Exfoliating 101

Whether you're new the world of beauty or just looking for some tips, this is a great place to start. We've all heard that exfoliating is good for our skin, but what does it really do?

The benefits:

• Gets rid of dead skin cells 

• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles 

• Helps to prevent blackheads by cleaning out your pores

• Helps your self tanners go on more smoothly 

How much is too much? 

You don't need to exfoliate on a daily basis. For gentle exfoliating, once a week is generally good. If you're using an intense exfoliator, once or twice a month is all you need. For dry skin, you might want to go a little longer between exfoliating to keep your skin from becoming too dry. Always moisturizer afterwards just as you would when you wash your face.  I like to use Jason Brightening Apricot Scrub from iHerb.

Exfoliating isn't just for your face. 

You can exfoliate all over for the same benefits you would see on your face. A pumice stone is great to use on your feet.  On the rest of your body, try a loofah with an exfoliating cleanser.  Apply your cleanser with a loofah in circular motions. The warm water in the shower will open up your pores so the product works better. Make sure you moisturizer afterwards. 

On your lips, scrubbing gently with a baby toothbrush is a good way to exfoliate dry, peeling skin.

Other tips: 

• Your skin should be clean, so remove makeup first. 

• With any type of exfoliating,  remember to be scrub gently.

• You only need to scrub for about thirty seconds, then rinse. After you wash it off, you can splash with cool water to close your pores. 

If you want to see more beauty 101 posts, let me know. Stay updated and follow me on Bloglovin, Pinterest, Google+, and Etsy. Don't forget to sign up for my monthly newsletter here.

- Serena 

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