Are Face Scrubs “Bad” For Your Skin?
Bad? No, absolutely not! Personally, I love a good facial scrub in addition to my chemical exfoliation. When doing facial treatments, I like to perform a double exfoliation if the client is a candidate. I think they both really complement each other since they exfoliate the skin in different ways. Now if you hop on one of the many skincare forums or groups you hear how horrendous scrubs are for your skin. As a professional, I actually completely disagree. There are however several factors that should be taken into consideration...
Your Skin Type + Skin Conditions
As with all skincare, some products simply are not for everyone. That goes for facial scrubs and polishes too. Some people have sensitive skin due to genetics or may even be reactive because they are over-processing their skin. In addition, people with rosacea, inflamed acne or psoriasis/eczema may want to avoid physical exfoliants and opt for a gentle enzyme instead.
The Type of Bead
This 100% matters along with how concentrated the exfoliating granules are in ratio to the base of the product.
👎 Sugar, salt, cornmeal, ground shells of any kind like walnut shells, ground olive, or apricot pits I recommend avoiding.
👍 Diatomaceous earth (aka fossilized algae), jojoba beads, magnesium crystals, bamboo, or rice powder make great gentle physical exfoliants in my opinion.
Frequency
This also very much depends on skin type
Dry + Sensitive Skin = 1 maybe 2 times a week
Normal + Combination Skin = 2-3 times a week
Oily Skin = 3-4 times a week max
Pressure Used To Scrub
Harder does NOT equal better. LIGHT pressure in circular motions is ideal. Also, applying to wet skin over dry skin will allow the product to glide better.
My Picks
Eminence Organic Stone Crop Oxygenating Fizzofoliant - I like that it is a powder and you can adjust the level of exfoliation by how much water you add and it smells amazing!
SkinCeuticals Micro-Exfoliating Scrub
Paula's Choice The Unscrub (15% off with code DANAMURRAY)
