Making Homemade Facial Scrubs for Radiant Skin

Making Homemade Facial Scrubs for Radiant Skin
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How Facial Scrubs Work

Why use facial scrubs? Because they are a simple way to renew the complexion. A scrub is essentially a facial product with a granular substance. The textured material exfoliates when it is gently rubbed into the skin, removing dead cells from the surface. This leaves the face feeling soft and smooth, with a radiant glow.

With common ingredients found around the home, you can make your own skin care exfoliating products. Anything with grittiness and beneficial properties can be transformed into a paste with water, or other nurturing, moisturizing, toning substances for the face. The result is a facial scrub made from completely natural ingredients, unlike most commercial skin care products, which are a mix of beneficial substances and artificial ingredients.

The Basics

To make homemade facial scrubs, simply mix a gritty substance with other face-nurturing ingredients.

Granular ingredients include:

  • Baking soda
  • Ground almonds
  • Ground oats
  • Cornmeal
  • Brown sugar
  • Farina (do not use if you have a gluten allergy)

Supporting skin care ingredients:

  • Yogurt provides nutrients and beneficial lactic acid.
  • Banana is nourishing, and rich in antioxidants for the skin.
  • Cucumber is anti-inflammatory and anti-aging. It is good for both mature and sensitive skin.
  • Lemon acts as a natural astringent, toning and firming. It is also a source of alpha-hydroxy acids.
  • Strawberries are a good source of alpha-hydroxy acids and antioxidants.
  • Rose water is an astringent.
  • Avocado oil provides nutrients and essential fatty acids to improve skin elasticity.
  • Honey is antibacterial and moisturizing.

Facial Scrub Recipes

To gently soften skin:

  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • Cucumber juice

To make cucumber juice, liquify cucumber in the blender. Strain out solid pieces. Mix enough cucumber juice with baking soda to form a paste.

To tone and nourish:

  • 2 medium strawberries[

    Fresh Strawberries

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  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar

  • 2 tsp. rose water

Mix all ingredients in a blender. Store remaining scrub in the refrigerator.

To hydrate and soften:

  • 1 Tbsp. ground almonds
  • 1 tsp. honey
  • 1 tsp. avocado oil

Mix ingredients together to form a paste. Use leftover scrub within three days, storing in a cool, dry place.

Exfoliating Tips

For best results, open pores before exfoliating by splashing warm water on the face several times, or by laying a hot, wet cloth on the face. Rub scrub into the skin with gentle, circular motions. This will stimulate circulation to skin cells, increasing the healing benefits of the scrub. Do not use if skin becomes irritated or chapped — this is a sign that more than the surface layer is being scrubbed away. Using facial scrubs is not necessary every day. In fact, once or twice a week is sufficient. Also, if using fruit in your homemade facial scrubs, be sure to use sunscreen afterwards. The fruit acids will make skin cells more vulnerable to sun damage. Experiment with different recipes, and have fun taking care of your skin.

References

Goins, Liesa. “Make Yourself Beautiful on a Budget.” (WebMD) <https://www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/skin-care-wrinkles-9/budget-beauty>

“Facial Scrubs: Are You Overdoing It?” (The Dermatology Blog) <https://thedermblog.com/2008/04/07/facial-scrubs-are-your-overdoing-it/>

Photo Credit

photo by: Chrisada (CC/flickr) https://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisada/124253341/

photo by: Riza Nugraha (CC/flickr) https://www.flickr.com/photos/rnugraha/4504886/

Disclaimer

Please read this disclaimer regarding the information contained within this article.