Who doesn't love that feeling of super soft skin? Well, thanks to exfoliators and facial masks, we can maintain a healthy look both inside and out. This is why exfoliation is important - over time, as your skin ages, its collagen and elastin production slows down, eventually blocking your pores; this causes signs of ageing. An exfoliator will remove the dirt and dead skin cells an everyday cleanser cannot reach, getting rid of the icky layer and revealing the hidden fresher, younger skin underneath.
Doing this regularly increases blood circulation (from the massaging; this helps relieve tension and maintain elasticity, so every time you exfoliate try giving yourself a facial massage at the same time) and allows your skin's natural oils to shine, giving you that natural glow, but do not exfoliate the eye area! It is far too delicate to experience scrubbing; after all, it is the thinnest skin on your face. Lips should be treated with a separate special scrub, too so that it does not matter if you 'accidentally' ingest some (mmm...sugar!). It is also a good idea to use lip balm after scrubbing your lips; the scrub will get rid of dead skin thus helping you avoid chapped lips, easier application of make-up and allowing the balm to do its job better (just like you would moisturise your face after exfoliating)!
As this is a method of deep cleansing, it helps prevent acne breakouts and keeps your skin lovely and clean; however, it should be done in moderation - you want some skin left on your face, right? Rubbing it down too often will cause dryness and irritations. Also, if you are exfoliating for the first time (or after not doing it for a while), it may cause a little break out - this has happened to me - and is because your pores are being 'opened' by the deep cleanse, so new bacteria can get in which can lead to spots. I only got a few barely noticeable little bumps and once I had been doing it regularly, they disappeared quickly.
Despite what most advice tells us, for normal and combination skin, once a week is good. Dry or sensitive skin will be better off just using creamy facial lotions or washes (they are gentler and better at moisturising) and avoiding beady scrubs, whereas oily skin, depending on how greasy it gets, should be cleansed rather than exfoliated with a cleansing scrub twice a week. Personally, I am lucky to have normal skin and started off exfoliating every three days as my tub of exfoliator said it can be used daily. Even that sounded a little too often and it turned out my gut instinct was right; now I only do it once a week and my skin is back to normal and cotton soft for the rest of the week. A lot of people that recommend you exfoliate more than this are most likely trying to make you spend twice as much money by buying more exfoliators than you need to. It is neither healthy for your face, nor your purse.
After exfoliating, a facial mask is a good idea because it can actually do its job properly by soaking into your 'open' pores. As a great nourishing food for you skin, a mask helps keep skin naturally moist and plump, plus there are many varieties with different ingredients and properties depending on what you want it to do. To feed your skin a proper diet, you should use another type of mask each week and unless you use nourishing ones, you might as well just moisturise instead; there is no need to deeply cleanse and dry out your face twice (however, facial masks can be used instead of exfoliators and if you are using one or the other, you should moisturise afterwards).
I know I definitely learnt something from writing this blog! I hope you did too. Until next time~
Love, Miss Emma-Lily xx
Doing this regularly increases blood circulation (from the massaging; this helps relieve tension and maintain elasticity, so every time you exfoliate try giving yourself a facial massage at the same time) and allows your skin's natural oils to shine, giving you that natural glow, but do not exfoliate the eye area! It is far too delicate to experience scrubbing; after all, it is the thinnest skin on your face. Lips should be treated with a separate special scrub, too so that it does not matter if you 'accidentally' ingest some (mmm...sugar!). It is also a good idea to use lip balm after scrubbing your lips; the scrub will get rid of dead skin thus helping you avoid chapped lips, easier application of make-up and allowing the balm to do its job better (just like you would moisturise your face after exfoliating)!
As this is a method of deep cleansing, it helps prevent acne breakouts and keeps your skin lovely and clean; however, it should be done in moderation - you want some skin left on your face, right? Rubbing it down too often will cause dryness and irritations. Also, if you are exfoliating for the first time (or after not doing it for a while), it may cause a little break out - this has happened to me - and is because your pores are being 'opened' by the deep cleanse, so new bacteria can get in which can lead to spots. I only got a few barely noticeable little bumps and once I had been doing it regularly, they disappeared quickly.
Despite what most advice tells us, for normal and combination skin, once a week is good. Dry or sensitive skin will be better off just using creamy facial lotions or washes (they are gentler and better at moisturising) and avoiding beady scrubs, whereas oily skin, depending on how greasy it gets, should be cleansed rather than exfoliated with a cleansing scrub twice a week. Personally, I am lucky to have normal skin and started off exfoliating every three days as my tub of exfoliator said it can be used daily. Even that sounded a little too often and it turned out my gut instinct was right; now I only do it once a week and my skin is back to normal and cotton soft for the rest of the week. A lot of people that recommend you exfoliate more than this are most likely trying to make you spend twice as much money by buying more exfoliators than you need to. It is neither healthy for your face, nor your purse.
After exfoliating, a facial mask is a good idea because it can actually do its job properly by soaking into your 'open' pores. As a great nourishing food for you skin, a mask helps keep skin naturally moist and plump, plus there are many varieties with different ingredients and properties depending on what you want it to do. To feed your skin a proper diet, you should use another type of mask each week and unless you use nourishing ones, you might as well just moisturise instead; there is no need to deeply cleanse and dry out your face twice (however, facial masks can be used instead of exfoliators and if you are using one or the other, you should moisturise afterwards).
With all of this talk about your face, your neck may be feeling rather neglected - and if you do not really fancy a saggy chicken neck or a double chin, you can massage your neck with light, circular outward strokes with or without moisturiser whilst waiting for your mask to set. Hooray for multi-tasking!
I know I definitely learnt something from writing this blog! I hope you did too. Until next time~
Love, Miss Emma-Lily xx
I really enjoyed reading this post, thank you.
ReplyDeleteHannah xo
wink-beauty.blogspot.com
Thank you for reading it! I'm really happy that you enjoyed it. :)
Delete~Emma-Lily xx