At any age, a woman wants her skin to look as good as possible. Exfoliators and masks help your skin do just that. They are both necessary because they do two different things. Exfoliators scrub and invigorate, while facial masks calm and soothe the skin.



The earlier you consistently include these items in your skin care routine, the more effective your moisturizer will be. This translates to your skin looking healthier and smoother as well as looking younger than you actually are. If you're fifteen, that may not be such an encouraging thought, but if you're thirty, forty or fifty

Why Do I Need an Exfoliator?

For your natural oils to surface so that you have polished looking skin, you will need an exfoliator to remove your dead skin cells. If not, those dead cells will restrict hair growth and the release of oil, and may cause infection. An exfoliator will prevent that.

It's not common knowledge that skin renews itself every 25 days or that flaky or ashy skin is just dry skin that needs to be removed. Men's faces need exfoliating too and the bottom half receives that through shaving. The top halfcould use a weekly scrub to keep the face evenly smooth.

What Do They Do?

In order for your skin's natural oils to come to the surface, your dead skin cells should be sloughed off and with correct use, exfoliators also polish the skin which leaves it feeling soft and smooth. When you don't use an exfoliator, those cells pile up and the results can be hair bumps or acne, especially in dryer skin areas like your back or shoulders.

How do I use Facial Exfoliators?

If your skin is oily, you should use a gel based scrub, combination skin needs a lotion type, dry skin responds best to oil based or cream products and the baking soda based exfoliator is the mildest and is best for sensitive skin. Immediately after cleansing, apply a teaspoon full of your exfoliator to a clean face cloth; both cloth and face should be wet.

For about 30 seconds, gently scrub in circular motions around your face and neck. Rinse well to remove all grains and pat dry with a clean towel. Finish with your toner, gel or cream for the eye area and facial moisturizers.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that exfoliating or masking longer or more often than the directions recommend, will make your skin look better; it won't, and could result in extreme dryness. Manufacturers have tested their products to determine which ingredients and what amount of time will give the best outcome. Exfoliating twice weekly is generally the recommended use, so follow the directions and enjoy the benefits of your home facial.