How to Make Exfoliant

Use an exfoliant once a week to reveal healthy, glowing skin.

Exfoliants slough away the layer of dead skin cells that sits on top of skin, to reveal the soft, healthy skin underneath. Most homemade exfoliants are made of abrasive material, such as sand or uncooked oats, which are suspended in a binding solution. Exfoliants for the face and body can be made at home with ingredients found at grocery stores or food markets. These solutions are not only effective at sweeping away dead skin cells, they're also budget friendly.

Things You'll Need

• 2 tbsp. corn flour
• 2 tbsp. apple juice
• 2 tbsp. uncooked oats
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup kosher or sea salt
• 1 tbsp. shredded ginger
• 1 cup jojoba oil
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup cream of wheat
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup of ground coffee
• 1/2 cup grape seed oil
• 1 tsp. ginseng
• 1 tbsp. baking soda

Instructions

Facial Exfoliants

1. Mix two tbsp. of corn flour with three tbsp. of apple juice and apply to oily facial skin. This exfoliating paste is good for oily complexions because both corn flour and apple juice have natural astringent qualities.

2. Combine two tbsp. of uncooked oats with three tbsp. of honey and use as a gentle scrub. The oats serve as a mild exfoliant that won't irritate more sensitive skin.

3. Add two tbsp. of white or brown sugar to three tbsp. of olive oil. Sugar's granules provide a thorough scrub, while the olive oil restores moisture to the skin.

Body Exfoliants

1. Mix 1 cup of table salt, 1 tsp. fresh shredded ginger and 1 cup of jojoba oil and form into a pliable paste. The salt works an an effective exfoliant while the ginger has astringent properties, and the jojoba oil is a recognized moisturizer.

2. Separate the egg white from the yolk of 1 raw egg. Mix that egg white with 1/2 cup cream of wheat and 1/4 cup vegetable oil. The results create a mild, fragrance-free exfoliant for sensitive, all-over body skin.

3. Add 1 cup of ground coffee to 1/2 cup grape seed oil, 1 tsp. ginseng and 1 tbsp. baking soda. This scrub is particularly effective for acne-prone skin. Coffee naturally contains both astringent and anti-bacterial qualities, while baking soda soaks up excess oils, the grape seed oil serves as an antioxidant, and ginseng has anti-inflammatory properties.

Tips & Warnings

• Adopt a consistent skin application for all exfoliants. Use small, circular motions to gently scrub all skin, rinsing thoroughly with cool water. The cooler temperature not only calms any over-stimulated areas, but assists in overall circulation to those body parts, leaving them with fresh, glowing skin.

• If unsure whether any ingredients will cause an allergic reaction or evidence of skin sensitivity, first test any exfoliant mixtures on a one-inch area of skin. If the surface resists irritation like redness, itchiness and hives for more than an hour, it is considered safe to use the scrub.

• Don't use exfoliants daily. Skin needs time to regenerate, so exfoliating once or twice a week is sufficient.

References

• Natural Living for Women: Treat Yourself to Your Own Homemade Exfoliant
• Health Clinuvel: Exfoliants
• Everyday Health; How to Use a Skin Exfoliant; by Dennis Thompson Jr; February, 2010
• Bohemian Revolution: Coffee Grounds in Your Beauty Routine
• Acne.org : What is Jojoba Oil Anyway?