Face it: We all have those spa products we receive as gifts but never use. You may have a thing of body scrub sitting unopened at home right this very moment.
What’s the deal with body scrub, anyway? Is it really all its cracked up to be?
If you’re wondering how to use body scrub, it CAN improve the appearance of your skin. But how? Read on to find out how to exfoliate with body scrub right at home!
What Are the Benefits of Body Scrub?
When dead cells build up on our skin, it can result in dryness and flakiness. Exfoliating away these dead cells allows the skin to regenerate new cells. This leaves skin looking fresh, healthier, and more radiant.
But that’s not all. As body scrub exfoliates away dead skin cells, it also helps to break down toxins. As a result, circulation improves, allowing new cells to regenerate and hydrate faster.
Improve the Overall Appearance of Your Skin
Body scrub can pick up dirt and bacteria, helping to unclog pores. This helps reduce post-breakout marks and signs of irritation. It can also help blemishes to heal and go away faster.
Whether you tan from the sun or use a self-tanner, exfoliating can help you retain your color for longer. As you remove dead cells from your skin, new cells are better able to absorb sunlight. These newer cells are also able to absorb self-tanner more efficiently.
As you exfoliate, you can also help ingrown hairs break through the skin more easily.
Promote Your Health & Well-Being
Our skin can lose its natural color as the result of hormonal changes, age, and poor lifestyle. Dark spots are not uncommon, either.
Body scrub can exfoliate these darker skin cells away and help them to fade faster. Again, because body scrub promotes circulation, it encourages new cells to regenerate. This can help your skin recover its natural, youthful glow once again.
Incorporating body scrub as part of your skincare regimen is not only good for the skin itself. Body scrub is also relaxing to use, especially when combined with essential oil.
How to Use Body Scrub in the Shower
Body scrub treatments at the spa may be the real deal – but they can be expensive. While everyone should try a professional body scrub at least once, it’s easy to give yourself one at home.
Though they make for wonderful treatments, you should limit full body scrubs to twice a week. For a simple, everyday scrub, an exfoliating body wash makes for a good start.
Think of exfoliating body washes as maintenance treatment. If you’re prone to dry, flaky skin, they can supplement your weekly full body treatments.
It’s All About the Ingredients
If you’re wondering how to exfoliate every day with body wash, it all boils down to ingredients. You should avoid products that contain parabens, sulfates, and phthalates.
Avoiding these harmful ingredients will prevent your skin from drying out. They can also prevent irritation and breakouts. But what if you’re looking to retain a tan in addition to hydrating your skin?
An exfoliating body wash with coconut milk is a good option. The coconut milk can soothe your skin after a tan while the beads exfoliate away peeling skin cells.
If you suffer from severe dry skin in the winter, look for washes and soap that contain oatmeal. Almond milk is another ingredient that can help with dryness.
How to Do a Full Body Scrub
Wondering how to use body scrub as a full body treatment? First, you should only give yourself a full body scrub treatment once or twice a week.
Body scrub is heavily concentrated with microbeads. Some body scrubs contain coarser ingredients, like salt.
Something like exfoliating sugar scrub may not be as coarse as salt. But you should still limit your weekly treatments nonetheless.
You can certainly buy a top-of-the-line body scrub. But you can also make your own body scrub at home.
There are two different methods for applying body scrub as a full body treatment. We’ll explore those next.
Wet Treatment
If you suffer from mild to moderately dry skin, use a treatment with water. First, immerse yourself in a warm bath and soak for up to 15 minutes. This will prepare your skin for the treatment by loosening away dead skin cells.
After soaking, give yourself a light pat down with a towel. You want your skin to remain somewhat moist. After putting a small amount of body scrub on the tips of your fingers, rub it onto your skin.
Focus on making small, circular motions and working your way across your body. You’ll want to spend a good couple of minutes in each area. To get the full effect, you shouldn’t try to cover large areas of your body at a time.
Exfoliating your back can be the difficult part, so see if someone can cover it for you. There are also long exfoliating wands you can try. But if you don’t have this or an extra set of hands, extend your arms from under and over.
After giving your entire body the full treatment, rinse off under a warm shower. Applying moisturizer is the final step.
Dry Brushing
If you suffer from severely dry skin, you may want to try dry brushing, which means you won’t use any water until the very end.
Wearing bath gloves when you apply body scrub onto your skin can help remove excess dead skin cells. But the long-handled brushes tend to work better because they can help you cover more skin area.
Like the wet treatment, you should apply the scrub in small, circular movements. It works best to start from your toes and move your way up the body.
Once you finish exfoliating your back, rinse off under warm water. Because dry brushing is more intensive, you lather on moisturizer after your shower.
How to Exfoliate Your Face
When it comes to exfoliating your face, there are two options. You can use facial washes that contain exfoliating microbeads. Or, you can apply something like an exfoliating sugar scrub 1-2 times per week.
After rinsing your face with warm water, apply your scrub in small, circular motions. Exfoliate generously over your nose, where blackheads and whiteheads tend to thrive. When covering breakout areas, apply the scrub softly to prevent further irritation.
Apply a facial moisturizer after rinsing off your exfoliating scrub. To supplement your exfoliating treatment, stick to earth-based makeup. Organic makeup products can keep toxins at bay and soothe sensitive skin better.
Make Body Scrub Part of Your Skincare Regimen
After a couple of weeks of using body scrub, you’ll start to see your skin looking as radiant as ever before.
If you’re wondering how to use body scrub for long-lasting results, stay on top of your treatments. The more consistent you are, the better results you’ll yield.
Looking for other ways to take care of your body and skin? Check out our health & wellness blog for more ideas!
