by Daniella Di Nenno

Created on: January 14, 2009   Last Updated: August 03, 2009

Exfoliate Your Way To Enviable Skin

There are countless benefits of exfoliating the skin on your face and body. Even though the skin naturally sheds its top layer regularly, the buildup that this process leaves behind can remain in the pores and restricting our moisturizer from absorbing properly into the skin. Without regular exfoliation, the skin can become dry looking and flaky. The good news is that there is smooth, radiant skin below the surface, and all it takes is a good scrub to reveal a more youthful complexion.

Exfoliating improves the texture of your skin, helps to reduce lines and wrinkles, removes pore clogging residue, helps to prevent acne breakouts and makes it easy for your moisturizers to penetrate more deeply into your skin. And if that wasn't great enough, you don't even have to leave your front door to enjoy the exfoliating properties of a great scrub, because many ingredients can be found right in your kitchen.

Here's a list of some of my favorite home made exfoliators, made with natural ingredients that you already have in your home. sI am sharing my secrets with you, so that you too can have smooth glowing skin without having to spend a penny!

Oatmeal Scrub

Combine oatmeal and water into a paste and use as a great mild facial exfoliator for people with sensitive skin or acne and cannot handle the irritation caused by more intensive scrubs. Also great for beginners to the exfoliation process.

Intensive Salt Scrub

For a more coarse formula, scrub sea salt or regular salt on your skin while in the shower. Just be sure to use a good moisturizer afterward because salt can have drying effects on the skin.

Baking Soda Scrub

Combine baking soda and water into a paste and rub into the skin for a convenient scrub that works just like the fine crystals used in professional spa exfoliation procedures.

Sugar Scrubs

A mixture made of sugar and olive oil is another great exfoliant. As well as sugar and honey which infuses skin with honey's softening properties. Sugar and Baby oil is another favorite of mine because the baby oil gets deep into the skin to moisturize while you slough off dead skin cells, so you can have baby smooth skin that is hydrated as well.

Preparation and Exfoliation Process
Cleanse your face with a good cleanser and rinse with warm water. Sometimes I like to steam my face before exfoliating, and I usually exfoliate my body during the last half of my shower when the pores are open due to the warm water and steam. Apply the exfoliator of choice and scrub in a circular motion on the face and body. This process is best done in the shower, because it is very easy to rinse off without mess all over your sink.

Finishing Touches

Once you are done, rinse well, dry-off and apply a good moisturizer to your face and body. It is best to opt for an oil-free formulation so that you don't clog the pores which you have just cleaned so deeply. Choose a creamy, rich moisturizer for aging/dry skin and winter weather or a light gel/mousse formulation for oily/combination skin and for humid summer weather. Once you have moisturized you are now ready to enjoy your smooth, satiny skin.

Exfoliating should be apart of every woman's beauty routine, because it is great for women of every age to renew their skin and help them to age gracefully. Now you see just how easy and convenient it is to use products from your kitchen to make a great quality scrub in the comfort of your own home and with ingredients that you may have previously overlooked. Beauty on a budget doesn't mean you have to sacrifice results, so make an effort to take care of yourself and your skin on a daily basis for enviable skin and renewed self confidence.

Learn more about this author, Daniella Di Nenno.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.