Exfoliating Scrub: Does It Hurt?
Exfoliating scrubs work by rubbing away dry, dull skin and revealing fresh, healthy skin. Rubbing your skin away may seem like it might be painful, but when used correctly, an exfoliating scrub should not hurt. Here is everything that you need to know about exfoliating scrubs.
History of Exfoliation
Exfoliating scrubs have been used since ancient times. Ancient Egyptians used abrasive Alabaster particles as well as other minerals. This scrub probably was at least a little bit painful since the sharp edges of the particles may have scraped the skin as well as exfoliating. As time progressed, all kinds of ingredients were used for exfoliation, including sand, sugar, salt, ground nutshell, plastic, etc.
There has been some debate about the use of exfoliating scrubs through the years. Harsh scrubs made with ground-up walnut shells may have been great for some skin textures, but were damaging for others, causing many people to turn away from exfoliating scrubs altogether. After all, who wants to rub their face with sandpaper and call it a beauty routine?
As exfoliating scrubs have advanced, formulas have been developed that are more effective for all skin types. Recently, microbeads became a popular and effective source of exfoliant. The particles that scrubbed were made from tiny pieces of plastic. Because they were round, they didn’t scrape the skin, but the texture enabled them to slough away dead skin cells. However, these tiny pieces of plastic being washed down into the water supply were a serious environmental hazard, so they have been banned in many places and have fallen out of fashion.
In more recent years other ingredients have come to the forefront to replace harsh nutshell or environmentally unsafe plastic. Coffee, turmeric, and charcoal are all popular ingredients for exfoliating scrubs.
Many of these ingredients are very effective, although finding the perfect match for your skin can be a matter of experimentation. The right ingredients for you will reveal brighter looking skin and not hurt while you’re scrubbing or after exfoliation.
Are Exfoliating Scrubs Good For Your Skin?
The reason that so many people have been working to find a safe and effective exfoliating scrub that works for most people is that exfoliating scrubs really do have hugely beneficial effects on your skin. The dead skin cells on the outer surface of your skin can make your skin appear dull, tend to clogged pores, resulting in acne, and contribute to the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Here are a few ways that exfoliation can benefit your skin.
- Dull skin. Your skin tends to get duller as you age, especially if you have exposed your skin to a lot of sun over your lifetime. Exfoliating scrubs can remove the outer layer of skin, making your skin appear more bright.
- Fine lines and wrinkles. Exfoliating allows your skin to make plenty of new skin cells packed with collagen, which will reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and make your skin appear better moisturized.
- Acne and clogged pores. If your pores appear large, clogged, or often erupt in acne, you may love the capacity of exfoliating scrub to clean the oil and dead skin cells that are trapped in pores so that your pores appear smaller and acne is less likely.
- Increase the effectiveness of skincare products. A layer of dead skin cells can block other skincare products from getting into your skin. By exfoliating away these dead skin cells, you can increase the effectiveness of your other skincare products.
Try Exfoliating Today
Exfoliation is well worth a try. It is certainly possible that some exfoliating ingredients and techniques might hurt, but as long as you use an exfoliating scrub that is designed to be gentle on your skin and go slowly with the intensity and frequency of your exfoliation, your experience will be nothing but pleasant and your skin will thank you.
Author: Jacob Maslow
