Exfoliation Dirty Dozen!
Exfoliation is a dirty business! Essentially, it’s getting rid of all the old, dead skin cells, and revealing smoother, more luminous, brighter complexions. It’s also something that we probably are all guilty of not doing enough of. Facial exfoliation should be an essential part of our skncare routine, at least a few times a week. I am terrible at it, but, for the last few weeks, I have been scrubbing away at my skin, all for your benefit, trying my Dirty Dozen exfoliators for you! Here are the results!
Crystal Clear Crystal Polish
Contains that precious stone garnet to provide a mild microdermabrasion effect that leaves your skin smooth. I love this brand, and this product is great. Dig in and get scrubbing! It contains anti-ageing peptides, and essential oils which nourish the skin. £32, crystalclear.co.uk
Bioderma Hydrabio Dehydrated and Sensitive Skin Exfoliating Cream
Perfect for sensitive skin, this is an exfoliator that won’t irritate, but you can feel it working. Use it on a damp face, and only use a couple of times a week. If your skin is sensitive and in need of hydrating, then use this, and follow it with the mask, which we will review on here soon. £10.50, escentual.com
Aurelia Skincare Refine & Polish Miracle Balm
Has a really ‘gummy’ consistency, which means applying it to dry, cleansed skin, is easy, and it isn’t harsh at all. You can use this as a mask, but let’s concentrate on polishing. It features the brand’s signature probiotic and peptide complexes to balance and protect the skin, with skin-brightening BioOrganic oils which emulsify on contact with water. The Miracle Balm is fragranced with an uplifting essential oil blend of Chamomile, Eucalyptus, Rosemary and Bergamot and contains natural rice bran refining beads. So, apply, massage in, then remove with water. Lovely! £57, spacenk.com
T-Zone Blackhead Fighting Facial Scrub
This is a classic, basic, scrub for skin that has blackheads. We all have them, so, find out where they are, and use this in those areas. I use this around my nose, and across my chin to concentrate on those little blackhead nasties. It’s effective, feels good, and is anti-bacterial. £3.99, superdrug.com
Marks and Spencer Formula Radiant Cleanse Thermal Exfoliating Polish
I LOVE the fact this heats up as you use it. Brilliant. It is an anti-ageing scrub that helps lift stubborn dead cells from the skin’s surface. You apply this to damp skin, with circular movements, and after 30 seconds rinse off. Use it once a week for best results. £9.50, marksandspencer.com
Argan + Refining Face Scrub
This mask smells lovely, and has Jojoba micro spheres and Rice powder to gently buff, with nourishing Oatmeal and Grapeseed Oil to hydrate. I just didn’t love this as much as I wanted to. Smells good, but isn’t hugely effective. You can use this 2-3 times a week, or more, should you want to, and would probably need to for it to be that effective. £8.99, waitrose.com
Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening toner
This is a different type of exfoliation – more like a peel. You sweep this across your face with a cotton pad before your regular skincare routine. Leave it for one minute, and then apply skincare. You have to be careful here in the sun – this contains an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) that may increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun. So, when you are using this, use a sunscreen and be careful in the sun, and for the week after using the product. This is a fab product – skin really does feel and look softer and smoother after a week or so of using. £25, clarins.co.uk
Sensai Silky Purifying Silk Peeling Powder
This is different! Japanese skincare is marvellous, so if you can, buy at least one thing from a Japanese brand at some point! This is an enzyme powder, which transforms to a rich foam which deals with dark patches and dead skin cells. Lather it up with a little water, apply to the skin, work it in, then remove. It feels fantastic, and skin feels great afterwards. £55, harrods.com
Zkin Clarifying Exfoliator
When I squeezed this out of the tube, I was shocked! It’s black! Well, very very dark brown actually, thanks to the coffee in it. It’s slightly off-putting if you are a fan of white beauty products, and it is a rough exfoliator. It feels rough, but I felt it working instantly. This brand is certified organic, from Australia, and the tubes are completely biodegradable too. If you love organic beauty, then seek this out. £19.95, lovelula.com
Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish
Smells lovely, contains natural clay, known to help minimise pore appearance, and seaweed extract, rich in minerals, nutrients and sugars. It’s a pretty basic, run of the mill scrub, easy to use, doesn’t feel rough, and skin feels and looks brighter after use. £18.50, benefitcosmetics.co.uk
Deborah Mitchell Heaven Bee Polish
This one is interesting. A non-abrasive exfoliator, to help with anti-ageing, detoxifying, and creating silky smooth skin. It contains liquid sugar which eats at the skin – eeww! But the best bit is the Bee Polish party – it contains ABEETOXIN® which works on lines, wrinkles and more. Bee venom and Botulism spores naturally found in the hive with raw cane sugar work to dissolve pigment lines and scarring. It tingles a little bit, and you put it on and pretty much take it off again instantly. You can use it for longer, as your skin gets used to it, and you can use it from one to six days a week if you want. £47.16, heavenskincare.com
Balance Snake Venom Face Scrub
Okay, there’s not really snake venom in this, of course, but there is a neuropeptide called Syn-Ake, which is snake venom-like. Which means it helps soften the look of wrinkles, because snake venom, like Botox, but more natural, temporarily inhibits muscle activity. I certainly didn’t feel that with this, but it was pleasant to use. It has natural clay, orange oil for moisturising, and is paraben free. Not bad for a fiver! £5, beautyandthebunch.com
Which one will you try?