STOP! Exfoliate & Listen

Hello There,

This is a step that most people neglect and the one thing that bothers me is when I have a customer or a freelance, and I ask them how they would describe their skin, and I get responses like “my skin is normal but a little dry or dehydrated. My makeup tends to sit on these dry patches here a lot”

Those dry patches! They are the problem here.

So I ask if they exfoliate and when they say no, I want to lose my mind.

How do you not exfoliate your skin! It’s so important if you want to have smooth skin.

It’s vital to exfoliate because it helps you remove any dead skin cells or any old skin cells, rather on the surface of your skin.

There are also so many solutions out there , you can invest in a good scrub and do the treatment yourself at home and then there are spa’s or places you can go to, that will do this for you. Either way - JUST DO IT! It will be the best thing you can do for your skin!

You don’t have to have dry skin to exfoliate - exfoliation is good for all skin types so long as you don’t over do it because that’s when you begin to strip the layers on your skin, exposing your skin to bacteria.

With exfoliation it is important to remember to choose an exfoliator that is not too harsh on your skin but still removes all the necessary dirt and grime.

I don’t have dry skin. I have oily to dehydrated skin and I still totally rely on exfoliation, at least twice a week. I have to exfoliate my nose specifically because I tend to get a lot of build up around my nose, and then I just kind of go over the rest of skin -to remove any dead skin cells that may be hanging around.

I have used many scrubs and exfoliators and I have found a few that I personally love but I do want to share with you all, the different kinds of scrubs or exfoliators out there and possibly help you find a method that works best for you and your skin.

Firstly I want to discuss my personal favourites and then we explore all the different ways you can go about exfoliating your skin.

Mineralize Volcanic Ash Exfoliator - MAC Cosmetics

I love Mineralize Volcanic Ash because it SCRUBS! It gets out dirt on your face that has been clogging your pores since the 5th grade! It is a much coarser grain of scrub and it was super harsh and intense and really sore when I used it for the very first time but hell it was well worth it.

Volcanic Ash is specifically targeted at textured skin but everyone can pretty much use it.

It’s a dual product - meaning it cleanses and exfoliates the skin.

The benefits of this scrub is that it will of course exfoliate the skin, smooth out skin (which is why it is targeted at Textured skin types), it aids in hydration, helps to control oil (which is why I use it because my nose is an oil production factory).

It contains natural Volcanic Ash and is mineral rich to help unclog pores and cleanse the skin.

The way in which I use this is I will dampen my skin with Lukewarm water - I will squeeze out a blob about the size of a 50c piece and then lather it up in my fingers (this scrub is a foaming scrub so you can achieve a good lather) and then using circular motions and medium pressure I will scrub the area around my nose and then smooth it out over my cheeks (these are my problematic areas) sometimes I will leave the scrub on to settle for a few minutes, kind of like a volcanic ash nose mask, and then remove it because you can do that with this product.

Once I feel I have scrubbed enough I will then rinse off again with Lukewarm water.

Straight away after drying my skin I will put a mask on immediately (any mask that you love) I will leave the mask on for about 15 mins and then remove it and moisturize my skin directly after that, and of course you can use your favourite moisturizer to do this.

I limited my exfoliation routine to about twice a week so (especially with something as tough as this product) as to not strip my skin too much and I would probably (out of my own experiences) recommend the same - twice to three times a week is enough.

Price: R530.00

Qty: 100ml

MAC Cosmetics PFSS

MAC Cosmetics Online

Pure Sugar Scrub/Exfoliant - L'Oreal

The L’Oreal scrub is a recent find and even though I have not been using it long it has quickly become a favourite in my skincare regime.

There are three different flavors that give four different solutions according to your skin needs. I have used the Kiwi and Cocoa flavours thus far and my favourite one has to be the Kiwi. This particular flavour is targeted at blackhead prone skin (which is moi!) and then it also helps to purify the skin and unclog pores. The Kiwi one is also more coarse than the Cocoa one which is more for Dry Skin types as it is meant to nourish the skin. It still exfoliates but it isn't as "scrubby" as the Kiwi one.

The sugar is super refined so it isn’t harsh on your skin at all but it still is really great at removing the dead skin cells. The thing though about this scrub is that it is heat activated - which means that the minute you begin to rub the product into your skin it begins to feel warm, almost hot, to a point. It is the weirdest feeling but it helps to dissolve the sugars because essentially that’s what is suppose to happen. The more you rub the product into the skin the quicker it dissolves, once dissolved it feels like a gel on the skin.

What you do is, you scoop out the scrub and again begin to move the scrub in circular motions over your skin (I can do this all over my face because it is gentle enough to use everywhere and also on a more daily basis) - but I will apply more pressure around my nose as that is where I need it most) and as you begin working it in, over time the sugars dissolve leaving a Gel like consistency on the skin which is why it hydrates and moisturizes your skin. What is also really great about this scrub is that you can use it as a lip exfoliator as well because it is gentle enough to use on your lips without pulling or hurting them so that’s already an extra point for me when it comes to this scrub.

I then rinse it off with Lukewarm water and continue on with my mask and moisturizer routines as usual.

Price: R127.00

Qty: 48g

Clicks, Dischem & Edgars Cosmetics

Exfoliating Face Scrub - Isabella Garcier

I have used this scrub on and off before in the past and it really all depends on when I can get my hands on it, it is sometimes hard to come by.

This exfoliant is a great in between of all the exfoliators that I have mentioned already. It is suitable for all skin types except for Sensitive Skin types.

It contains Apricot Kernels which help to exfoliate the skin, and I love that it is a natural exfoliant and not a small plastic bead or something that isn't biodegradable. The scrub contains emollients that assist in keeping your skin feeling soft and supple. I love the scent of this product because it smells fruity but it isn't overwhelmingly citrusy. The texture of the exfoliant overall is quite thick and super rich which means for those of you who have dry skin, you will love this.

I love that this scrub comes in a squeeze tube - I do prefer tubes to jars because then I know I am dispensing the right amount of product as appose to digging it out the jar (just saying), as usual I just work it over my nose and then whatever is left on my finger tips I circulate it over the rest of my face. This exfoliator does feel more coarse than the L'oreal Pure Sugar but it isn't as coarse as the Volcanic Ash one, which is why it is a great in betweener for me.

I then rinse it off with Lukewarm water and continue on with my mask and moisturizer routines as usual.

Price: R243.00

Qty: 50ml

Isabella Garcier Online

DIY Scrubs & Exfoliators

There are more natural, DIY remedies at home that you can create yourself using coarse salt or sugar granules and there are tons of recipes on the internet.

My favourite place to go is of course Pinterest because they have so many recipes and easy to follow DIY instructions to follow with great product recommendations.

​Cleansing/Exfoliating Brushes

Another great way to exfoliate is through a mechanical brush. I use the Sonic Purifying Cleansing Brush system from Clinique. It is basically a vibrating brush with interchangeable heads that have different strengths in bristles. I have the original head but they have different types of heads for different skin concerns so be sure to check which head will best suit your skin. Each type of bristle is placed in the head in a specific way for specific purposes and it allows you to cleanse and exfoliate different areas of your skin effectively.

This is much more expensive brush in comparison but there are cheaper brushes that are just as effective that you can use- but these are basically the more manual - do it yourself.

Price: R780.00 (brush) - R750.00 (head)

Qty: Brush, Head & Charging Dock

Clinique Counters

Clinique Online

Professional Services

If you are looking for something more chemical then a good spa treatment is needed. You can book an appointment and just ask the specialist what you need and also just take the time to educate yourself. Normally after you have completed the select service with the therapist - they do recommend products that you can use at home and they are available for purchase at the Spa.

Thank for taking the time to read through these suggestions, I trust you will find these useful. Another thing to remember is to also do your own research and see what works best for you.

Don't forget to check out our other blogs available here! Until then...

Have a fantastic day!