How to Exfoliate Sensitive Skin at Home
Exfoliating regularly removes dead skin cells and can make your skin appear brighter and more even while decreasing breakouts, but sensitive skin needs extra attention for successful scrubbing. Gentle exfoliating scrubs you can make at home will give you all the benefits of exfoliating without damaging sensitive skin, and you can also use skincare tools made specifically for sensitive skin regularly, but infrequently, to reap the benefits of exfoliation. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Gentle face cleanser for sensitive skin
- Exfoliating face sponge
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Granulated sugar
Instructions
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Basic Exfoliation for Sensitive Skin
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1
Select a facial cleanser formulated without oils, perfumes, dyes, antibacterial agents, parabens or other preservatives. Look for cleansers made specifically for sensitive skin. Cleansing milks are especially gentle while remaining effective cleansers.
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Select an exfoliating facial sponge made specifically for sensitive skin. An exfoliating sponge has a teardrop shape --- the tapered end is suitable for use on the nose and temple area. Exfoliating sponges are made from finely spun plastic netting. Sponges for normal, oily or combination skin have more netting to create a rougher surface, while sensitive-skin sponges are softer and gentler.
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Wet your face thoroughly with tepid water.
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Pour a quarter-sized amount of facial cleanser onto your fingers and rub your hands together to distribute. Apply the cleanser to your face with your fingertips, using circular motions to create a lather and distribute the cleanser all over your face. Don't neglect the area underneath your jawline.
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Dampen the exfoliating sponge and gently rub it over your skin in circular motions. The sponge should glide over the soapy facial cleanser; if it does not move easily, apply more cleanser. Use the tapered end of the sponge to gently scrub your nose and temple area, and the wider part to scrub cheeks, forehead, chin and underneath the jawline. Exfoliate for about one minute.
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Rinse your face with tepid water and pat dry with a clean, dry towel. Rinse your exfoliating sponge and leave it on a shelf to dry until next use.
Homemade Sugar Scrub
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Pour 1/2 a cup of extra virgin olive oil into a plastic container with a lid. Use the highest-quality olive oil you can.
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Add 1 cup of granulated sugar to the olive oil. White refined sugar is appropriate for sensitive skin, as its granules are smaller and more regularly shaped than unrefined sugar. Stir the mixture to combine.
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Make sure your skin is clean before using the scrub. Dampen clean skin with tepid water.
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Scoop a little more than a quarter-sized amount of the olive oil mixture into your hands. Work the scrub into your skin using circular movements with your fingertips. Exfoliate with the scrub for about one minute, taking care to avoid the delicate eye area.
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Rinse the olive oil scrub from your skin with tepid water. The oil molecules in olive oil are too large to block your pores, so if your skin feels slightly oily or filmy after you rinse, don't worry about breaking out. Use the olive oil scrub at night before going to sleep so you can prepare your skin for makeup by washing it with a facial cleanser the following morning. Store the olive oil scrub in an airtight container in a dry, dark location.
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Tips & Warnings
Exfoliate sensitive skin once or twice a week, either with a sponge or a homemade scrub. If your skin responds well to twice-weekly exfoliations, you can try exfoliating more often. If you experience redness, soreness or increased sensitivity, decrease the number of times you exfoliate per week.
References
Resources
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