by Tiffany Dixon

Created on: May 13, 2010

It's the weather, everyday pollutants and even stress that combine and bring a dull appearance to our skin. That's right, just day to day living can do this to our skin.

But, you can have younger, fresher looking skin with exfoliation. Your new skin is hiding under just one layer of the dead skin tissues. Exfoliating will gently remove this top layer of skin by using mild, abrasive materials.

There are generally two different means of brightening your skin through exfoliation.

First is chemical exfoliation, where different acids and enzymes are used to peel away the old, dead skin tissue.

Mechanical exfoliation scrubs off the dull-looking skin tissue using mild abrasives such as salt scrubs and other natural abrasives.

There are some issues when it comes to skin exfoliation.

It needs to be a very gentle process, especially for people with super-sensitive skin. You also want to take care not to over-exfoliate because then skin cells will thin out and this will exacerbate the issue by making the skin tissue age at an ever faster rate.

The ideal amount that you should exfoliate skin is about every 10 days. Excessive exfoliation of the skin, especially in the harsh summer months will leave your skin susceptible to over exposure of the sun's harmful rays. This could cause burning and the sun is a number one skin aging agent.

Chemical exfoliation is not something you can do on your own. This is a treatment that should only be performed by a certified, professional esthetician. Chemical exfoliation will leave your skin red and puffy for the first few hours and for some a couple of days.

If you're ready to bring out your inner glow and spend pennies to do so you can make your own exfoliating scrubs at home. These natural scrubs will give your skin a glowing and youthful appearance by gently scrubbing away dead skin cells.

You can use ingredients that you probably already have in the pantry.

One simple scrub for face and body is to mix coarse oatmeal with orange juice.

Sea salt and lemon juice is another simple scrub you can make at home.

Grinding almonds and mixing with hone is a superb natural exfoliating scrub. Almond oil is a great complexion booster, while honey lightens skin and removes blemishes.

For those that have dry skin, a super exfoliating scrub is olive oil and coarse sugar.

You will never be sweeter or have a more beautiful glow to your skin.

Exfoliation should be part of anyones regular skin care regime. You can uncover the hidden, youthful beauty just under the skin.

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