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Last Updated: May 03, 2023
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Natural Exfoliants

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Dr. AjayAyurvedic Doctor • 20 Years Exp.Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery (BAMS), MD
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Exfoliation is the term given to the process of cleansing your skin with a product in order to achieve a smooth and clear complexion. Exfoliants, which are basically the products that a person applies to their skin, work by removing dead skin cells—chemically or physically—from the topmost layer of your skin.

Chemical exfoliants, which essentially contain alpha-hydroxy acids, come into action to break down or exfoliate dead skin on a molecular level. On the other hand, physical exfoliants are meant to physically abrade dead cells and dirt.

Exfoliating your skin is one of the easiest and most effective ways to help remove dead skin and debris from your skin. This will help to improve your skin's quality and bless you with a youthful and glowing complexion.

In other words, exfoliating your skin on a regular basis can help to moisturize dry and damaged skin, as well as promote new cell growth. This, in turn, will make your complexion clear and glowing. So, if you are also looking for some effective and simple ways to exfoliate your skin, this article is just for you!

What Are Natural Exfoliants?

There's no need to spend a lot of money on an exfoliant; many inexpensive, natural products can be just as effective for your skin. You might already have most of these natural ingredients available in your kitchen!

Exfoliation is important, but most man-made exfoliants contain plastic microbeads that could cause significant damage to your skin. These microbeads can create micro-abrasions or small tears in the skin, which can lead to inflammation and other skin problems. To avoid this, choose an exfoliant that is made with natural ingredients and will be gentle on your skin.

If you want to save some money and make your own natural exfoliating scrub without any harsh chemicals, look no further than your kitchen cabinets! There are many natural and edible ingredients you can find there that can be used to make a variety of different exfoliating scrubs right at home. Some of those ingredients are:

Honey

Honey is not just a delicious and healthy treat—it's great for your skin, too! Honey has antimicrobial properties that help promote healing, humectant properties that help keep your skin hydrated, and it even has medicinal applications.

Honey is a natural remedy that has been used for centuries to help treat skin disorders such as psoriasis and dermatitis. If you have been looking for an effective and safe way to improve your skin's health, honey can be a great option for you!

Raw honey is packed with enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. Not only is it great to consume, but it is also a great topical application that can be used to exfoliate the skin.

In fact, people have been using honey as a natural skin exfoliant for many decades. It not only helps get rid of dead skin cells, but it is also gentle on the skin. All in all, honey can be an ideal addition to your daily skincare routine, and it can help improve the tone and appearance of your skin.

To exfoliate your skin with honey, start by squirting a dime-size dollop of honey into your hands. Apply it to your face with your fingers, using small, circular motions. Rinse the honey off your face with warm water when you're finished.

Yogurt

Being that yogurt contains lactic acid, which is an alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA), it has the ability to help dissolve and remove dead skin cells as well as stimulate new growth, giving you a more even complexion in the process of exfoliation.

Yogurt has a pH of around 4.5, which is not adequate for it to be an exfoliant. However, according to SELF magazine, it only has 0.9% available acid after fermentation, which is pretty much less than traditional over-the-counter exfoliants that have AHAs between 5 and 10%. Buttermilk, if compared, has lactic acid between three and four percent, but it is way messier and more troublesome to apply.

All things considered, we can say that yogurt is quite a gentle and subtle exfoliant. However, it can still be effective and make your skin glow.

So, if you are tired of physical skin exfoliation methods and want something a bit gentler and more natural, you can use yogurt as a skin exfoliant. Yogurt on its own is moisturizing, and it has probiotics that make it a great exfoliant for every skin type.

Lemon Juice

You might have heard of lemon juice being used on your face and body to remove dead skin cells and unclog your pores. Lemon is predominantly known for its citric acid content, and it's also an excellent natural chemical exfoliant.

Lemon juice not only helps get rid of dead skin cells, but it can also help improve your skin's overall appearance by making it appear plumper and brighter. Whether you use it in a homemade facial scrub or apply it directly to your skin, lemon juice is a great way to achieve brighter, healthier-looking skin.

Apart from that, it can also be used to get rid of those nasty, stubborn acne spots or smooth out rough elbows and knees. In fact, lemon juice can be used on any part of your skin to improve its texture and appearance.

Papaya

Papaya is a great fruit that is rich in certain vitamins as well as antioxidants. At the same time, it can be an excellent ingredient that can be used to exfoliate your skin. Papain, an enzyme found in papaya, is what makes it an effective exfoliant.

This enzyme dissolves the keratin in dead skin cells, revealing supple and smooth skin from underneath. Apart from that, papaya can also help promote blood circulation and elasticity, giving your face a healthy glow.

You can simply cut it in half and use the inside of the papaya to remove any dead skin from the surface of any part of your skin. You will find it a convenient and inexpensive way to exfoliate your skin on a regular basis.

Conclusion

There are many ways to exfoliate skin and many products that can be used for this purpose. However, it is important to choose products that are good for your skin and will not cause any kind of irritation. It is also important to use exfoliants that are natural and will not harm the skin.

In this article, we discussed some of the best natural ways to exfoliate skin and some great natural exfoliants that can potentially work wonders for your skin. In the end, we hope that you learned something new and that you can use these tips to improve the way you exfoliate your skin.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult a specialist & get answers to your questions!
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