Where else should you exfoliate besides your face?
We all know that regular exfoliation like once or twice a week removes dead skin cells on the epidermis that can result in a clearer, smoother and more even-toned skin on our face. But besides our face, are there other parts of our body that we should also be exfoliating by physically scrubbing those areas with mircobeads and microdermabrasion?
Your lips
I remember when I first discussed this, some readers asked why and I explained that regular exfoliation keeps the lips smooth, supple and less flaky. You will find your lipstick applies better too. Your regular face scrub might be too rough for the lips and so it is advisable to use something with fine beads. Some people exfoliate their lips using a toothbrush or washcloth. I have found through my experience that a cleanser containing both beta hydroxy acid (BHA) and alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) with fine exfoliating beads worked extremely well for my lips. Or you can try a homemade lip exfoliant out of aspirin and fine sugar!
Your neck
I try to extend my weekly exfoliation to my neck region to remove the dead skin cells so as to keep the tone of my neck close to my face although is still noticeably different because I don’t use the skin lightening products that I use on my face on my neck. However, at least with regular exfoliation, the color of my neck is not too dark. I know some people use their body scrubs on their neck but I find them too rough and hence, I exfoliate using normal facial scrubs instead. I use a variety but a regular that I use is the Cure Natural Aqua Gel In addition, I try to do a face and neck mask after every exfoliation so as to keep the skin well moisturized. Anyway, it’s a good idea to use treatments after exfoliation as the skin is better able to absorb the goodies after the dead skin are all scrubbed off.
Your body
I believe many of you scrub your body regularly. Some with commercial exfoliants, while others may use homemade scrubs. There are probably others who prefer to use just a loofah or washcloth as these are much gentler and you can use them daily. Personally, I use a combination of commercial and homemade body scrubs. If you use sunscreen regularly, then exfoliation is important so as not to have your pores clogged by the sunscreen ingredients.
Your armpits
How many of you can wear a sleeveless tee and raise your arms with confidence? Well, if your armpits are hairless but looking dark, it could be due to the accumulated residue from your perspiration and deodorant or anti-perspirant. Regular exfoliation is necessary to rid the residue and keep the area clean looking. In fact, regular exfoliation may help remove ingrown hair as the action removes dead skin cells from the surface layer of your skin, thereby releasing hairs that may be trapped under the skin’s surface. Because that part of your body is slightly more delicate, so you might want to consider using your facial scrub or a loofah instead of your body scrub.
Your elbows & knees
When exfoliating your body, focus on your elbows and knees. Your regular body wash or soap are probably not doing a good job of keeping those areas too good looking and so, it’s a good idea to give them a regular scrub. Recently, I noticed that my knee was feeling rough and I realized that it has been awhile since I scrubbed that area. After I diligently did so twice in a week, they felt noticeably smoother.
Your feet & heels
Another area much neglected is our feet and heels. If you frequently patronize a nail salon for pedicure, then this isn’t much of a concern. For others who do not, remember to extend your body scrub to your feet and heels as well. While pumice stone is always cited as a good tool to exfoliate those rough heels, I don’t really like to use that frequently. So I rely on scrubs instead. You might want to try my DIY hot salt scrub recipe or purchase the readily available Bliss Hot Salt Scrub from Sephora for this purpose!
Your cuticles
Sounds strange? Well, actually our hands do not need much exfoliation since we are always washing them. However, dead skin do accumulate around the cuticles and personally, I’m not in favor of cutting them. I prefer to “push” them to keep them looking tidy and then use the Cure Natural Aqua Gel to get rid of excess dead skin buildup. As for the cuticles on my toes, they are already taken care of with the feet scrub I use.
Okay, have I left out any critical area? And how diligent are you in scrubbing some of these areas I’ve mentioned?
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Hmmm.. I guess the ear area? Behind the ear and in the folds of the lobe area. My hubby has highly active skin on his ears and so dead skin tends to build up after a while. So sometimes, to avoid the visible flaking, I exfoliate it for him using a wet warm face towel. ?
I rarely exfoliate my entire body – the skin is too sensitive. I concentrate on elbows, knees and the following areas:
In between pedicures, I use a foot file (like an emery board for feet) or coarse scrub on damp feet. I hate shoes, so go around in sandals and slippers, which unfortunately dries out feet.
On cuticles, the best thing is an emery board – use whatever your skin can take, the coarse or fine side or both. This is a nail expert tip.
Great tips! I used to exfoliate my whole body once a week, until I tried Asian Secrets which is a creamy and gentle scrub. So now I can afford to exfoliate everyday, without fear of overdoing it.
And I agree on exfoliating the armpits, elbow and heels, these are critical parts that people tend to overlook.
I have started to exfoliate my chest area recently. For some reason that seems to get all kinds of little spots (for lack of a better word). Any idea what would cause that? It seems only to affect my chest area… The exfoliation safar has helped though…
Oh that’s interesting! I didn’t realized…but yeah, a face towel would be good for this purpose.
When I exfoliate my body, I tend to focus on my arms, legs and upper chest area….rarely do I exfoliate my chest and tummy cos the skin there don’t look like they need a scrub.
I hardly use an emery board…should try to get one for my nails soon.
A creamy scrub sounds good for the delicate area too. I should try to get something like that for my body too.
Not too sure…could be some sensitivity? I’ve had a bout of skin rashes last year and I had no idea why they surfaced either…could be something I used or something internal from my body.
Scrubbing is good, I think I need to learn scrubbing cuticles. otherwise they pain!!
Great article. Exfoliation is a process that sloughs dead skin cells from the top layer of skin, allowing new rejuvenated skin to surface. After an exfoliation your skin absorbs moisture more easily. Maintaining moisture helps slow the aging process and produces a more glowing appearance. Regular exfoliation can also help keep acne at bay by keeping pores clear. However, not all exfoliation techniques are equal. Choose the one that is specifically design for you skin type and skin needs.
Use something fine but not too rough and it’ll help to keep the cuticles in shape.
Agree…got to choose one to works well with your skin type. Some people needs more beads, others do fine with a wash cloth for example.
how do i get your product,am a nigeria live and work in abuja,nigeria
you forgot the genital area, it is important for women to exfoliate there (gently though)