Getting your face scrub game right

Is it essential to use a face scrub? How often should you exfoliate your face and what kind of face scrub should you use? Let's find out!

1. First Things First. Why Do I Need a Face Scrub?

Two words: regular exfoliation.

While facial cleansers remove dirt, oil and makeup from your skin, you need something more potent to slough off the dead skin cells from your facial skin. A good face scrub gently exfoliates your skin and helps the process of cell regeneration.

Regular exfoliation:

makes your skin look younger and more radiant
allows for your skincare products to penetrate deeply and work more effectively
allows your makeup to sit better on your skin

2. Great! So How Often Should I Exfoliate?

While it may be tempting to exfoliate your face every other day, if not every day, you want to make sure that you’re not overdoing it. How often you should exfoliate your skin largely depends on the type of face scrub that you use and on your skin type.

Getting your face scrub right is half the battle won. Choose the right type of face scrub for your skin type and look for the right type of ingredients in your face scrub.

3. How Do I Choose the Right Type of Face Scrub?

how to choose the right type of face scrub

Based on Nature of the Scrub:

Chemical scrubs and scrub particles give the best results. But if you are simply looking for something quick, you can go for an abrasive as well (be gentle while using these, though).

Physical Exfoliants- These include the grainy, solid particles that perform scrubbing action, such as walnut and apricot shell powders, cellulose beads and rice powder.

Chemical Scrubs-

These are specific ingredients that help perform scrubbing action. Usually,these include AHAs(Alpha Hydroxy Acids), which are mild, gentle acids present in very small concentrations, that do a great job with exfoliation.
Some examples of AHAs are Lactic Acid (found in milk), and Glycolic Acid (found in sugarcane) extracts
They are safe for the skin in small amounts and may only be harmful if concentrations are too high or if skin is very sensitive.

Abrasives- These include loofahs, scrub cloths and other materials that can be used as scrubs. Be gentle on your skin while using these.

Note: Don’t use body scrubs on your face-they can be too strong on the skin. Use only facial scrubs.

Based on Skin Type:

Choose a scrub that will suit your skin type.

Dry Skin: If you have dry or dehydrated skin, you should pick a creamy face scrub. Cream-based face scrubs are gentle and nourishing, while they still get rid of the dead skin to reveal the soft and smooth skin underneath.

Oily/Combination Skin: For oily/combination skin, gel-based and foaming face scrubs work well. They remove the dead skin while mattifying the skin by controlling the excess sebum production.

Sensitive/Acne Prone Skin: Look for a face scrub with ingredients like salicylic acid or green tea. Ensure that it is extremely gentle and not harsh or abrasive at all.

4. What Ingredients Should I Look for in a Scrub?

ingredients you should look for in a face scrub

Besides the ingredients that act as scrubs, look for other active ingredients that can benefit your skin in different ways.

Chamomile extracts or aloe juice calm the skin. Green tea extracts, white tea extracts and any other ingredients rich in antioxidants and help repair sun damage due to oxidation caused by the sun’s UV rays.

Walnut and apricot face scrubs help to thoroughly exfoliate the skin. However, if used more than once or twice a week, these face scrubs can be abrasive on the skin. Hence, they should not be used more than thrice a week, or as directed in the usage directions.

5. Can I Make a Face Scrub at Home?

making a face scrub at home

Yes, you can! You can whip up a great face scrub at home by using gentle and effective ingredients such as oatmeal, rice powder, sugar, honey and olive or coconut oil. While going about this, keep the following points in mind:

Ensure that your ingredients will suit your skin type, e.g., neem as an ingredient can be harsh on very sensitive skin. Read up on the ones you are planning to use.
Do a patch test (testing a product on the elbow or behind the ear before using it) for your home-made scrub. This will help you ensure that the product will suit your skin.
Don't scrub too hard, it can lead to irritation and reddening of the skin.
Go easy on or avoid areas on the skin that are irritated, infected or bruised .

Do include exfoliation regularly in your skincare routine. Scrubbing, done the right way,can help brighten up dull skin, soothe sun damage and repair damaged skin, based on the type of scrub you go for. So make sure you experience its benefits!

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