One of the most important elements of maintaining smooth, healthy and soft skin is through exfoliation. In order to unclog your pores, smooth your skin and achieve the dewy glow that so many celebrities are sporting at the moment, it is imperative that you remove the dead skin from your face and body on a regular basis. However, if you are anything like me you’ll find it quite hard to settle on just one exfoliator as there are so many available to us on beauty high street shelves. So, I decided to test run some of my favourites in the hope it might help you when your next stocking up!
Le Belle Natural Skincare Body Polish
The Le Belle skincare range is primarily available online, so isn’t necessarily the first place you’d go to find a new exfoliator. However, if you regularly suffer from irritated skin or are looking for an exfoliator that doesn’t dry out your skin out too much (and actually hydrates skin) then this is definitely for you. It is a little costly at £26, but I really think it is worth the investment as it is the most hydrating exfoliator I’ve ever used due to its buttery texture. It pretty much melts away dead skin it is so soft and although it is only advisable to exfoliate once a week, I’ve used this three times during one week and it still doesn’t dry out your skin too much. The only thing I would advise is that you don’t use this product on your face. Personally, I think you should always have a separate facial exfoliator as the skin is far more sensitive on your face than it is on your body – however obviously, different things work for different people – so use whichever is best for you.
Yes to Carrots Exfoliating Body Wash
If you haven’t heard of the Yes To range, then you are missing out – and their products are so natural and do everything it says on the tin (well, tube). Their exfoliating body wash is perfect if you want to maintain a healthy skin routine but prefer to incorporate it into your daily wash/shower. The exfoliating ‘beads’ are actually finely ground walnut shells, which means that if you do suffer from sensitivity – the natural ingredients won’t upset your skin. With regards to the ‘Carrot’ part, yes it does smell like carrots! You might be thinking ‘oh I’d rather it smell like something sweet’, however I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated the smell of carrots until I used this product (ha ha)! It’s not overpowering, but it is a really fresh and clean scent which lasts quite awhile after use. The carrot ingredient is mainly used to provide rich nourishment, however I love the overall smell of the product! Again, I wouldn’t use this product on my face however the Yes To range do another product that is more suited to facial exfoliation (which I love) called Yes To Tomatoes Deep Pore Exfoliating Cleanser. It has a little salicylic acid in the ingredients (which sounds scary but it’s not, don’t worry!) to help clear blackheads and gently exfoliate clogged pores. The Yes To Carrots body wash is £9.99 from Feel Unique and the Yes To Tomatoes cleanser is available from Victoriahealth.com.
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Body Scrub
Palmer’s cocoa butter range is one of my all time favourite beauty product lines, quite simply – because they smell amazing. With the inclusion of cocoa butter in each and every one of their products, you know whatever product you buy from their range is going to smell wonderful (so you can’t really go wrong!). Palmer’s Body Scrub is no different, as it upholds the lovely cocoa buttery scent! It is a little thinner than my other exfoliators, however I personally find that this means it is much easier to apply and wash off. In addition, this also means that you aren’t forever finding bits of the exfoliator still attached to you. I normally use this product on an every other day basis, as it is quite gentle anyway – so your skin doesn’t get dry too quickly.
Hydration
After exfoliation, you might find that your skin is much drier and in order to maintain the soft texture you desire, you might need to give skin an extra hydrating boost. Personally, I find that E45’s lotions are perfect for exfoliation after-care as they are both gentle on sensitive skin and very hydrating. E45 have recently brought out a new range of products, which are lightly fragranced but still suitable for all skin types. Most ‘sensitive skin’ products are fragrance free (and a little bit boring) so it is an added luxury to have something which is lightly fragranced. The new range includes Touchably Smooth (which is my personal favourite), Silky Radiance (which contains a subtle shimmer) and Nourish and Restore (which is ideal for more mature skin). I believe they are available in all high street stores and are priced at around £3.99.
What do you think? Have you tried any of these products before and loved them?
