Dos and Dont's for Exfoliating

Exfoliating will help you remove dead skin cells and unclog pores, leaving your skin looking brighter and feeling smoother. The weather is getting warmer so prepare to have your feet out and your shoulders on show! But first prep your skin so you can put your best foot forward. Or other body parts. Here are a few do’s and dont’s to make that happen.

Do

• Buy tools to help make your job easier. Try exfoliating gloves, pumice stones, body brushes or loofahs to see what works best for your skin.
• Make your own exfoliating scrub. It helps save money and is also just a good way to create a formula that works especially for you.
• Test new exfoliating products on a small part of your skin, especially if you’ve got highly sensitive skin.
• Exfoliate before shaving, waxing or epilating. It helps free ingrown hairs for a smoother result!
• Use your skincare products after exfoliating. They’ll penetrate more easily and potentially more effective as a result.
• Avoid your eye area when exfoliating unless the product you’re using is specifically designed for it.

Don’t

• Don't buy exfoliators with microbeads. They’re bad for the environment because it is difficult for them to degrade.
• Don't exfoliate straight after waxing. Wait a few days.
• Don't over-exfoliate. Once or twice a week is usually enough but everyone’s skin is different so you may have to go through some trial-and-error to find the right balance for you.
• Don't exfoliate before a long day in the sun. It will leave your skin more vulnerable to harmful rays than if you didn’t.
• Don't just exfoliate your face. Your other skin needs love too.
• Don’t use body scrubs on your face. They typically have bigger granules to tackle tougher skin. Your face has more delicate skin so use smaller granules for it.
• Don't scrub too hard. Let your products do the work.