Our 2018 beauty goal is to have radiant, glowing, smooth skin. As we finish out the year with busy holiday plans, travel and work, we’re exhausted. More important, though, our skin is tired. Was it just us or did you also neglect your beauty rituals one too many times this year? We’re ready for a new year with fresh skin, and we have a few beauty secrets up our sleeves.
So, how do we achieve the perfect radiant glow? While daily cleansing and moisturizing is needed to maintain great skin, the not-so-hidden beauty secret to glowing skin is through exfoliation. Exfoliation treatments can help with skin rejuvenation, elasticity and collagen and removes dead skin cells from the surface. It will help tired, scarred or old skin look fresh, soft and ready to take on whatever. You can exfoliate your face and body, and you can either do professional treatments or DIY at-home treatments.
Below we have listed out six different exfoliation treatments to try. We have three professional treatments that will dive into the nitty-gritty and help diminish acne scars, fine lines and dead skin and two easy, budget-friendly at-home treatments you can do yourself. Tired skin was so 2017 — say hello to a fresher, more radiant you!
Professional treatments
Not a DIY beauty buff? No worries. We have four professional exfoliation treatments that are noninvasive, have multiple results and can work with any type of skin.
Dermaplaning/epidermal leveling
Dermaplaning, also known as epidermal leveling, is one of the more trendy exfoliation treatments right now. The process includes a tiny scalpel that scrapes off one layer of dead skin. This process removes facial hair and helps with acne scars or any old skin.
Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is very similar to dermaplaning, except instead of a scalpel, a crystal or diamond tip or sandpaperlike tip is used. It does not take off facial hair, but it will go a little deeper into your layer of skin since it’s a pointed edge, not a blade, and have better outcome with removing scarring.
Chemical peels
In conjunction with either of the above processes, chemical peels are a great way to take off more layers of dead skin; it also helps diminish fine lines, wrinkles and scars. After the treatment, clients can expect for their skin to peel for up to seven to 14 days. Once the skin has peeled, the result is amazing, and you will see a nice, fresher-looking layer of skin. You can do chemical peels once a month during the fall and winter and every other month in spring. Avoid doing chemical peels during the summer because sun exposure can cause additional damage to your skin. Make sure to consult with your aesthetician to see what is best for your skin — results and how often you can get peels will be determined during a skin consultation.
Body scrubs
You can schedule a full-body body scrub at your local salon, and it is a great starting point if you haven’t done many exfoliation treatments before. It feels like a facial for your body and is more effective than using a loofah or body brush.
At-home remedies
Are you on a beauty budget or need some girls’ night treatment ideas? At-home exfoliation treatments are super-affordable and easy to make, and you can mostly use ingredients from your pantry. There are some at-home exfoliation tools and kits that are sold online, but we suggest consulting with your aesthetician before using one on your skin to make sure you know how to use it and if it will be beneficial to your skin type or any skin problems you have.
Over-the-counter scrubs
Almost every beauty line (from drugstores to specialty stores) offers an exfoliation scrub. These are pretty straight-forward and easy to store for multiple uses. Pro tip: Make sure to look for a scrub with fine granules (the stuff that scrubs and exfoliates your face) because sometimes the generic brands or cheaper products have scrubs with large granules that scrape your skin and can do more damage. A harsher scrub doesn’t necessarily mean better exfoliation.
DIY scrubs
Need a scrub in a pinch? We can guarantee your pantry has all the products to whip up a scrub in no time. Most of the DIY scrubs include ingredients such as sugar, salt, coconut oil, essential oils, honey, oats — most of which you probably have sitting in your kitchen. Mix up the ingredients in a bowl, do your scrub and store the rest in a Mason jar for later. You can also use loofahs and body brushes to help exfoliate your body with the scrubs.
These are my three favorite DIY scrubs:
Sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar (white or brown)
- 1/2 cup oil (olive oil or liquid coconut oil)
- 5 drops essential oil of your choice (we suggest mint, lemon or vanilla), optional
Salt
- 1 cup Epsom salt
- 1/2 cup liquid coconut oil
- 5 drops essential oil of your choice (we suggest grapefruit or lavender), optional
Oatmeal*
- 2 tablespoons ground oatmeal
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon warm water
*Great for sensitive facial skin!
Whether you’re scheduling a professional treatment with your local aesthetician or making some delicious scrubs at home, exfoliation is the best way to achieve rejuvenated and youthful-looking skin. Taking the extra step to self-pamper your skin every few weeks is a great way to maintain a good skin care routine and address any problems head on; plus your skin will thank you for spoiling it.
A version of this article was published in March 2011.
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