Skin care: Exfoliator

Exfoliating, or peeling, is a part of the skin care process that is often forgotten. Exfoliating cleans the pores, massages the skin, improves circulation, gets rid of dry skin cells and makes the skin look smoother, younger and more lustrous - plus it makes your makeup more even!
There are two types of exfoliating, chemical and mechanical.
A chemical peel, like the name suggests, have ingredients that in themselves are exfoliating. A natural chemical peel is citrus acid, found in for example lemons. Most chemical peeling products have synthetic active ingredients. Some brands, like Clinique, build their whole skin care series around chemical peels. Chemical peel is most commonly used in the face, avoiding the eye and lip areas.
A mechanical peel consists of grains that you rub onto the skin, usually in a cream or lotion. The grains can be either natural (walnuts, apricot cores, seeds, sugars), or synthetic. For use in the face, I prefer the synthetic ones, then I can be sure that the grains are round and even and won't damage my skin, the natural ingredients can sometimes be uneven. Mechanical peels can be used all over your body, the difference between face and body products is usually the size of the grains.
It's often said that a chemical peel is best when you have dry or sensitive skin, while the mechanical peel works in other cases. This is however very individual and a matter of taste.
Exfoliate face and body one or two times a week. More often can strain your skin. Always rinse well with water and use a moisturizer after.
Try making your own body scrub! Mix brown raw sugar with olive oil. Add some lemon, honey, rosemary or other exciting ingredients for a fragrant special effect (read more about natural ingredients you might have in your kitchen here). Put in an air tight jar and keep in the fridge, it should last for a while. Peeling gets even more effective on warm skin, like after a bath, when the pores are open and ready to be cleansed. Enjoy!