blender and add some water to ease the blending process. Add the water little by little.
  2. Blend for a few minutes before transferring to a bowl.
  3. Apply the paste on the skin and scrub for a few minutes.
  4. Rinse the skin using warm water and finish off with your daily skin routine.

 


Other homemade scrubs that you can prepare for exfoliation purposes include the following combinations: Lavender-coffee-sugar scrub, lemon-honey scrub, oatmeal-kefir scrub as well as apple-oatmeal scrub. In addition to exfoliation using the above scrubs, it helps to know that the environment does play a key role in clogging the skin pores. Avoid staying out too long in the sun or in polluted areas as this nullifies the progress made with your skin care routine.

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