Rough dry skin is no fun at all. It can show up any time, anywhere, but is most likely to rear its ugliness in the middle of winter. Dry heat inside and cold air outside are notorious for roughing up our skin. But you can gently, and safely, exfoliate just about any area of the body. Here are a few tips and tricks for exfoliating almost anything. And don’t forget to follow up with moisturizer or lotion!
Face. Your face needs to be treated very gently, especially in the winter. You’ll want to use products that are extra gentle, and only use them a few times a week. For example, a milk based cleanser will exfoliate very gently with lactic acid as well as moisturize the skin. A cleanser with colloidal oatmeal is great for sensitive skin. It still exfoliates gently, but has a little more oomph than milk. Extremely fine walnut shells are good for exfoliating tougher skin, just don’t use them every day so you don’t develop an irritation.
Lips. Lips can be a challenge to exfoliate because you don’t want to use anything on your lips that isn’t really edible. I like to use an old toothbrush to loosen flakes before I wash my face at night. Lip exfoliating kit are expensive, but work well. They usually include some kind of balm to finish the job. Sugar and honey is a nice, inexpensive alternative to a professional lip kit. Just mix a little sugar and a little honey together, then rub it on your lips. Let it set for a minute or two, then rinse it off. Bonus, it tastes good!
Hands. Your hands probably don’t need as much exfoliating as they need moisturizing. Considering that they are washed often and subjected to a lot of abuse, you may not want to exfoliate them at all. Instead, lather them up with a rich creamy lotion. If you do need to exfoliate your hands, choose something gentle, like an almond scrub.
Body. Our bodies need exfoliated regularly, because our clothes can trap dirt and germs which lead to acne, especially in the winter when we spend the majority of our time bundled up. If you are prone to a lot of acne, use a body scrub with salicylic acid. It will treat the acne and the problem. Oatmeal or almond scrubs are great to use on acne prone skin because they are so gentle and less irritating. For a cheap, homemade version, you can mix cane sugar with olive oil to rub on dry patches in the shower (don’t forget to rinse!). Or add in a few used coffee ground for the cellulite shrinking benefits of caffeine. You could also use honey or baby oil, whichever you have on hand. You can grind up instant oats in a coffee grinder to make your own oatmeal scrub. Just mix it with olive oi or almond oil. Just be careful that the shower doesn’t get too slippery.
Feet. Our feet really benefit from a good scrub! After you’ve soaked them in warm water and soap for a little while, try either the sugar scrub or oatmeal scrub on your feet. Rinse, dry, and apply a great moisturizing lotion and a great pair of socks. Sit down, relax, and waitt. Your feet will feel soft and smooth once again.
If you have a rough scaly spot that just won’t go away, see your doctor as it may indicate psoriasis or another potentially serious disease. Whenever you exfoliate, moisturize to get the most benefit from your favorite body products.
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