What is the best tool to exfoliate your body?

Every minute of the day, we naturally lose about 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells…To give you some perspective, that represents almost 9 pounds of cells a year!!! So, do we really need to exfoliate in addition to that?

Well… How can I put this… Yes!

On average, our skin naturally sheds its top layer about every 30 days, but exfoliation can help accelerate this natural process. As we get older, especially, our skin sheds at a slower pace. The result can be itchy, dry, and flaky skin. So exfoliation can bring relief.

Exfoliating our skin helps reveal newer and healthier skin cells, cells which perform better at allowing moisturizers to penetrate into the skin. Notice when you exfoliate how nicely your skin absorbs a body oil/butter afterwards.

Exfoliating helps unclog pores, reduce ingrown hair, improve hyperpigmentation and even out skin tone.

Exfoliating also improves circulation and lymphatic drainage. Stimulating your blood flow by exfoliating helps flush toxins out of the body Removing toxins and increasing blood flow strengthen the health and tone of the skin tissue. This can also help with the appearance of cellulite.

So which exfoliating tool is best?

I have always used some form of exfoliating tool, but have switched many times over the years. Here are some options that should suit your needs:

My first tool of choice (when I was a teeanger) was the “gant de crin”, which is a horsehair mitt. This is not for the faint at heart, but it makes your skin rosy, baby-soft, and it is incredibly invigorating. The first time you use it, it almost burns, so go gently and build up your tolerance. In no time, it will be addicting (at least in my opinion). It is easy to use. Best on dry skin before a shower.

Horsehair is 100% natural. It comes from the long, coarse hair growing on the manes and tails of horses. It is collected mostly from slaughtered animals (no animals are killed for the manufacture of horsehair mitts).

If you prefer plant-based mitts, they also come in sisal. Be aware that sisal mitts are nowhere near as intense as horsehair mitts. Sisal can also be woven or knitted in a strap, for those hard-to-reach areas.

Sisal is a natural fiber.  Sisal fibers are sustainably harvested by hand from the leaves of the “agave sisalana” cactus plant.

A dry brush is another favorite of mine. You can apply as much or as little pressure as you want to suit your preference. Brushes come with short or long handles. Long handles are particularly helpful to reach your back. But sometimes short-handled brushes give you more control over your brushstroke. Always brush towards the heart. There are lots of videos online to show dry brush techniques if you are unsure. I suggest watching a few videos before deciding which one makes the most sense to you.

Palm bristled brushes are made of palm fiber. This kind of brush has very dense bristles , which feels nice on the skin. I just received one as a gift. I love it, and it looks really beautiful in my bathroom (I know, this is a bit of a shallow consideration, but esthetics do matter to me).

Then there are the more traditional dry brushes:

This type of brush comes mostly in natural boar or cactus bristles. Some are denser than others. Some are gentler for sensitive skin. It is best to feel them before buying them. Also, some have detachable handles. I personally don’t care as much for those as they sometimes come apart when you don’t want them to. But that’s only my personal opinion. Some of my friends swear by those.

What if you want to exfoliate in the shower?

We probably have all owned at one time or other one of those plastic shower puffs. They are great at generating lather, but they do not provide any serious exfoliating. If, like me, you are concerned about plastic, some of those are made of recycled plastic, which is something… But the look and feel of plastic is NOT something I want in my bathroom or as part of my beauty regimen. I am trying to reduce the amount of plastic I use to the strict minimum.

Shower gloves and mitts make exfoliating and cleansing a one-step-process. They provide mild exfoliation. There are a few brands that use recycled materials. I also have a shower mitt that is a blend of mostly ramie with some polyester, but polyester is a synthetic fiber derived from coal, air, water and petroleum, so… not great. I don’t think I will purchase a new one.

Salt and sugar scrubs are also a fantastic way to exfoliate.

They both are great options. Being oil-based, they have the advantage of moisturizing your skin while exfoliating it. Just be aware that they can be a bit messy, and can make your shower or bath tub slippery.

Salt scrubs are the more abrasive of the two because the crystal have sharper edges. However they offer therapeutic benefits because of their mineral content. They help remove toxins, tighten the skin and improve its texture.

Sugar scrubs are gentler to the skin because of the rounder edges of the crystals, and because they dissolve faster in warm water. Sugar is a natural humectant, meaning it draws moisture from the environment into the skin. Sugar is also a natural source of glycolic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that penetrates the skin and breaks down the “glue” that bonds skin cells, encouraging cell turnover and generating fresher, younger-looking skin. I personally use our sugar scrub, Petal, on my face a couple of times a week, with great results.

How much is too much exfoliation?

Whatever your method of exfoliation, there is such a thing as “too much of a good thing”.

Remember to be gentle to your skin… You are not scrubbing pots and pans!

Be aware of any signs of irritation, burning sensation, redness or inflammation, or even acne flare ups, which could indicate that your are overdoing it.

Use one type of exfoliation at a time.

Listen to your skin. Your face, neck and chest require gentler exfoliation. So act accordingly.

Don’t do it every day. Two to three times a week is enough. Give your skin a break!

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ADDITIONAL INFO FOR YOU:

If you are wondering why I haven’t mentioned a loofah to exfoliate in the shower, you may want to read this:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/loofah-clean-healthy_n_5613734

If you are having a hard time selecting a dry brush, check out:

https://www.rankandstyle.com/top-10-list/best-dry-brushes

If you want to read more about over-exfoliating, check out:

https://theklog.co/how-often-should-you-exfoliate

And finally, if like me you are interested in reducing the amount of plastic you use in the bathroom, you may want to check out as well:

https://friendsoftheearth.uk/plastics/beauty-and-beast-plasticfree-bathroom